Sony is developing an AI that can create new music from existing songs

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Sony is developing an artificially intelligent system that can create music from data in existing songs, Reuters reports.

The system, which is called Flow Machines, could expedite the music creation process, and have applications in areas ranging from audio and video production to advertising.

The system works by having users select any number of titles from a database of over 13,000 songs. It then uses machine learning to analyze the properties — rhythm, pitch, and harmony — of selected titles, and generates a new song with similar characteristics.

Flow Machines' creators say their system helps music creation, particularly by making it easier to experiment with new sounds without the need for complicated or time-consuming techniques. There are a couple of ways that a system like Flow Machines can be applied by media companies and advertisers to:

• Improve online video. A handful of digital media companies use software that helps automate video production in order to supply their websites with video content on a daily basis. By supplementing algorithmically assembled videos with algorithmically created audio scores, a tool like Flow Machines could raise the quality of online videos.
• Make videos more unique. Many of these online videos feature generic music, or the companies publishing the video pay a licensing fee to be able to use someone else’s music. Flow Machines could solve both of these problems by creating unique, nongeneric music for each video that doesn’t require a licensing fee. Media companies would still have to pay Sony a fee to use the software, but this would likely be less cumbersome than negotiating with individual music rights owners.
• Send ads with custom songs. Flow Machines can create music that caters to a person’s taste. This creates an opportunity to programmatically incorporate songs into ads that play into a consumer’s music listening preferences. This opportunity can be fully realized by integrating Flow Machines with databases from music streaming services, like Spotify and SoundCloud. 

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