In Short:
Jen, a music AI tool, struggles to understand specific music requests, producing generic and uninspiring tracks according to testing artists. The tool, in its alpha phase, generates 10 to 45-second tracks meant for inspiration rather than final products. Despite its limitations, some see Jen as a threat to music producers with budget constraints, potentially replacing the need for human music creators.
During testing, Jen, an AI music generation tool, faced criticism from artists for its lack of understanding and ability to create music that matched their specific requests.
Artist Frustrations
Artists like Cleveland and Heywood were disappointed when Jen could not generate music based on their detailed descriptions. For example, Heywood was dismayed when Jen did not recognize his request for city pop, a genre of Japanese music from the ’70s. Heywood emphasized the importance of Jen being able to understand a wide range of music genres as a musician.
Challenges Faced
According to Heywood, Jen’s lack of understanding of existing artists, genres, and instruments made it difficult to achieve specific sounds. Even prompt suggestions like “lo-fi” did not have the desired impact, often resulting in a generic sound reminiscent of video game menus rather than the warmth or vintage vibe Heywood was aiming for.
Additionally, the inability to create electric guitar sounds with a different time signature without using the word “waltz” in the prompt posed a challenge for the artists.
Tool Development
Jen’s co-founder, Shara Senderoff, acknowledged that the tool is still in its alpha phase, meant to inspire creativity rather than produce final tracks. She assured that new capabilities will be added in the beta phase to enhance Jen’s music generation abilities.
Feedback on Music
Artists felt that the rock music generated by Jen was like a simplified version of the genre, often described as resembling clip art. While some tracks had commercial potential or resembled popular bands like the Black Keys, overall, the music suggestions felt generic and uninspiring to the artists.
Cleveland likened the tracks to music one might hear on a Netflix dating show, expressing doubt that they posed a threat to professional musicians in the industry.
Impact on Music Industry
Despite its limitations, Blickle believes that tools like Jen could potentially replace designers and animators for producers on a tight budget, saving costs associated with music production. This could lead to a shift in the industry where inexpensive AI-generated music becomes a viable option for content creators.
