Alright, buckle up, folks! It's your boy Willy Shinn here, and I'm about to take you on a wild ride through the world of AI-generated music. Why, you ask? Well, let me spill the beans.
Why I Dove into the AI Music Rabbit Hole
Look, I've always been a sucker for two things: sick beats and cold, hard cash. When I heard about AI music, it was like someone had taken my two favorite flavors and mashed them together into one delicious, potentially profitable sundae. Plus, let's be real - my singing voice sounds like a cat caught in a blender, so AI seemed like my ticket to musical stardom.
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But here's the kicker: AI music is more controversial than pineapple on pizza. Big shots like Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish are losing their minds over it, worried that these silicon-brained maestros might steal their thunder. But hey, whether we like it or not, AI music is here to stay, and it's only going to get better. So, I figured, why not jump on this crazy train and see where it takes us?
Now, let's dive into this step-by-step guide on how to potentially make some moolah with AI-generated tunes. Spoiler alert: It involves less actual musical talent than a kazoo concert, but way more potential for profit.
Step 1: Market Research - Finding Your Golden Genre
First things first, we need to find out what kind of music people are actually searching for. Because let's face it, uploading your AI-generated polka-death metal fusion probably isn't going to cut it (though I'd totally listen to that).
Sign up for AHREFS or a similar SEO tool. Many offer free trials, so you can be cheap like me.
In the keyword explorer, type "[genre] music" (e.g., "indie pop music", "emo rap music").
Look for genres with consistent search volume throughout the year and a good balance between search volume and keyword difficulty.
Based on my research and current trends, here are some hot genres to consider:
Indie Pop: For when you want to feel sad but in a quirky way.
Emo Rap: Because sometimes you need to cry and throw gang signs simultaneously.
Latin Trap: It's like regular trap, but with more flavor.
Hyperpop: For when regular pop just isn't caffeinated enough.
See AlsoFinish The Second Sentence So That It Has A Similar Meaning To The First One, Beginning With The GivenProfile Setup Tips on Spotify for ArtistsIce Spice seized the moment — but maybe not the right oneHow Meaningful Is It That Korean Pop Artists Hold the Top Two Spots on the Billboard 200 This Week?Lo-fi Beats: The soundtrack to every college student's existential crisis.
Gaming Music: Because let's face it, gamers need their EDM and epic orchestral scores to feel like true heroes
Pro tip: Don't just stick to one genre. Create a spreadsheet and list out at least 5-10 potential genres. It's like dating - you gotta play the field before you commit.
Step 2: Crafting Your AI Masterpiece
Now, let's make some sweet, sweet AI music. And by "make," I mean "let the robots do all the work while we sit back and pretend we're musical geniuses."Here's where it gets interesting. I experimented with three different AI music generators: Soundraw, Udio, and Suno. Each has its own quirks and perks, so let me break it down for you:
Soundraw: This is like the Swiss Army knife of AI music tools. It's got a user-friendly interface that even your technologically challenged aunt could figure out. Plus, it offers high-quality audio output (48,000Hz sample rate and 320 KB MP3 32-bit float quality). The best part? Its licensing terms are more generous than your grandma during the holidays, allowing for royalty-free commercial use.
Udio: Developed by the brainiacs at DeepMind, Udio is like the overachiever of the AI music world. It boasts top-notch audio quality (48,000Hz sample rate, 32-bit files in MP3 320 KB format) and allows commercial use with attribution. It's currently free to use while in beta, which is great for us cheapskates.
Suno: This is the wild child of the bunch. Known for its creative song generation, Suno can whip up catchy tunes faster than you can say "one-hit wonder." It even tries its hand at AI-generated lyrics, which can be either hilariously bad or surprisingly decent. The downside? You'll need to shell out some cash for commercial use.
After playing around with all three, I found myself gravitating towards Soundraw for its balance of quality and ease of use. But hey, your mileage may vary.Here's how to get started:
Sign up for your chosen AI music generator.
Click "Create New Track" and select "Instrumental" mode. (Trust me, you don't want AI attempting lyrics. It's like giving a toddler a thesaurus.)
Enter a genre-specific prompt (e.g., "Upbeat indie pop with shimmering synths and a catchy guitar hook that makes people want to dance awkwardly in public").
Experiment with different prompts. Don't settle for the first output. It's like online dating - sometimes you gotta swipe left a few times before you find a keeper.
Use the "Extend" feature to make tracks over 2 minutes long. Because apparently, our attention spans are longer than goldfish, but not by much.
Aim to create 20-25 tracks per album for variety. Think of it as a musical buffet - you want options, but not so many that you're overwhelmed and end up just eating the bread.
Remember, quality over quantity. It's better to have 15 bangers than 25 tracks that sound like they were made by a drunk robot.
Step 3: Album Artwork - Making It Pop
Your album needs to catch eyes as well as ears. Think of it as the Tinder profile pic of your music - it needs to make people want to swipe right.
Use ChatGPT with a prompt like: "Create a vivid description for an album cover in the [your genre] style that would make Andy Warhol jealous."
Take that description to Midjourney or DALL-E to generate an image. Watch in awe as AI creates art that looks like it was made by a human on a caffeine bender.
Open Canva and create a new design (3000x3000 pixels for high quality).
Import your AI-generated image as a base. Marvel at how you're basically the modern-day equivalent of a Renaissance patron.
Add text layers for your artist name and album title. Play with fonts that match your genre's vibe. Comic Sans is never the answer, unless you're making music for clowns.
Use color overlays or filters to enhance the mood. Think "Instagram filter meets acid trip."
Pro tip: Look at the top 10 albums in your genre on Spotify for inspiration, but don't copy them outright. We're aiming for "inspired by," not "lawsuit waiting to happen."
Step 4: Distribution - Getting Your Music Out There
Time to unleash your creation upon the unsuspecting world.
Research distributors: DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, and eMuBands are popular choices. It's like choosing a cell phone plan, but with less confusing fine print.
Compare pricing structures and features. Some charge per album, others per year. Choose wisely, young Padawan.
Sign up and start the upload process. It's less painful than doing your taxes, I promise.
Fill in detailed metadata:
Artist name (make it catchy and genre-appropriate, like "DJ Algorithm" or "The Artificial Intelligentsia")
Album title
Track names (use keywords people might search for, like "Sad Boi Anthem #437")
Genre and subgenre
Release date (aim for a Friday, as it's the start of the Spotify tracking week and when people are most likely to need new music to ignore their coworkers)
Upload your tracks (make sure they're high-quality WAV or FLAC files, not something that sounds like it was recorded on a potato).
Add your album artwork. Remember, this is your music's Tinder pic. Make it swipe-right worthy.
Choose your platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, etc.).
Set your release date (2-3 weeks in advance is usually good).
Important: Use multiple distributors to spread risk. I've been burned before, and trust me, it's not fun. It's like putting all your eggs in one basket, and then that basket catches fire.
Step 5: The Waiting Game
Now, here's where patience becomes a virtue. And if you're impatient like me, it's where you develop a sudden interest in watching paint dry to pass the time.
Resist the urge to promote your music actively. Let your market research work its magic. It's like planting a seed and then yelling at it to grow faster - it doesn't help.
Set up accounts on Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists to track your stats. Prepare to refresh these more often than your ex's Instagram.
Check your distributor's dashboard daily for the first week, then weekly after that. Try not to obsess. (Who am I kidding? You're totally going to obsess.)
Look for patterns in your streaming data. Which tracks are performing best? Is it the one you thought was a banger, or the one you almost didn't include because it sounded like a cat walking on a keyboard?
Step 6: Analyze and Iterate
After 30 days, it's time to crunch some numbers. Put on your accountant hat (it's invisible, but very serious-looking).
Tally up your total streams across all platforms. Prepare to be either pleasantly surprised or mildly disappointed.
Use a royalty calculator to estimate your earnings. (I made about $96 from 41,000 streams on Spotify. Not exactly "quit your day job" money, but hey, it's a start!)
Analyze your top-performing tracks:
What elements do they have in common? Is it the sick beat, or did you accidentally create the perfect white noise for sleep?
Are there specific keywords in the titles that might be helping? Maybe "Chill Beats to Contemplate the Existential Dread of AI Taking Over" really resonated with people.
Create a new album based on your findings, doubling down on what worked. If your lo-fi beats for studying were a hit, maybe try "Lo-fi Beats for Pretending to Study While Actually Scrolling TikTok."
Remember, my first attempt yielded about 2,800 streams a day by the end of the month. But don't get discouraged if you don't see these results immediately. It's a numbers game, kind of like playing the lottery, but with slightly better odds and less regret.
Final Thoughts
Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it – this isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It's more like a "maybe-get-somewhat-comfortable-if-you-put-in-the-work-and-the-AI-gods-smile-upon-you" scheme. But here's the thing: the potential is there.
The music industry is changing faster than fashion trends in the 90s. AI is here to stay, and while it's causing some artists to freak out more than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs, it's also opening doors for creative entrepreneurs like us.
Remember, it's all about scaling. One album might make you coffee money, but ten albums? Now we're talking latte territory, baby! And the beauty is, once you've set up your system, creating new albums becomes faster and easier than making instant ramen.
So, whether you're crafting the next lo-fi study beats sensation or experimenting with AI-generated Latin trap that makes people want to dance and contemplate the meaning of life simultaneously, keep at it. Be patient, be persistent, and most importantly, have fun with it. Who knows? You might just stumble upon the next big thing in music.
Now go forth and create, my fellow AI music moguls. And when you're rolling in those sweet, sweet royalties, remember old Willy Shinn who showed you the ropes. I'll be here, probably still tinkering with AI prompts and dreaming of that one breakout hit that'll let me buy a yacht. Or at least a really nice inflatable pool float. See you on the charts!
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Remember, in the world of AI and digital products, staying ahead of the curve is key. So hop on this rollercoaster with me – it's going to be one hell of a ride!
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