TikTok has taken the social media world by storm. The app’s popularity has absolutely skyrocketed in recent years, and the video-sharing platform is currently one of the most widely used apps in the world, particularly among younger demographics.
TikTok is owned by parent company ByteDance. While TikTok is ByteDance’s most successful and most well-known product, the company also owns a string of other popular apps, including CapCut, Douyin, and Toutiao. Recently, ByteDance has been working on an app that harnesses the power of AI technology to make it easier for people to create their own music. Let’s find out more.
What is it?
Exact details about the new ByteDance AI music app are scarce, but job vacancies recently posted on the ByteDance website can give us an indication as to what it might be like and what it might be used for.
The first listing detailed that ByteDance is seeking a Product Manager to work in the company’s Los Angeles office. According to the job description, the candidate will be expected to help develop an AI app that can be used for intelligent music production and editing of audio. The listing went on to outline the ethos of the app, stating that it will aim to inspire creativity and break down the barrier to music creation and enrich the industry.
Another listing revealed that ByteDance is looking for a Music Creator Operations Manager, again to work out of the Los Angeles office. This role will involve the development of tools for music production with a focus on AI. The listing went on to describe the department, detailing that it is committed to taking music production to the next level.
So, while details about the new app might not be available to the public just yet, we can get a pretty good idea of what it’s all about from these job listings. Using the power of AI, this new app will attempt to democratise the music-making process, making it possible for anyone to make their own music regardless of their training or experience level.
How does it work?
While it is currently still in its infancy, AI-generated music has the potential to completely change the face of the industry. In the future, we may see its influence everywhere, from the music we hear on the radio to the Artlist pricing for SFX libraries.
However, to truly appreciate just how much AI-generated music could impact the industry, first, we need to understand how it works. While we don’t know exactly how the new ByteDance app will approach things, by looking at similar existing tools we can get an idea of how it might work.
Like other AI systems, AI-generated music tools use algorithms to interpret user requests and produce results. AI music tools use two key approaches. The first of these is Music Information Retrieval, which is a technique that analyses existing music and uses it as inspiration to create new music. The second is Generative Music Theory, which is used to produce complex musical pieces that understand how different musical ideas and elements relate to one another.
While we don’t yet know for sure, it’s likely that the new ByteDance app will use a similar approach to AI-powered music creation.
How is it better than the competition?
AI-generated music is an exciting emerging technology. However, ByteDance certainly isn’t the first company to have thought of it, there are already tools available on the market that allow people to create music through the power of AI.
How will ByteDance’s product shape up? Will it be able to stand out in what is an increasingly crowded market space?
ByteDance is a hugely successful company, generating revenue of around $80 billion in 2022. This means that the company has the power and resources required to work with AI, and it will be able to attract the best talent in the industry.
What’s more, many people will use AI tech to create music for their video content. By integrating this new app with TikTok’s existing user base of over 1.6 billion, ByteDance will have access to a huge pool of potential users which should give it a significant edge over the competition.
How will this affect the market?
A new ByteDance AI music app will certainly shake up the AI-music production market. Existing tools will be nervously awaiting the app’s release and will undoubtedly be concerned about the impact it may have on their business.
AI-generated music will also have a larger impact on the wider music industry, and the technology is not without its critics. While the music creation process will be made more widely available to millions of people, it could also have a detrimental impact on musicians and producers working today.
Conclusion
Not much is known about the new ByteDance AI music app, but if TikTok is anything to go by, it could be set to change the face of the industry as we know it.
