YouTube’s latest venture, Dream Track, marks a pioneering leap into the realm of experimental AI. This groundbreaking platform introduces an innovative AI model named Lyria, empowering selected users to craft musical compositions utilizing AI-generated voice clones of renowned artists.
Harnessing text-based prompts akin to those found in Stability Audio and OpenAI’s Dall-E platform, Dream Track enables users to fashion music snippets, each lasting no more than 30 seconds. Users wield the power to input music style preferences, lyrical themes, and even select their desired artist ‘voice,’ with a roster encompassing luminaries such as John Legend, Charlie Puth, Sia, Charli XCX, Demi Legato, T-Pain, among others.
To safeguard the unique creations birthed on Dream Track, YouTube’s parent company, Google, has introduced SynthID, an innovative watermarking technology. SynthID diligently tracks all outputs from Dream Track, ensuring their exclusive use within the platform and preventing unauthorized distribution.
This venture heralds the initial stride in a series of upcoming AI-driven products from YouTube. In a joint statement, Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s global head of music, and Toni Reid, VP of emerging experiences and community, expounded on these endeavors, remarking, “Collectively, these experiments delve into the potential of AI features, fostering avenues for artists and creators to expand their creative horizons. Moreover, fans will relish novel means to engage with their beloved artists, fostering closer connections through interactive tools and experiences. This iterative process promises to refine and fortify the technology, paving the way for future applications.”
The integration of AI within the music industry remains a topic fraught with contention, delineated by divergent surveys showcasing the divide among music creators regarding the integration of technology into their creative workflow.
Recent strides in this arena include Waves’ introduction of a cloud-based AI mastering service and LANDR’s launch of an AI mastering plugin. Apple, too, has joined the fray by incorporating AI mastering capabilities into the latest iteration of Logic Pro for macOS and iPad.
