Tech

TikTok is trialling a new AI music-making tool

AI Song makes music from TikTok users' text prompts, with three genres to choose from: Pop, hip hop and EDM

TikTok has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that lets users generate music for their videos.

Called AI Song, the new feature allows users to input text prompts which are then transformed into lyrics and a melody — with the track's genre also selected by the TikToker.

Partly powered by the language model Bloom, Song AI is currently being trialled by TikTok with the aim of gradually rolling the feature out to users.

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Barney Hooper, spokesperson for TikTok, told The Verge: “It’s not technically an AI song generator — the name is likely to change and it is currently in testing at the moment.

“Any music used is from a pre-saved catalogue created within the business. In essence, it pairs the lyrics with the pre-saved music, based on three genres: pop, hip hop, and EDM.”

Hooper adds that the tool is still in its “testing phase” and that some features are likely to change.

Towards the end of last year, a survey from Pirate Studios found that over half of musicians said that they would not publicise their use of artificial intelligence when making their music.

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The study fielded questions from 1,141 artists and revealed a "growing openness to AI technology within the music community."

25% of musicians surveyed had already tried out AI music production, while 46% indicated that they would be willing to use AI music tools.

TikTok user, Jonah Manzano has shared a tutorial on the new AI feature. Watch below.

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Multimedia Editor, follow her on Twitter