How AI Will Change The Music Industry in 5 Years
Share this article
Get Your Backstage Pass
The music industry is on the brink of a massive transformation, with artificial intelligence poised to revolutionize how we create, produce, and consume music. Over the next decade, we’re going to see some major shifts that will fundamentally alter the landscape of the music world. Let’s dive into what these changes might look like and how they’ll impact everyone from studio musicians to pop stars to grassroots artists.
Everything in this article is my own opinion and not to be taken as investing or career advice.
Also, I’m sorry for the ads, but if you see something cool please use the link in the ad! This is our only revenue stream and all proceeds go back into making more music and helping artists and bands get noticed!
The Decline of Studio Musicians
First off, here comes the bad news. We’re looking at the potential extinction of studio musician gigs as we know them. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but the writing’s on the wall. AI is getting scary good at mimicking human musicianship, and it’s only going to get better. Why would a producer shell out big bucks for session players when they can get a nearly identical sound with the click of a button?
We’re already seeing software like Newzik that can read sheet music instantly and spit out a perfect performance. And then there’s OpenAI’s Jukebox, which can mimic the style of pretty much any artist you can think of. It’s not just about replicating individual instruments either – we’re talking full arrangements, complete with all the nuances and flair you’d expect from top-tier session players.
This shift is going to hit hard across the board. Backing tracks for live shows? AI’s got it covered. Movie scores? Why hire an orchestra when an algorithm can compose and perform a sweeping soundtrack in minutes? Modern day pop music be produced cheaper and faster than ever. Those hired guns who’ve made a living laying down tracks for the latest chart-toppers? They’re going to be out of a job, replaced by lines of code that can churn out pitch-perfect performances 24/7.
It’s not just about the quality of the music either. From a business perspective, AI is a no-brainer. It’s cost-effective and incredibly time-efficient. No more booking studio time, dealing with egos, or waiting for musicians to nail their parts. With AI, you can iterate endlessly, trying out different arrangements and styles at lightning speed. For producers and labels looking to maximize profits, it’s an irresistible proposition.
This doesn’t mean human musicians will disappear entirely from the recording process. There will always be a place for virtuosos and those with truly unique voices. But for the vast majority of studio work – the bread and butter gigs that have sustained so many musicians – AI is going to take over. It’s a seismic shift that’s going to force a lot of talented players to rethink their careers and find new ways to apply their skills in a rapidly changing industry.
The End of the Singer / Songwriter Era?
Now, let’s talk about singer/songwriters. This one’s going to be controversial, but hear me out – the traditional role of the singer/songwriter might be on its way out. I’m not saying talented individuals won’t still write and perform their own music, but the industry’s reliance on them as the primary source of new material? That’s going to change dramatically.
Here’s the thing – AI is getting ridiculously good at generating musical ideas. We’re talking melodies, chord progressions, lyrics – the whole package. And it can do it in any style you can imagine, drawing inspiration from the entire history of recorded music. So when a label or producer needs a new hit, why would they wait around for lightning to strike some songwriter when they can generate infinite possibilities with AI?
This doesn’t mean human creativity will be completely removed from the equation. Instead, I think we’ll see a shift towards what you might call “AI-assisted songwriting.” Musicians and producers will use these tools to spark ideas, overcome writer’s block, and explore new directions they might not have considered otherwise. It’s like having an endlessly patient collaborator who’s studied every song ever written and can riff on any idea you throw at it.
But here’s the kicker – as these AI tools become more sophisticated and user-friendly, we might see a democratization of songwriting. Suddenly, anyone with a good ear and a knack for curation could become a hit-maker, even if they’ve never picked up an instrument in their life. It’s going to blur the lines between creator and curator in ways we’ve never seen before.
Now, don’t get me wrong – there will still be pop stars. The music industry is built on marketing and image as much as it is on sound, and AI can’t replace the charisma and star power of a great performer. But I think we’ll see a shift where these pop stars become more like brand ambassadors for music labels, with their actual musical output being heavily augmented (or even entirely generated) by AI.
This is going to be a tough transition for a lot of people in the industry. The romantic notion of the tortured artist pouring their soul into a song? That might become a relic of the past, at least in mainstream pop. But it’s also going to open up new possibilities for collaboration between humans and machines, potentially leading to forms of music we can’t even imagine yet.
The Live Music Renaissance
Now, here’s where things get really interesting – I predict we’re going to see an absolute explosion in the live music scene. We’ve already been moving in this direction for the past couple of decades, ever since music streaming services started eating into album sales. Artists have had to rely more and more on touring and merchandise to make a living. But with AI potentially taking over a huge chunk of the recorded music market, live performances are going to become more important than ever.
Think about it – as AI-generated music becomes more prevalent, the gap between a run-of-the-mill recorded track and a live performance is going to become even more apparent. There’s something magical about seeing a musician perform in person, feeling the energy of the crowd, and experiencing those one-of-a-kind moments that can only happen in a live setting. No AI can replicate that (at least not yet).
This shift is going to drive true music fans to seek out live shows like never before. It’s going to be about more than just hearing the songs – it’ll be about experiencing something authentic and human in a world where so much music is generated by algorithms. We’re likely to see a resurgence of smaller, intimate venues alongside the big arena tours. Musicians who can deliver compelling live performances are going to be in high demand.
But it’s not just about traditional concerts. I think we’ll see a rise in immersive, multi-sensory music experiences. Think virtual reality concerts that you can attend from anywhere in the world, or shows that blend live performance with AI-generated visuals and soundscapes. The line between musician and performance artist is going to get really blurry.
This live music renaissance is also going to change how artists develop their careers. Instead of focusing on crafting the perfect studio album, up-and-coming musicians might prioritize honing their live show and building a loyal local following. We could see a return to the days of bands “paying their dues” on the road, but with a 21st-century twist.
And let’s not forget about festivals. These are already huge business, but I think they’re going to become even more central to music culture. They offer something that AI can’t – a sense of community, shared experience, and the thrill of discovery. As recorded music becomes more commoditized, these gatherings will become even more valuable as cultural touchstones.
All of this is going to require the industry to adapt. We’ll need new ways of monetizing live performances, better infrastructure for hosting and streaming shows, and perhaps even new legal frameworks to deal with the unique challenges of AI-human collaborations in a live setting. It’s going to be a wild ride, but for music lovers, it could usher in a golden age of live performance.
The Explosion of Grassroots Creativity
Now, here’s where things get really exciting – I believe we’re on the cusp of an unprecedented explosion in grassroots musical creativity. While AI might be taking over a lot of the grunt work in music production, it’s also going to lower the barriers to entry for anyone with a creative spark.
Think about it – right now, if you want to make a professional-sounding recording, you need access to expensive gear, a good studio, and often a team of skilled professionals. But what if you could get studio-quality sound with just a laptop and some AI software? Suddenly, anyone with a musical idea can bring it to life without needing a record deal or a trust fund.
This democratization of music production is going to lead to an absolute flood of new music styles and artists. We’re talking about thousands of new genres, sub-genres, and fusion styles that we can’t even imagine yet. Some of it might be terrible – let’s be honest, not every idea is a winner. But buried in that flood of creativity will be genuine musical genius, voices and sounds that would never have had a chance to be heard in the old system.
The beauty of this is that it’s going to allow for much more niche and experimental music to find an audience. In the past, labels needed to focus on broad appeal to recoup their investments. But when the cost of production plummets, suddenly it becomes viable to make music for much smaller, more specific audiences. We could see a revival of hyper-local music scenes, each with its own unique sound and culture.
This shift is also going to change how we discover new music. AI-powered recommendation engines will become even more sophisticated, able to surface truly unique and innovative sounds that match our tastes. We might see the rise of human curators who specialize in sifting through the vast sea of AI-assisted music to find the real gems.
But here’s the really interesting part – as AI takes over more of the technical aspects of music production, the value of genuine human creativity is going to skyrocket. The ability to come up with truly original ideas, to push boundaries and challenge conventions – that’s going to be more prized than ever. We might see a new kind of music star emerge, one valued not for their technical skills or marketability, but for their sheer creative vision.
This grassroots revolution is going to shake up the entire industry. Traditional labels and gatekeepers might find themselves scrambling to keep up with the pace of innovation coming from bedroom producers and AI-assisted artists. We could see new business models emerge, focused on nurturing and amplifying unique voices rather than manufacturing pop stars.
It’s a future that’s both exciting and a little scary. The sheer volume of new music might be overwhelming at times. But for those who love to explore and discover new sounds, it’s going to be an incredible time to be a music fan.
The Enduring Value of Human Inspiration
Finally, let’s talk about the one thing that AI can never truly replicate – human inspiration. At the end of the day, whether you’re singing, playing an instrument, or creating sounds on a computer, what makes music powerful is its ability to convey genuine human emotion and experience.
Inspiration is the essence of art. It’s that spark of creativity that comes from lived experience, from joy and pain, from love and loss. It’s human to human contact, translated into sound. And that’s something that no algorithm, no matter how sophisticated, can truly generate from scratch.
Sure, AI can analyze patterns in music and replicate styles with uncanny accuracy. It can even generate pieces that sound emotionally evocative. But there’s a fundamental difference between mimicking emotion and actually feeling it. True artistic expression comes from a place of authenticity, from an artist’s desire to communicate something deeply personal.
This is why, even as AI becomes more prevalent in music production, musicians who create from a place of genuine inspiration will be more valued than ever. They’re the ones who can make us feel something real, who can articulate experiences and emotions in ways that resonate on a profound level. In a world awash with AI-generated content, that human touch is going to become increasingly precious.
Think about why we love music in the first place. It’s not just about pleasant sounds or catchy melodies. Music is a way for us to connect with each other on a non-verbal level. It’s how we share experiences, process emotions, and feel less alone in the world. That connection is fundamentally human, and it requires human input to truly work.
This doesn’t mean that AI-assisted music can’t be beautiful or moving. But I believe that the most impactful music will always have that core of human inspiration at its heart. We might see new forms of collaboration between humans and AI, where the technology amplifies and extends human creativity in amazing ways. But the spark, the soul of the music, will still come from human artists.
As we move into this new era, I think we’ll develop a deeper appreciation for music that comes from a place of genuine emotion and experience. We might see a resurgence of interest in singer-songwriters and bands that write their own material, even as AI dominates certain sectors of the industry. There could be a new emphasis on storytelling in music, on lyrics that speak to real human experiences.
Ultimately, while AI is going to change the music industry in profound ways, it’s not going to replace the need for human creativity. If anything, it’s going to make truly inspired, emotionally resonant music even more valuable. The musicians who can tap into that wellspring of human experience and translate it into sound – they’re the ones who will continue to move us, surprise us, and remind us of our shared humanity.
In this brave new world of AI-assisted music, the most successful artists will be those who can harness the power of technology while still maintaining that essential human touch. It’s going to be a balancing act, but one that could lead to some of the most exciting and innovative music we’ve ever heard. The future of music is both digital and deeply human, and I can’t wait to see (and hear) what comes next.