Spotify CEO defends AI music, wants you to stop calling it 'slop'

https://www.neowin.net/news/spotify-ceo-defends-ai-music-wants-you-to-stop-calling-it-slop/

by bundie • 2 months ago

11 13 2 months ago

Laurel1234• 2 months ago

Funny how everyone hates AI slop except for the people with financial ties to it.

Just spitballing, but what if multiple AI agents played different parts and had to synchronize, harmonize and even improvise with each other? This might add the texture necessary to make the result more "listenable"?

Anyone out there trying to demonstrate this?

galleywest200• 2 months ago

I think it is less that the music is "listenable" and more that people want to listen to music made by humans.

I do not want to pay for AI generated music from a place like Spotify. If I wanted AI generated music I would just go to the AI music generator and pay them directly.

mekdoonggi• 2 months ago

That is still slop. It's slop because it's generated by a computer. I don't care how technically proficient it is. The entire point of listening to music is that I am listening to a person communicate. Sure, they use computers to generate the sounds, but at a minimum they have the taste to put together the arrangement.

Maybe Spotify could focus on AI features that help artists discover audiences, organize events, and get paid.

Instead they just want to steal the very little money that artists actually make.

mhitza• 2 months ago

All AI music I've heard sounds average, common "denominatorish".

That to me seems like a general observed behaviour with LLMs. Adding more agents I don't think it will break the mold.

On the other hand the majority of people listen to bland/generic music all the time. Thus I'm really kot that surprised when "AI artists" become popular.

Festro• 2 months ago

So utterly bizarre that a tech CEO can take this approach. It seems plainly obvious that they've tasked their internal teams with a challenge to come up with an AI product they can sell. Probably during a hackathon or something. And the most viable buzz-y thing the produced was 'remixes and cover songs' for 'superfans'.

In a normal world there'd be a market research phase and the tech CEO would be looking at topline stats on where they think users are looking. And then they'll develop products to meet their requirements before competitors do.

Instead we have a made up product (that other AI platforms may offer for free) and a market research report that is telling the CEO that consumers consider the product 'slop'. And the result is a brand deal, money put down, and the CEO having to try to convince consumers it's not slop before it even launches.

This is what we call 'dead on arrival' right?

add-sub-mul-div• 2 months ago

This is what we call 'dead on arrival' right?

I'm not convinced they won't succeed. Streaming content providers use surveillance and consumer's lack of taste/discernment against them. They know people are likely to click on whatever they put on the personalized home screen. That's why so much Netflix trash gets watched. They've weaponized passivity.

FlippieFinance• 2 months ago

Well then...

Another problem is that I'm getting absolutely spammed with AI songs on Tiktok, Shorts, Reels etcetera. Cheap AI copies even get more streams than the original. Who is even listening to these cheap copies?

codeduck• 2 months ago

"That's adorable, Piglet." - Tissaia de Vries

nticompass• 2 months ago

Sorry Spotify, but if it's AI-generated then by [my] definition it's "slop." We - or at least I - don't want AI music, we don't care about your AI. I'm just so tired of hearing about AI and new AI stuff.

Also, one of my friends uses Suno to make "music" and put it on YouTube, and I just don't have the heart to tell him it's "slop" and I've never/won't listen to it.

BobaFloutist• 2 months ago

RIP Slopify.

iainctduncan• 2 months ago

Spotify would love to have you listen to AI music... it means they can make it internally and pay no royalties on it all all.

Interesting, techno/trance producer BT was talking about this like 5 years ago. Very smart guy.

4d4m• 2 months ago

This is the correct take and one the streaming platform has already done itself and via partners

Spotify CEO defends AI music, wants you to stop calling it 'slop'

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