TikTok: an Example of How AI Affects the Sound of Music

TikTok is transforming the way songwriters and producers approach music structure. With a preference for short, catchy, repeatable content, the platform rewards songs that grab attention within seconds, before users can scroll away.

Some artists admit to writing songs specifically for TikTok, using AI tools to generate hooks, test song structures, and predict what’ll most likely go viral. These tools and releasing music that’s good for sharing, looping, and dance trends gives artists a lot more exposure since they cater to the algorithm. 

TikTok has become both a powerful music promotion platform and a major influence on how music is created and consumed. Because AI is central to TikTok’s user experience algorithm, it plays a key role in shaping the sound of today’s popular music. In many ways, artists are now writing music to please the algorithm, trading traditional creative instincts for algorithmic performance in hopes of virality.

This raises many questions, but one in particular. Is AI-driven music bringing a new wave of creativity, or is it pressuring artists to prioritize algorithm-friendly content over authentic artistry?

While you debate, one thing is clear: the intersection of AI, music, and social media is reshaping the industry. TikTok is just one piece of a much larger conversation about the role of AI in the future of music.

How AI Helps Music Creation

As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into the music industry, it’s challenging traditional ideas about what it means to be “original” and “intentional" as an artist. 

For musicians, AI tools offer powerful advantages to make songwriting and production easier. But where does the machine end and the artist begin?

When a songwriter uses AI to generate a hook or chorus, the final product might be catchy and commercially successful, but can it still be called “original?” Originality has long been tied to the idea of personal expression, something uniquely human. But with AI, music becomes a blend of data-driven patterns and algorithmic catering, raising doubts about the authenticity of the creative “voice” behind it.

Still, there are good things about AI and music creation. 

Yes, TikTok is changing the general cadence of popular music. But there’s a lot of good “TikTok music” out there, and surely more to come. 

AI generation (arguably) takes the artistry out of songwriting, but that’s subjective. Overall, maybe it’s not AI that’s good or bad for music, but how it’s used.

How to Use AI in a Practical Sense

AI in music should be thought of as Splice on steroids. People use Splice for samples and starting places for sounds, melodies, rhythms. AI is the same but a computer is aiding the process and creating intricacies. Examples of how to practically use AI in music: 

1. Idea generation. AI can do much more than just spit out a song based on a text prompt. You can feed it your own lyrics. Or feed it a demo you recorded on your iphone. Or feed it a text prompt, your own lyrics, and a demo you recorded so that the AI has more of your work to feed off of as it creates the song. 

2. Generate songs or parts of songs to use as a template for your own work. Sample AI tracks and manipulate them into something of your own. Give your music life with a human touch. 

AI Tools for Making Music

AI Mastering Tools

AI mastering tools analyze your audio tracks to automatically apply effects like EQ, compression, limiting, stereo widening, and loudness optimization. They mimic the work of professional mastering engineers, but are faster and more affordable. This makes mastering accessible and cost-effective for independent artists, producers, and hobbyists without specialized expertise.

These tools adapt settings based on your track’s genre and style, providing quick turnaround times:

• LANDR: One of the earliest and most popular AI mastering platforms.

• eMastered: Offers quick mastering with customizable options.

• CloudBounce: Allows batch processing and instant mastering.

• Aria: Uses AI to tailor mastering to specific platforms (Spotify, YouTube, etc.).

• MasteringBOX: Online mastering with simple user interface and fast results.

• BandLab: FREE Online mastering with more control for paid users

AI Stem Separation

Stem separation means isolating and extracting individual components (or "stems") of a song, like vocals, drums, bass, and other instruments. This lets musicians, producers, and audio engineers manipulate certain elements of a track without affecting the original multitrack recordings. 

Download stems and import them into your DAW. Some platforms that enable this are:

• Logic Pro

• BandLab

• LALAL

• eMastered

• Fadr 

AI Music Creation Software 

AI music creation software can compose melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and lyrics by analyzing patterns in existing music. An industry leader is Suno, but here are some others:

• Udio

• Soundraw

• Beatoven

• Logic Pro

If you use AI tools wisely, you can make your life a lot easier and experiment with sound in brand new ways. Don’t get caught up on the idea that AI is the end of music. Experiment with how AI can spark ideas or transform old tracks you’ve done. 

There’s more than likely at least one way you can use AI to make your music better, whether it’s your production process or overall sound.