Udio.com - Are Film Composers Out of a Job?

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0:00 Intro
1:22 The AI market
2:08 The value of experience
3:24 Exercise your humanity
4:07 Explore non-musical skills
4:51 Don't compete on price/speed
5:48 Next steps
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Hey there! I'm a full-time media composer, passionate online educator, and obsessive coffee roaster. Through my KZbin channel, weekly newsletter, and online courses, I'll teach you how to master music-making and kickstart your composing career.

[@ZachHeyde]

This subject is really broad, so I'd love to hear from you as well. Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

[@AIBangers4u]

Sampling music will be obsolete soon. I've already used this tool to sample and sometimes, the samples are already sped up.

[@Grigoriy1996]

Two things come to mind. 1. I think the natural limitation of AI is that in music like in acting not everything can be described with words. It possibly also relates to your take on people wanting exprience but in terms of non-verbal communication. To simplify, we can grasp what kind of vibe and nuances our clients may want through emotional empathy which is almost impossible to prompt. Probably, a good example of such non-verbal communication are conductors. Good conductors don't just signal louder and softer or more dramatic or whatever, they act in such a way, so musicians can feel the conductor's emotional interpretation of the music and choose to play a certain way. 2. Panic aside, AI music can be a powerful search engine for ideas (aka things to borrow, because probably majority of things in music are 'borrowed' from other pieces of music) if they add automatic transcribing/midi output and possibly list of music tracks the AI took certain ideas from, so you could investigate further.

[@carkawalakhatulistiwa]

Live performers on stage are more appreciated because composing songs is very easy now

[@nitroanilinmusic]

For now AI is nothing to worry about in terms of output quality. Even if it can already nail the aesthetic, it has barely any sense of structure. The biggest worry right now should be whether potential clients would care about that in face of the costs saved.

[@BobBobenstein]

it sounds good production wise, but compositionally seems very generic. Unfortunately, generic is probably good enough to take most scoring jobs

[@bobbyboyderecords]

try it out, it can do all sorts of music, free jazz, music concrete, microtonal, anything. and this is early days. sad really but I really don't know what to think.

[@minder01]

The production isn't that good though. It's washy and phasy.

[@Mosesranthemetresinarcseconds]

@@minder01but how good will it be in 2 years??

[@minder01]

@@Mosesranthemetresinarcseconds This process doesn't lend well to production. It's not a matter which will "Get better with time" The philosophy doesn't give it much support either. It will make the music but you have do the mixing and mastering yourself? The kind of person systems like these attract won't do such thing. They will whine and cry for the AI to do it for them. That is operating under the assumption they even know what it is. So far, every dimwit I've seen prop forth sites like UDIO and Suno are completely clueless. They don't have the incentive to learn the trade and therefore don't understand the shortcommings of these systems.

[@Mosesranthemetresinarcseconds]

@@minder01 you will be irrelevant….we all will be from the music making, mixing, production and mastering process….there will be no speciality to anything any more other than playing a musical instrument purely for pleasure or live maybe…..you have no clue just how good AI will become at this

[@FRANKMUSIKOFFICIAL]

It’s very simple. Don’t make your regular orchestral music. AI is only using a plethora of mundane copy and paste orchestral cues because that is a majority of what composers supply for movies. More original music is required to stand above AI. AI is a gimmick.

[@ZachHeyde]

100% agree!

[@DerlisAGonzalez]

I said this same thing to a Bleeding Fingers composer just a few days ago - that the reason AI is a threat at all is because film music assembly lines like that place have been churning out generic, anonymous "cinematic music" for so long that's what everybody expects. He didn't take it kindly lol.

[@FRANKMUSIKOFFICIAL]

@@DerlisAGonzalez 👆This

[@FRANKMUSIKOFFICIAL]

@@ZachHeyde love your channel. Keep it up.

[@JacobTeach]

Whatever the AI does is irrelevant here. It still wouldn't matter even if AI had the capacity to emulate any composer who had ever existed. If people want us, they'll have us, even if it's just to put our name on it.

[@DJPastaYaY]

This is very true. I like how you don't completely bash on AI like I see many other artists do. You talk about the subject in a way that brings value and isn't just "AI is bad" Also, I've actually found it pretty fun to sort of work with the AI rather than against it by simply putting something it generates into my own work. It can be interesting to see how my style compares to its style and how they blend in together. I know another artist who does this hybrid of AI music with hand made music in their songs too which is fascinating.

[@ZachHeyde]

Thank you! I agree, everything is a tool and if we there's a world where we can integrate it into our workflow, it increases the skills we can leverage (just like making good virtual mockups has become a desirable trait in the industry!)

[@stephaniejane-music]

I love this and am also trying this hybrid style. I have had some pretty in depth chats with musicians who see it as the end of them but, I just can’t see it that way. I have found the way I have used Ai so far is another way to build and explore styles around my original idea. No matter what the output is, I still always end up back in my studio composing strings, orchestra and all sorts around it and with it. Then other times I don’t use it at all. Oddly (maybe I am crazy), I don’t feel threatened by it😅

[@JacobTeach]

You're right, it's not just the music but the person. Art is about the person. Many producers and consumers will want the human behind the music. You don't need to be world-famous to have a personality worth paying for.

[@ZachHeyde]

I love the way you put this!

[@RAM_845]

Ironically, it's a person who PROGRAMMED the A.I in the first place and its the human's job to maintain and regulate A.I eventually when quantum computing becomes mainstream that's when it gets scary,

[@snarf1504]

In the lower end of the industry, i.e. library music & advertising, it is very much not about the person and more about the musical results.

[@JacobTeach]

@@snarf1504 Library music and advertising is not the kind of work my comment was referring to. That is an area I'd steer clear from.

[@bkslam_music]

Well said. As a guy that is starting his composing journey, I see AI as nothing more than a tool that we might be able to utilise. For me, how and which instruments can accompany each other, and listening to them in a context helps inspire my own works.

[@stephaniejane-music]

This is how I am trying to look at Ai as. I am experimenting a lot. I am looking at as many tools at my disposal and thinking where I can place them depending on the project I am doing.

[@kimseniorb]

fighting windmills at this point. not too late to start learning how to do plumbing

[@TheArtofMakingMusic]

Great Video! I was just speaking with a student about this today!

[@trevan5035]

I just wish this technology was compatible with midi! These samples sound so much more real and human than current libraries. Imagine being able to have a full choir sing your melody AND LYRICS!

[@ZachHeyde]

I think we'll get there soon enough!!

[@MikeSheehan727]

it doesn't use samples, it's trained on real music - orchestral music in this case, which is why it sounds so real. it's basically recreating all those sounds with a really complex form of synthesis. so no samples are involved in the way that a sample library works. that's why there's no way to use it with MIDI or type in chords (at the moment). but yes I think eventually we'll have virtual instruments that use the same technology. probably soon

[@snarf1504]

Right! Imagine if instead of replacing composers we could replace all performers instead! Much better situation!

[@JacobTeach]

​@@snarf1504 I do not like the sound of that.

[@MikeSheehan727]

@@snarf1504 won’t replace performers but will make it easier to have better sounding mockups. a lot of sample libraries are already incredibly realistic and in many cases they are already used in final scores. That’s been happening long before AI. So it will be just like everything else. It will be a tool.

[@BaraMatahariPagi]

I always try to stay positive about the whole AI topic. I strongly believe that film composers will still be relevant in the future! Filmmakers (at least the passionate ones) will want to work with humans, not a bot that's trained on other people's art. To quote Hans: "getting hired for my music is only half the game. I get hired because I’m a film maker first and foremost, if that makes any sense." That's what I try to do. Not just be a good composer, but be a good filmmaker and collaborator. We're in that world after all! Anyway that was just my two cents, great video Zach! :)

[@JacobTeach]

Nice Hans quote. I've always thought that the best composers are the ones adept at more than just the music. Learning story-writing and film-making can give you a deeper understanding of the bigger picture.

[@BaraMatahariPagi]

@@JacobTeach This is so true! You can be a good composer with good music, but you have to have a good understanding of how filmmaking works to be a good film composer. That's exactly what I'm trying to learn.

[@Dystopian84]

Hans gets hired because he has a massive team so in a way because he puts his name on so many things he didn't weite : he was the furst step in AI music

[@BaraMatahariPagi]

@@Dystopian84 Correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, he at least writes the themes to those films, and then lets others develop it (with credit). So he *DOES* write something. Plus, if you look in the music credits in one of his films, you'll see that the additional writers, etc get credited. Please do name one film where he didn't write anything but gets credited, if I'm wrong. Also, many other composers have teams, not just Hans. It's a common thing these days, and it's a good thing because it's a win-win - the composer gets help, and the people helping get work and credits (unless it's ghostwriting).

[@Dystopian84]

@@BaraMatahariPagi something : yes of course / everything/ most things : no . He said in an interview that it wasn't possible to credit all composers as " additionnel " implying that there are many of them and that most aren't credited .Composers have teams but hans a a mega team the size of a big corporation . This type of team allowed hilm to do many blockbusters per year for years . AI is soon going to be more efficient than a team like that .

[@LianDyogi]

As someone just starting out in media composition I was initially disheartened then I realized---I can't focus on things outside of my control. It's better to learn how to use AI to better your workflow (imo) and focus on finding people who will want to work with you over AI. I also think it could free composers up to experiment some more if AI can be the one to do more "templated" tasks. I also agree that the experience is what it's about. If you're fun/good to work and collaborate with then people will want to come back.

[@srt5490]

Your videos are awesome, and the topics you cover are spot on. This one hits home for me because I've got some thoughts I want to share. Making a living solely from composing is getting tougher, especially for newcomers. Producers nowadays want to pay next to nothing. And yeah, technology keeps improving, which is cool, but we need to remember why we got into composing in the first place. It's about passion and love, not just chasing a paycheck. Even if making ends meet is a struggle, there's still so much value in honing your skills, exploring new musical ideas, and appreciating what you create. Unfortunately, I can not see opportunities for fresh composers down the road. Let's not get too caught up in the rat race of business and greed. So let's keep composing, enjoying every moment, because that's what it's all about, right?

[@SamAllenComposer]

Great thoughts Zach! :)

[@user-ux9ek3db3r]

Love your video Zack. As a musician and retired marketing executive, my opinion is that music producers will have to differentiate themselves from the masses of generic producers. What makes your sound unique that solves a "problem" that film directors are clamouring for? Let's not forget that movie producers are under pressure as well as apps like SORA AI will transform the film industry.

[@jobvankuppeveld400]

Hey Zach, thanks for this super nice video! You probably don't remember me but I actually got taken into conservatory for writing film and theatre music so this one was very nice for me as I now plan on doing this for my career! I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me over the last few years, and when I have a little more time, I will definitely book another lesson with you to chat a little if you don't mind :) ❤

[@ZachHeyde]

I remember you Job! Congrats on your acceptance into university and so glad things are working out for you so far 🙂

[@PivotalYT]

Great points Zach. I feel this applies to most fields (artistic or otherwise). I've found that by committing to what you do, and overall just being a decent human being can lead to so many opportunities, cause people notice it comes from an organic/inspired place. Ultimately that's not something AI will ever be able to give anyone - a real connection.

[@jadonharpermusic2493]

That prompt 100% had something to do with Howard Shore, that is his signature style 🤣 Btw, this video was very heartening and you raised many great points.

[@onastick-hu5ss]

AI can't compete with me. I am a fn musical genius mastermind with the keys to the universe 😂

[@ianlarsen3920]

You tell it, bro. Same here.

[@Mopsie]

100%😂

[@Mosesranthemetresinarcseconds]

That can’t get any composing gigs because of AI 😂😂😂

[@4mb127]

99% of what matter is the quality of the music and how well it works in the intended context. Nothing else.

[@Gedagnors]

I like desperate imitation of optimism in the comments: "It's just a tool" "Find another job" "It's fine"

[@Dystopian84]

I am noticing that things are changing : less people are trying to defend AI lately using the usual generic arguments : " it is just a tool , same fears occurred before when the hammer was invented , it is the future , it is inevitable , if you aren't excited for new technologies you are a boomer .... " Even those who were hoping that AI could compensate for their lack of talent and finally allow them to produce something seem to change their mind when they see that you can get a full song in under a minute with just a silly one line prompt .

[@Gedagnors]

@@Dystopian84 Yes, AI learns very fast and very good. Yet music sample libraries still cost a lot. Today being a composer is like an expensive hobby.

[@Elintasokas]

@@Gedagnors Is that even a bad thing? Doesn't commercializing art cheapen it as a medium? Maybe it's good that it won't be yet another way to make money (through a commissioned product) but as a means of true expression.

[@Gedagnors]

@@Elintasokas I don't know. Sorry, but I simply don't know how to feel about it. ))))) I think that the problem is that people are forced to compete with ai.

[@bazejkaczmarek8271]

Many, if not majority of fameous works of art were commisioned paid jobs though. It sounds nice to have art as "pure expression" but this turns art into a hobby for rich people basically.

[@dechain1927]

this has been on my mind so much, I've been considering a bachelor's in media composing and the ai thing has me so worried that it will be a deadend in the long run

[@smartduck904]

My studio will stay open 🎙️🎤

[@michaelsutherland5761]

Very insightful! Had no idea you are in LA. We should meet up!

[@ChurchoftheIgnorati]

First radio play of a Udio song was last night on Oystermouth Radio at just after 9:15pm. The show should be repeated tonight at the same time.

[@CarlosGherrera]

The big issue is that starting is just going to be harder and harder, as you will lack the skills and the connections. That could lead to a loss VS AI since it will deliver better than what a beginer can, so the entry point will get higher and higher. You can still make music and enjoy it, but doing so as a job might become way more difficult as time goes

[@versko9]

Really well said, Zach. Another part of the beauty in so many of these creative industries is the collaborative effort. I personally wouldn't care to score an AI movie (unless the financial incentive was great) - but it certainly wouldn't be my first choice. I think any creative choosing to use AI is probably subject to intense deadlines, a shallow wallet, etc. However, the majority of creatives worth our time will see the value in not just our work but the relationships fostered.

[@karlelee3741]

Totally agree that this will a quicker or lower budget option. And forgive me if you or someone else has already said this in the comments, but my first thought was the client saying, "This sounds great, can you just change [this one part here] or [take out that instrument]. I would think pivoting a prompted piece of music and leaving the rest untouched would be a bit difficult to get the desired result....well at least for now... 😆

[@johnbeer2854]

This will decimate the library music industry in a matter of years unless some kind of legislation is brought in. Even TV documentaries and such who's budgets have been falling for years anyway will opt for a cheap, but hugely impressive sounding score which they can edit and change endlessly. Only higher budget projects will initially stay with composers, and actors, screen writers etc etc and for a while it will become a symbol of resistance, like bands used to do. Do you remember the Queen album that stated 'No Synthesizers were used in this album' - and then look what happened in their following albums. A very sad state of affairs that governments, in their infinite ignorance, will allow human creativity to be lost in this way. I saw a very accurate meme that said (paraphrasing) I'd like AI to do my laundry and washing while I create my art - not the other way around.

[@yoni2k814]

Hey Zach. I love when you go over movie styles or composer styles. Could you go over michale giachinos ratatoullie?

[@Grigoriy1996]

I think it is great time to request from such AIs to add a feature to output of midi/sheet music + analysis what pieces of music were referenced. Because, technically speaking it is potentially a great search engine for musical ideas you can borrow (AI by large is just statistics and if in past to borrow something from someone else's music like John Williams did with classical composers you had to know particular pieces here you can potentially find somthing you never heard of) and it would be cool if the same platform could transcribe it form you. As for substituting composers, I think like with acting there are too many thing in music that can be put in words easily and therefore are hard to prompt.

[@TimHareMusic]

I have friends working in the AI music space. At the moment studios are more interested with it replacing Temp than Score. The big caveat to all of this besides quality and being able to connect on a human level with the film makers is copyright law. If they don’t own it they don’t want it and currently you can’t own a full AI score

[@ZachHeyde]

Temp music could actually be really interesting/useful if handled by AI!

[@TimHareMusic]

@@ZachHeydeAgreed it could be a huge time saver, even just for sections they’re having trouble finding what they want

[@PeterToml1nson]

Hey that’s my post, haha Thanks for your perspective Zach. Absolutely how I feel. It’s not as scary as people would think imo

[@ZachHeyde]

Thank you for inspiring the video man, it's a great thing to discuss and glad you feel the same 🙂

[@extraterra]

You're completely right about the importance of the human element. However, there's another critical aspect companies consider: the risk of copyright strikes. AI music often draws from human-created works included in its training datasets, which can lead to outputs that are strikingly similar to existing artists' work. Take the current situation with Udio on Twitter, for instance-though I can't link a KZbin video, check out the issues with Bladee's songs. Lawsuits are on the horizon. This concern is likely to deter investors in upcoming funding rounds and discourage video game and film companies from adopting AI music, as they fear potential copyright complications.

[@ZachHeyde]

That's an excellent point, seeing a lot of people noting this recently and I totally agree.

[@sharmsong]

Really interesting video! The advancement in AI for music is so mad and scary, like those AI covers. I heard a Serj Tankien one the other day and my mind was 🤯 Tbh, as a singer, I've always had the ick when hearing choir VSTs in music which has been a thing for years and years so this isn't something that feels massively new to me (mind you, thinking about it, I guess its the same for any musician hearing their chosen instrument played on a VST instead of for real). I just hope that people will still want to hear authentic and real, from the heart singing and music and not just bits and pieces that the AI sweeps up from the prompts and sticks together 🤷‍♀

[@danielgreen4484]

Keep in mind that generative AI in music is just in the top of the first inning. Like other technologies, the advances in the future will be astounding. In two years AI sophistication will be well beyond its current capabilities. Clearly, AI’s greatest immediate inroads are in those areas where cheap, fast and “good enough” are the marching order priorities.

[@battleframestudios8989]

A big part of composing for film is making the music fit the visuals like a glove. The ai (presumably) wasn't given any visuals to match with, so the filmmakers would have to edit the movie in such a way to match the visuals to the orchestra instead, which isn't ideal. Every story beat in a scene usually has an orchestral cue but there's no way an ai would be able to match that.

[@cheska_yo]

Love the nuanced view on this topic! I've thought about AI in the past as a former medical worker, and it's interesting to see how quickly creative industries can apply emerging AI compared to the health care industry where it takes more time to implement (and rightfully so). I think as an artist, I get to confront the consequences of AI sooner than I would have in health care, and maybe that's a good thing? 😂

[@ZachHeyde]

Thanks Cheska! And that's a super interesting perspective, we have lots of time to adapt to what's coming for sure!

[@robertlydeckermusic]

Great video as always. A director compared this situation to when cheap, mass-produceable quartz watches hit the markets. The traditional, mechanical watchmakers couldn't compete, so instead they jacked up the price of their watches and thrived by turning themselves into a niche market. I suppose I still need to double check this history, as I only know the story at it was told to me, but it's an interesting historical analog.

[@ZachHeyde]

Hey thanks for watching Bob! I LOVE this analogy and I think you're spot on. I think this shifrt will encourage composers to create niches of their own rather than trying to work "in the bubble" via the traditional commercial industry. In that way, they won't have to compete with these tools as long as they've got their own personal brand and a unique clientbase of people who love them/what they do.

[@frodo3556]

Love your attitude on this topic. Technology will always evolve and adapt, but that doesn't mean we as human beings can't do the same 💪

[@pedrod.7576]

Lately, it's been getting easier and easier to become a doomer when it comes to AI taking people's jobs.

[@ZachHeyde]

Most definitely! It reminds me of many times before in the industry when people said similar. This industry is (and always will be) one about adaptation.

[@vicfirth1]

These are all really good points. The thing that’s scary about udio is that this is the worst it will ever be.

[@Robfnord]

That example at the start sort of goes with the music thematically but in terms of actually being a usable piece of music for that scene absolutely no way does it compare to what a proper composer would have done if they’d written it to the scene, it just doesn’t match up at all , maybe if all you care about is short clips people will only watch once on a phone , but it’s never going to compare to something that had real thought effort and intention behind it

[@davedesigning]

Have you read Harry Beckwith's "Selling the Invisible"?

[@DerlisAGonzalez]

I'll watch your video in a bit, but honestly I feel like the popularity of film music assembly lines like Bleeding Fingers, which are churning out anonymous "cinematic music" 24/7, and practices like that of people like Lorne Balfe, who hire a dozen people to help him score films, have already contributed to damage the art, craft and value of film scoring. If AI is indeed what's next it's only because it'll be able to take advantage of the current state of things and just erode things further.

[@ZachHeyde]

That's a really interesting point--that music has already been commoditized before AI even started. I think it's also just a result of what's asked from us from the commercial space--deadlines are shorter and shorter, so teams become essential. BUT in my experience there's also lots of great clients in the independent, non-commercial space, who are happy to pay a premium and don't warrant large teams to get jobs done. That's more where my work as a composer falls and I love it for that reason!

[@otterthewise]

@@ZachHeydeinteresting Zach… I’d like to find a niche in the industry that doesn’t kill me or take advantage of me….ive also considered making my own movies and my own scores with my friend who is more cinema-directed. Could be interesting to take that approach into the industry too

[@DerlisAGonzalez]

​@@ZachHeyde absolutely, and I think it's in a way up to us to make sure clients understand that writing music, good music, takes time and that's just the way it is, and if they want what we have, they'll have to accomodate to that. Not always possible of course because rent be due every month, but I do think it's something we should try as much as we're able. I also very much understand the teams angle in terms of it being an opportunity for people to gain experience and credits, but at the same time, if you're hiring *me*, presumably because of what I can do, and I can just delegate that to 10 other people who are readily available and able to mimic what I do and most people won't notice, then why are you really hiring me for? Am I really bringing a unique voice to projects? It's a complex issue, but I do believe AI is just the next step down towards the bottom.

[@johndrabecki2751]

Wanted to share a perspective from a friend who's worked in sync licensing for 5+ years. He said that music from 5 years ago, even sometimes 2 years ago sounds dated. Music Supervisors are paying attention to *trends* and they want to place music that sounds current and new. With AI music, by definition, being self referential it will (for now) always sound like something you've heard before. Yes, there will always be clients who's budget constraints are such that they'll go to AI. But the majority of shows and media need music that sounds fresh and new. Hopefully that helps some people breathe a little easier.

[@TimothyShortellMusic]

Thanks for taking the time to put this together! It's cool to see the track I generated against picture. Totally agree that now is the time to build strong relationships and focus on having unique voice as a composer. AI will certainly make it more difficult to have a career in this industry, but there's still hope for sure. Great points.

[@ZachHeyde]

Hey Timothy, thank you for sharing your discovery and prompting the discussion! Appreciate you watching 🙂

[@redguitar6062]

Where media composition is part of an iterative, artistic, project-based process (movies, documentaries, games, etc) then AI will be an incredible tool for the composer her/himself but only when precise changes to the individal tracks or stems are made possible and fully expressive MIDI files created. Until that point I don't think it can hold a candle yet. How long this will remain the case, I have no idea. However, right now I see AI-generated music as the low-hanging fruit for the lower end of the market such as underscore and muzak/earccandy sounds and/or FX for mass content creators.

[@jetlag_beats]

It's just a new, interesting tool, giving different possibilities as before it existed. It reminds me of when the first drum computers were invented and getting accessible to the masses - like: early '80s. The whole music industry got crazy, shouting: "oooh my god... all the drummers will be out of work pretty soon!" Which - as we all know - didn't happen.

[@rodterrell304]

Glad I do music for a hobby and not for a living.

[@TonyIrayhany]

Hello Zach, I have watched 5 of your videos so far. And I appreciate that you took time to give your unfiltered opinion on AI as I, myself, am observing lots of doomsday opinions on AI which I disagree with. Very hard to convince them that it is not the end haha

[@louisnadeau1]

You seems to be right. Those AI music might be more usefull for project with no to little budget. But isn't like those project that give experience for new composer/musician? I feel that the way to enter this career (gain experiences/references and your first projects) might become harder because of that. AI might take that first step and creates a weird situation for new composers that don't have the credibility to get bigger project

[@ZachHeyde]

I think that's a great point, and I agree that it may be harder to find some entry-level work with AI stepping in. But I also think that good work at the entry-level stage comes from people who know and trust us, so in that way it'll just be continually important to develop relationships with people instead of sending cold emails searching for work. Time will tell!

[@issiewizzie]

Perhaps the energy is Best spent pushing the plug-in companies to make the workflow faster with AI

[@LordBrozart]

Horrible timing for me, I just started getting into orchestral programming heavily last year. Ugh, I still want to perfect my craft but hearing what the AI does so effortlessly would take me hours to produce. I’m kind of sad 😢 Thank you though for the positive outlook.

[@dylanbaker5766]

Wait until Warner Bros or paramount trains an AI on all of the stuff they already own and just generate the new scores. Seems like this would be great for the industry just not the working artists. Record companies could always train closed source AIs on all of the content they own.

[@andrewk666]

When you say clients want to enjoy a positive experience hiring a human composer over AI, is there much more that goes into that other than just having pleasant and friendly email exchanges? This is regarding clients who you don't interact with face to face

[@ZachHeyde]

Excellent question. The short answer is yes - but it requires taking a step of confidence and getting on 1:1 phone/video calls with clients instead of email exchanges. That's the quickest way to deliver personalized value and deepen relationships! (The longer answer to this is explored through my Bootcamp)

[@marcel_schweder-composer]

Wise words but I think a bit to optimistic. But who knows, time will tell. Keep creating/composing that is all that matters in the end.

[@Elintasokas]

Unfortunately people who have vested interests are prone to copium.

[@snarf1504]

​@@ElintasokasYeah... Zach even advertises his course for new composers in the end. Of course he has an incentive to interpret these developments in a certain way.

[@Elintasokas]

@@snarf1504 Exactly. You can see the same thing among programmers. "We're irreplaceable!" Yeah, sure, buddy. We'll see in a few years.

[@hemslonnigum]

@@snarf1504 yeah. pretty shady in my opinion, even if he didn't intend it to be. telling young people it's a great time to become a composer is awfully suspicious when it benefits him financially. talk to a few LA composers who've been working longer than this guy is and you get a really clear picture that this is a horrific time. his idea of "adapting" in the industry is just offering courses. i believe he truly believes he's helping people but he's flirting with a scam.

[@minder01]

Honestly, hearing all the tests people have done with Udio, even down to the most niche genres- there is no way this has been done legally.

[@pocketpheonix9573]

The Restaurant bit doesn't even make sense, as it applies to the composers that are already big. People, composers and musicians are gonna drown in the flood of new songs being mass generated, sooner or later you'll have something for every use case. You would have never found that specific restaurant if you had to go through 10000 copies of it that are almost just as good. Meaning the current big artists will survive but new ones don't have much of a chance.

[@GregoryCrimson]

Just think of Can You Hear The Music - Ludwig Goransson for example, if that song did not exist, I think you would spend more time to create the prompt for the AI than actually composing it yourself, and it still wouldn't sound as good as his version. That says it all to me. AI is just a copy of everything that already exists, we can always be more creative than a robot will ever be.

[@philipmcniel4908]

That soundtrack example may sound passable as background music for a fight scene using the LotR musical language, but it's not truly _iconic_ in the way Howard Shore's masterful cues are. Nobody's going to hear it in another 10 years and know exactly which movie it's from, let alone which scene. Not so with the Rohan theme (or the Imperial March, or any number of other iconic film scores).

[@pocketpheonix9573]

That's just what you think, but in the future you're never gonna know or hear a difference. Fact is that these modules are trained on every musical piece thats out there, meaning it can learn literally any type of music and composition

[@philipmcniel4908]

@@pocketpheonix9573 The problem is, the only way it's going to write iconic themes, without the ability to truly understand the emotional impact of a melodic arc on a human level, is either rank plagiarism, luck, or more likely some combination of the two.

[@Elintasokas]

Not yet, but they will be soon. It's going to get better and better, and eventually there's no sense in hiring an expensive human.

[@RenardeauGuy]

"I totally agree with you."

[@antonklinok3575]

I'm sorry, but in example with LOTR movie... I felt that it was kinda out of place. It would be sad if this will be enough for general audience :)

[@amarkalibad2571]

I'm more worried about the people who will pretend to be composers/artists and just use AI to generate everything. All types of AI will get better with time. It seems like we're only a few years away from AI-generated art/music being completely indistinguishable from anything a human can make. If a client can't tell the difference, it'll become harder for new composers/artists to stand out in an oversaturated market. I'd like to think that the industry will prefer human-made content, but studios are always looking to cut costs wherever they can. If AI music becomes indistinguishable from human music, I doubt they'd think twice about using it. It seems like live performers have a brighter future than composers. It's hard to predict the future though. Maybe regulations will prevent excessive use of AI. Maybe we'll see some 'certified organic' studios come up, and consumers will prefer that content. But maybe consumers won't care, as long as the content is good.

[@Akshaysreeram]

I am a full time library music composer writing for premium trailer and tv labels that distribute via BMG,Warner Chappell etc. I think this is a real threat,sorry to sound negative. But realistically this is going to make things very very difficult from a few years from now

[@ZachHeyde]

Unfortunately I do agree that library music is probably threatened, though I hope that there are opportunities to prepare, transition, and adapt accordingly. I think we've still got time!

[@Akshaysreeram]

@@ZachHeyde A great portion of composers make a livelihood from the passive income from performance royalties.not gonna be easy for most,but inevitable ig

[@Cloven137]

I don't even know why I'm worried. I wasn't worried about human competition before, why should I worry about machine competition? I suppose what I'm worried about are the implications. Reality is about to completely break down. Are you guys ready for this?

[@vkhor927]

We will play premium...turbo tax, or an real accountant, AI lawyer, or human lawyer, AI graphics, or real graphic artist and the list goes on...real story teller or AI authors..I think two can exist, but again, humans will have to up their standards.:) We just have more competition, at the same time, automate many mundane things.

[@TdF_101]

1. don't make generic commercial music. You will sell less and be less understood but developing a signature sound or voice is key to being irreplaceable (which might happen when you're 60) 2. have another steady job 3. realise that if a company will want to cut costs it will and you are competing for even less spots. 4. have another steady job. 5. Best of luck

[@RAM_845]

I treat A.I as a companion tool...generates IDEAS, use them as templates. Even if it DOES approve in the future, human composers and producers will STILL be there.

[@music-drive]

Speaking as someone who has been writing library music as a side hustle, this video does not fill me with confidence.

[@cvrart]

Imagine if an AI model had ZERO training data music composed already by human beings. Now, imagine that AI-generated music, based on training data sets of already composed works, is sufficiently compelling to most people that the economic incentive to produce new musical ideas falls away. At this point, human music would be kind of frozen in time and everything produced would be derivative and sound formulaic. The next step would be to try to get AI to conceive of new things, and all humans would do is say whether they like them or not. Ultimately, we're kind of falling into a trap where we will become infantilized and spoon fed by machines. In such a world, could prolific and innovative musical geniuses like Joseph Haydn ever arise, or are we just surrendering human exceptionalism for the sake of economics and increased profit for corporations. It might end up being an epic misallocation of capital, leaving a small tech elite holding all the cards and the rest of humanity impoverished and helpless.

[@ProAudioIQ]

The only directors/producers who would consider using AI music in an actual production do not care about their art or their audience. The only musicians who would ever use it for final production are those who aren’t getting paid enough to actually write and produce original music. Low budget = low quality results (you get what you pay for). Have you noticed this on the majority of Netflix scores the past several years? Musicians and especially non musicians/non composers/non songwriters will love using it for personal entertainment. This is the perfect use for it. - composers and songwriters who are a little stuck in the writing process and could use some instant melody/chord progression options to get unstuck will really benefit. AI music is simply a mirror of the music it has been fed for its learning. If you listen through the production value to the actual music writing, you’ll see it’s sort of like grabbing a meal from mega wall of frozen dinner options at the grocery store. It’s pretty bland and lackluster. People who care about their art and their audience will most likely use AI music as a way to sample various ideas to help in the creative process, but they would never feed that as a finished meal to the audience. Listen to Netflix scores and the like. It’s already happening.

[@EclectickMusic]

I really can’t see studios using music which has clearly been trained off of copyrighted music. It’s just too much of a risk. Because none of these companies can show us, or even tell us where they’ve gotten the data to train their models. They’re sketchy af.

[@danielb.4817]

Yes, because i liked the food i will pay 50k for production because i enjoy the experience. M8 are dense? When Udio and the likes finish finetuning the Model and give creators a proper interface to model the music the industry as we know it will be gone

[@ZachHeyde]

I worked with a company who paid over $200k for a live orchestra on a single track simply for vanity. They could have done it cheaper, but they just did it because it looked cool and they wanted it to make their company look good. The emotional motivators for buying will always remain throughout any faster/cheaper options.

[@JohnSk82]

AI is an imitative machine.Even at it's best as far as I've tested this it doesn't deliver THE MUSIC but a good edit. As I see this in the near future it will provide some sort of ''background music'' but not that ''exceptional composition'' a director or a client is seeking for. As for music technology I will pay for an AI Choir to just sing what I ask from it to sing TWICE as much as sample libraries.

[@BusyCLMusic]

Honestly the more I look into, hear about, or see AI art / music the less worried I become about it in regards to it killing off careers. At least in the games industry, serious game developers and studios do not just want something from a prompt. They want a trustworthy person who will reliably communicate, deliver, and help to make the product better than they could make it by themselves. Also as a quick aside, you don't have to be the best composer in the world, and you're often better than you give yourself credit for. I just handed a track to a game dev today fully expecting it to be rejected, but they actually ended up loving it.

[@ZachHeyde]

Couldn't agree more on all points 🙌

[@BusyCLMusic]

@@ZachHeyde Something that really breaks my heart to see is when I'm scrolling through social media and someone screenshots an AI art account and commenting something like "what's the point of even doing art when this AI account has 30,000 followers and I only have 400?" My advice for people with this outlook (hopefully some look at this comment!) is to reorient your priorities. Plenty of people in this industry making very livable and comfortable salaries in this industry who have relatively low follower and view counts.

[@Dystopian84]

not directly related to AI : AAA games and Hollywood are currently collapsing in a spectacular fashion . " They " usually want to work with a " committee " not just a person ( was already inefficient before AI ) , lower budgets will become inevitable and AI will be the best way to cut costs

[@williammonk1020]

Interesting question. I don't think we know just yet whether the threshold for shit generic viewing material has been reached yet. At a certain point, the question becomes redundant because the people who accept these terrible AI generated productions won't actually have the attention span to watch entire films. Otherwise, I am optimistic about what gen AI can bring to genuine creatives in terms of workflow support, trialling creative ideas etc.

[@tumpperi3891]

Am I the only one who thinks it could be a good tool to create references?

[@thepride999]

The technology is here why fight it. I say use it and see what you come up with. The music you played sounds like what the industry standard has become, for the most part its very predictable. Of course you can always think outside the box be dangerous.

[@Bixdood]

Its over.

[@MrKmusic7]

I’m not so worried about AI taking over composing jobs. I’m more worried about music education being able to remain sustainable and composers treating AI like ghost writers. If a designated platform can produce MIDI, why would chord packs, recipes, and intensive courses remain relevant. I’m hoping that the community will still want to remain creative instead of handing our jobs to AI.

[@Vitericus1]

Well...we could go back to doing concert music. Better learn how to write a fugue!

[@andrewfisher3566]

AI usage should in general be illegal. The continued funneling of all monies into the hands of a few tech bros has to stop at some point.

[@TonyIrayhany]

I like to think of AI music as a different way of sampling

[@stell4rt]

It just doesn't seem promising at all, even with this video lol. You're clearky saying. If you want to be a professional composer, just become better than an AI on everything other than music... Ok cool, but you don't want to become a professional composer for that lmao. Anyway, the solution is to make some regulation about AI at least in order to corretly identify the source material it's using and pay all the composers from the musics it used. And if that's only free musics. Then make a law that forces ai to only use them by paying a fee while not removing the right to ear it free. That would make AI clearly more logical, way faster, but you would have to pay way more because it's not one composer, it's 1000 for example.

[@HumanMadeGlobal]

long term unfortunately AI will surpass ALL creatives - great advice if only AI was never born

[@PhenAtypicals]

Udio is a pile of crap and they treat creators like excrement. Don't waste your time.

[@leemaines1541]

Super generic composition, AI's trademark.

[@markcooperartcom]

What a douche thing to say. Blame people for not having work because nobody trusts them, when if fact they were just ROBBED!

[@ZachHeyde]

I 100% do not BLAME any composer for not having work. I simply said that in order for someone to pay you, they have to trust you first. It's the same reason we ask our friends for referrals/recommendations or read Yelp reviews before going to a restaurant.