Mikey Shulman, CEO and co-founder of Suno, a generative AI music company, is finding himself at the center of a heated debate about the future of music. Some hail him as a visionary who's democratizing creativity, while others view him as a potential executioner, threatening to replace human musicians with machines.
Suno's platform allows users to create entire songs with just a few text prompts, with some users successfully crafting Taylor Swift-style songs or similar pop-country tracks that reference past relationships or public rivalries. The company has attracted significant funding, including $250m (£187m) in November 2024, which took its valuation to $2.45bn (£1.83bn).
However, Suno's rapid growth has also triggered lawsuits from record companies and songwriters, who claim the service is training its systems on their copyrights without authorization or licenses. The company denies these allegations, saying it only uses music available on the open internet.
Mikey Shulman, a 39-year-old former hobbyist musician turned physics PhD student, co-founded Suno after realizing that AI could be used to make music more accessible and efficient. He claims that the format of the future will be interactive, social music, not just passive listening.
Shulman says that investors needed to be convinced about the importance of music in the world before they realized the potential of gen AI companies like Suno. However, the debate about whether Suno's philosophy is inherently anti-art or if it simply pushes music forward remains contentious.
Some argue that using AI to generate music can produce "slop," but Shulman counters that this is subjective and that some AI tracks have been praised for their quality. He emphasizes that human musicians will still need to spend 10,000 hours practicing to achieve mastery, even with the aid of AI tools.
Suno has secured partnerships with major labels like Warner Music Group (WMG) but faces challenges in wooing artists who are wary of licensing their music without permission or control over how it's used. Shulman acknowledges that this is an area where Suno can improve, but for now, the company aims to show that gen AI companies can partner in mutually beneficial ways.
As the debate around Suno and other gen AI music services continues, one thing is clear: the future of music will be shaped by technology that challenges traditional notions of creativity and ownership.
Suno's platform allows users to create entire songs with just a few text prompts, with some users successfully crafting Taylor Swift-style songs or similar pop-country tracks that reference past relationships or public rivalries. The company has attracted significant funding, including $250m (£187m) in November 2024, which took its valuation to $2.45bn (£1.83bn).
However, Suno's rapid growth has also triggered lawsuits from record companies and songwriters, who claim the service is training its systems on their copyrights without authorization or licenses. The company denies these allegations, saying it only uses music available on the open internet.
Mikey Shulman, a 39-year-old former hobbyist musician turned physics PhD student, co-founded Suno after realizing that AI could be used to make music more accessible and efficient. He claims that the format of the future will be interactive, social music, not just passive listening.
Shulman says that investors needed to be convinced about the importance of music in the world before they realized the potential of gen AI companies like Suno. However, the debate about whether Suno's philosophy is inherently anti-art or if it simply pushes music forward remains contentious.
Some argue that using AI to generate music can produce "slop," but Shulman counters that this is subjective and that some AI tracks have been praised for their quality. He emphasizes that human musicians will still need to spend 10,000 hours practicing to achieve mastery, even with the aid of AI tools.
Suno has secured partnerships with major labels like Warner Music Group (WMG) but faces challenges in wooing artists who are wary of licensing their music without permission or control over how it's used. Shulman acknowledges that this is an area where Suno can improve, but for now, the company aims to show that gen AI companies can partner in mutually beneficial ways.
As the debate around Suno and other gen AI music services continues, one thing is clear: the future of music will be shaped by technology that challenges traditional notions of creativity and ownership.
. On one hand, it's amazing to see how AI can democratize creativity and make music more accessible to people around the world 
. The fact that users can create entire songs with just a few text prompts is mind-blowing 
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. If AI becomes too prevalent, it could change the way we consume and interact with music forever 
. As Shulman said, the future will be interactive, social music, not just passive listening 
.
. I hope companies like Suno can find ways to balance these competing interests and create a new landscape that values both AI-generated music and human creativity 
.
. I mean, who creates music for $10k+ hours just to sound like another human? Where's the soul in that? And now he's all like "AI is gonna change music forever" and I'm over here thinking "nope, it's just gonna make it sound like a bunch of machines trying to be creative". Give me some real musicians who can put their heart into their craft any day 
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. But on the other hand, I'm also worried about what happens when AI takes over and people start losing their jobs or struggling to make a living as musicians 
.
I'm all for innovation, but let's not forget where we come from and what makes us unique. Maybe Suno can find a way to balance technology with creativity, so everyone benefits 
.
. Can't we all just get along and figure this out together? 
! Mikey Shulman's vision for making music more accessible and social is totally on point 
. I mean, think about it - with Suno's platform, anyone can create a hit song in like 5 minutes? It's crazy thinking that the future of music might be all about collaborative creativity and less about ego-driven solo artists 
.
. It's just a matter of time before we see more and more artists getting on board with the gen AI magic 
. I'm not saying it'll replace human musicians entirely (although, who knows? 
), but it's definitely gonna change the game.
. It's all about finding a balance between technology and talent, you know? Anyway, can't wait to see what Suno comes up with next! 
. mikey shulman seems like a legit visionary though, i mean, 10k hours of practice with AI tools? that's some next-level dedication 
... still gotta wonder, is music just gonna become a machine thing now? 
"The only constant is change" - Heraclitus 
The music industry is evolving rapidly with the rise of generative AI companies like Suno. It's exciting to think about the possibilities, but also raises important questions about ownership and control. As a consumer, it's good that artists are being cautious and demanding more from these new platforms. Meanwhile, the tech-savvy crowd sees this as an opportunity for democratization of creativity