Musicians Sagar Kari and Gravero share their two cents on creating music amidst the growing influence of viral trends and AI music!
Artists today are blessed with infinite possibilities that will help them find their audience. The plethora of platforms that might be overwhelming to be on have become like their research station to understand what works and what would be considered ‘trendy’. Every artist aims to have a hit song in their discography, and today, being a part of Instagram’s trending audio list equals this success. They want to be a part of chartbusters and concurrently be the only thing people listen to on Instagram. Unless we are scrolling through Reels back to back with the same 30-second audio playing on repeat, people don’t consider a song to be a hit. In this time of instant fame and trends, what does it look like for music producers trying to get their pieces out in the world?
The impact that these trends have on a musician is monumental. They go on to become a crowd favorite or a single success, but either way, they help make an artist’s career. It’s only natural to want people from around the world to hum their songs and become completely obsessed with them. Songs like Chaand Baaliya by Aditya A, No Love by Subh, Husn by Anuv Jain, among others are examples of how Instagram helped independent artists reach a larger audience by finding a place in people’s playlists. Being viral not only helps indie artists get discovered but the 'otherwise renowned' regional artists also get the chance to be known by a larger audience online and their music to be enjoyed beyond the language barrier. Songs like Manike, the whole Aavesham playlists, Botta Bumma among others exemplify perfectly the impact of being viral.
Music curator and creator, Sagar points out how it works both ways for the artist who enjoys watching people make Reels and content on their audio. The audio becomes a gateway for people to discover the artist, check out their other work, and ultimately engage with them. It’s a way for musicians to build a small community and create music that fulfills the needs of the creator and listener alike. Musician Gravero also wants people to bask in the glory that follows going viral. “Social media virality does really help the artist a lot because it's very discoverable and the artist and his track are very much pushed through social media platforms.”
Sagar believes that going viral is an opportunity that the artists can profit from. “The opportunity for an artist is at its peak when anything goes viral because that's a time when they can utilize this traction to create something or bring their audience to show them exactly what they're aiming for.” Apart from enjoying or chasing it, Gravero also reminds artists of the need to keep working on their craft. Afterall, improving your art will only amplify your chance to be among the viral sensation.
Having an online presence definitely impacts how an artist is perceived, helping them with aspects to focus on other than their art. These artists were trying to meet the constant validation to be relevant online when the rumbles of AI started happening in the music industry. Music is deeply personal and human and translates emotions into a beautiful symphony one can enjoy at their own time. But the introduction of AI music added a fear of people losing their ability to create original pieces.
Gravero appreciates AI for the impressive results that it produces from a written prompt, noting the danger that it might pose too. He points out how the ease with which one can create music with the right fonts and moods takes away the hard work of creating something from scratch. “Traditionally, creating the perfect song takes months of constant effort, filled with doubts and the courage to put it out on the internet. AI eliminates this difficult process, making it extremely simple and accessible to anyone. While technology is an excellent tool for experimenting, it compromises the talent and effort required to create music."
While he points out the negatives of it, Sagar understands the benefits of jointly existing with technology. We cannot ignore the impact that technology has had in our lives where we went from seeing actual painters doing the billboards to getting it printed to seeing videos on it. Sagar highlights how AI music helps people who can’t manage live recording instruments with something that sounds pretty close to the original. “We’re at a stage where AI has not yet been able to replace that human touch. As humans, we’re meant to advance in the way of living and AI has a lot to contribute to it if we do it carefully. I say you should adapt and understand the best use of it." He's seeing a lot of music completely made through AI but there’s a person behind that who is actually sending the correct prompts. "Music and AI will coexist to deliver mind-blowing pieces of work never heard before.”
It’s only human to fear things that are relatively new and never done before. The fact that virality and using AI to create music is as modern a concept as it gets, it’s easier to find reasons that show them as something that takes away from the art. But as artists who want to hold their own in this overstimulated industry, it’s important to give social media and technologies like AI a chance. It is on the artist to understand how these serve as a medium to help their art and not a sure shot way to become successful.
What do you think of viral audio and using AI Music? Let us know in the comments below.
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