(Credit: Josh Hendrickson/PCMag)
Composing music usually takes years of practice, study, and mastery of theory. But the barrier to entry is getting lower all the time. Following on the heels of Google's AI music generator, Microsoft is rolling out a Copilot AI feature to create songs, complete with written lyrics and singing.
One of the oft-spoken fears about the current AI revolution is that Artificial Intelligence might replace high-skill jobs in creative fields. That concept may have seemed impossible a year ago, but things have changed rapidly. Take music, which is a complex thing to create. Earlier this year, Google rolled out a test AI that can compose short, simple music from a written prompt. The results weren't anything to write home about, especially given the 30-second limitation, but they were still impressive, considering how quickly it worked.
Now, Microsoft is showing off a similar tool. The company is working with Suno, an AI company focusing on music generation. Suno now exists as a plugin for Copilot's online interface, though for the moment, it's limited to the Edge browser. You can head to Copilot, turn on the Suno plugin, and describe a song you'd like to create. You can even download the music or share links directly to the results, as we've done below.
We tried it, and in about 10 seconds flat, Copilot created a 47-second song with written lyrics and a voice singing them. The voice itself is somewhat clear, but you may have trouble understanding some of the singing unless you're reading the lyrics as you listen. Copilot says you can specify song lengths using "long, longer, or longest" in the prompt. We generated a 60-second song with that last option. Oddly, the AI had a suggested prompt to ask questions about the AI songs, like what instruments it used, but then refused to answer.
Microsoft's blog post also didn't answer several important questions. Suno's AI service is available separately and has both free and subscription options. But Suno states in its FAQ that you can only use generated songs commercially on a paid account. Microsoft's blog doesn't mention anything about commercial rights. When we asked Copilot, it provided a somewhat confusing answer:
That's a good question. The songs that I create for you using my internal tools are for personal and non-commercial use only. You cannot use them for any commercial purposes, such as selling, licensing, or monetizing them. ?
Exactly who owns the copyright is always a question with AI-generated content. Suno claims it owns the copyright for any generated content on free accounts, and you own it if you subscribe. But here, Copilot suggests you should "obtain the proper rights and permissions from the original creators...of the songs," when in theory it created the song.
Most AI is trained on existing content, often without creator permission, which has led to questions of copyright and several lawsuits. Google and Microsoft have promised to shield users from such lawsuits. But, it may be best to tread carefully before selling any Copilot-created music.