"The Real Reason Why Todays Music Is Starting To Sound The Same" - kind of an intro to modern production

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Great point @joergkutter - this is exactly why I like to hang around this forum :slight_smile: However, while this technology is really empowering for amateur musicians, it has opened the floodgates for a lot of mediocre production…

But doesn’t any genre eventually get flooded with low-grade copies @Whying_Dutchman ? Punk, techno, rock n roll all had their pioneers followed by loads of mush

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Yes, of course. And the mush is truly terrible!

A long time ago, on separate occasions, I almost had a fist fight with two DJ/producers that make some bad copies of “Beachball” (a dream house hit by Nalin and Kane) cause I could not stop explaining to them how sh#tty their truly bad copies of that song were. One of them was small, but the other one was also an MMA fighter. So that would have gone terribly for me. Still their “music” was much more terrible!

The problem is, that with “current” production methods it’s so easy to produce something, so more mush.

A friend of mine is using an AI tool (https://www.udio.com/) to “create” music, and even makes money on Spotify etc.

I hate EVERYTHING he does and stands for.

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But you would have been on the right side of history :slight_smile:

These AI tools are good for producing royalty-free corporate muzak for adverts I guess. I haven’t checked the link, but I think you can now write lyrics (or get AI to write them for you) and add them to the AI generated music clip.

This is the problem - the creative arts have been systematised to the point where anyone can just buy an application / subscription and start using it, making them easily replacable by AI. I call it McDonaldsification.

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Me too!
But I did check his Spotify stuff. Five variations of a song with the same lyrics, all different genres. I cannot WTF enough about this!

He was really proud, like “Do you like it?”
After my very long answer with a thorough explanation what is wrong with his “art” and the world in general, he seized to respond. :slight_smile:

Why don’t we duel anymore, to resolve important conflicts?

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“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed music. Prepare to die.”

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Like a baby displaying the contents of his nappy for your approval? I would let him have that moment and then move on :wink:

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Thanks for the hard LOL :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

And I just love discussions with people that do not share my opinion! Either I learn something … or I’m entertained…

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Here is an an example of the democratization of music. Gidle were trainees and in high school, and their agency wouldn’t give them a song to debut with. So Soyeon took her laptop, downloaded software, wrote, recorded, and mixed the music, recorded the vocals, and presented the agency with a completed song. All on her laptop.

Not a ground shaking song, but she was 18 and untrained. And now GIdle is one of the biggest KPop groups. Democracy works.

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Just like this guy :slight_smile:

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Same with Grimes for her first three albums, and Billie Eilish for her debut. GarageBand, in fact.

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I think the effect here is partially that the level of music education for the kids is so much higher here than in the US. Lots of kids still pushed by their parents in to going really deep on music in addition to their other studies.

K-12 here is a lot different than in the US. In the US, smart kids can basically phone in high school but college gets really intense. Here it’s the opposite, the high school exit/college placement exams are the big pressure and stress and then college is more laid back. As a result, you see a lot more intensive education pushed younger.

Kids don’t get three months off in the summer here, and weekends are often additional education opportunities, via cram schools or extracurricular (music, etc).

So, there’s tons of next-level instrumentalists here at young ages, and a lot of those people like pop :slight_smile:

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Loved this discussion! Overall, this conversation reflects such a rich tapestry of opinions about modern music production, the role of technology, and cultural influences on the music industry, that I wanted to capture a summary of what was discussed in one post, for future reference. So I had Chat GPT summarize the main points of view expressed above:

  1. Does Today’s Music Sound the Same?:

    • Argument for Variety: Some disagree with the video’s premise and argue that there is variety in popular music, that music, especially from regions like Korea and Japan, shows a wide range of sounds and styles despite using similar production techniques. Examples include pop groups like Ado, Yoasobi, and G-Idle, and rock groups like Maximum the Hormone and Nemophila. They believe there’s plenty of great and diverse music being made globally if you look beyond mainstream pop.
    • In places like Korea and Japan, higher standards of music education are believed to contribute to the variety and quality of music. The emphasis on rigorous education from a young age is seen as fostering next-level instrumentalists who bring diverse influences to their music.
    • Argument for Homogeneity: Despite claims of variety, some agree with the video that most modern music, particularly in the West, tends to sound alike due to heavy processing and standardized production techniques.

  2. Pop Music Critique:

    • Negative View of Pop: Many express disdain for modern pop music, describing it as “bubblegum,” lacking depth, and overly commercialized. They criticize the formulaic, producer-driven nature of much of today’s pop music.
    • Positive Aspects of Pop: Others recognize that, even within pop, there are good musical ideas and creativity. They emphasize the importance of judging songs on their merits rather than dismissing them solely based on genre.

  3. Democratization of Music Production:

    • Positive Impact: The democratization of music production is seen as a significant advancement. Affordable technology and software have enabled more people to create and distribute music, leading to a broader range of musical expression and more opportunities for amateur musicians.
    • Challenges and Criticisms: However, this democratization has also led to an influx of mediocre production. Some worry that easily accessible production tools lead to a homogenized sound, as many producers rely on presets and templates. This is compared to past trends where producers followed specific formulas, like those from Stock, Aitken, and Waterman.
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