Some are concerned about the impact AI could have on our jobs in the audio industry, perhaps not as many as the headlines would suggest according to our recent survey.
There’s no escaping the buzz around AI and Machine Learning in the audio world, it’s impacting it in many ways. Of course there is the potential for misuse, as there is with any technology, however it’s also important to try and unpick the benefits too.
In this article I want to share some areas where I’m using it to enhance my work, improve productivity, remove some of the tasks I hate doing, without replacing me. In fact, in some cases it means I get more work done with the same amount of effort. Here’s some ways in which it is helping me.
Enhancing Audio Production with AI
In the ‘good old days’ of audio production studios had assistants. Their work was to do some of the more time consuming, less taxing jobs. Sadly, budgets don’t allow for many of us to have assistants any more, budgets are shrinking and often deadlines are getting tighter. We get squeezed from both sides.
In the last few years we’ve started to see technologies that help us get some of the way there in our mixes. Think of them like a modern day assistant getting the rough mix up, tools that can do this are things like smart mixing plugins that can put the sound in the ball-park, then a professional can step in and make sure its right.
I’m using AI powered software to help with noise reduction, transciption of audio and some other tasks which I have to regularly do in my projects. We all went gooey eyed when we realised what was possible with software like iZotope RX, with the ability to go through audio and repair everything (well almost). But let’s be honest, who wants to spend half a day doing that when AI can do it in seconds, and often better. I’ve seen the next generation of this technology and its remarkable and easy to use. I’d rather spend my time being creative than meticulously going through audio fixing it to within one inch of its life.
Some AI plugins work better than others, some are very good, others woeful. Just yesterday Julian sent me an AI powered loop finder, give it a text search and it spits out the loop you need. In theory.
I asked it for some drums like Steward Copeland and the Police, I got a 90s EDM beat. I then asked for a Stevie Wonder piano riff, I can’t begin to describe the crap it created. So, there’s good and bad in the world of AI. Some of it is nothing more than marketing hype, some of it is very useful. We can ignore it or exploit it for our benefit, after all, isn’t that what we say it will do to us?
Virtual Assistants
One area I’m finding great success with in the world of AI is using it as a virtual assistant. I use them for all sorts of tasks that would either take me a considerable time to do, or that I just need doing so I can get on with other work.
This week alone, I’ve used AI to;
Transcribe client calls and then give me a summary of actions to take from those calls.
Write up creative treatments for projects.
Write an NDA
Create a contract for freelancers.
Create a client proposal.
Brainstorm creative ideas based on a subject.
Outline an article before I write it.
Write up notes into a report.
Generate a quote for a project.
What’s important to grasp with AI is that it is to be treated like an assistant. As with an assistant, you don’t just abdicate the work to them. The work needs to be checked to make sure everything is correct, and then it is ready to send out into the world. Mixers finish the rough mix created by a Mix Assistant, producers check the work of production assistants. It’s not a reason to shortcut quality, it’s a way to streamline the process.
I’ve had too many conversations with people who say things like; “I tried AI but the results weren’t as good as I would have done.” Correct, and be thankful for that. I check the work of humans, why would I expect the AI process to be any different?
To have someone to do this work would be costly. You may be thinking, but doesn’t this kill jobs? No, because I don’t have enough work or the budget to hire someone to do it. So, like you perhaps, I either find myself working longer than I should, trying to do tasks I’m not very good at, or letting things slip through the cracks. One area I love about AI as a person who works 99% of my time alone, is that I can give it an idea and let it come up with a load of options, I use it as an effective brainstorming tool, which in a room of one is wonderful!
An AI assistant is the perfect answer for overworked, under-resourced audio professionals who have a lot of things to do as part of running their business, but deperately need help. AI is becoming my answer.
Conclusion
We have two options with an advancing new technology. To ignore it and say it’s all bad, or to explore it with a healthy degree of skepticism, knowing that it will have some flaws that need working out.
Even just a few months ago I would sit in meetings and say that AI was a waste of time and a gimmick. Having investigated what it can do for me, I now know I was wrong.
I would encourage every audio professional to explore the potential business gains possible using AI both in production and the administration parts of your business.
My experience so far is that it is making me look great in front of my clients and making me far more efficient, what’s not to love about that?
Will it take over the recording industry and put me out of work? Possibly, but they said that about drum machines and home recording over forty years ago. Neither predictions came true.
In the meantime I’m making AI my partner, not my enemy… after all the best way to deal with an enemy is to make them your friend.