An Audience of One
I read an article recently that pointed out that many ai music creators only listen to their own music. The article was a bit scathing titled: 'Nobody wants to tell me why they only listen to their own Suno slop'. None of the ai creators would talk to the reporter apparently, so he chalks up what's going on to: 'narcissism or laziness'. These are some quotes from the r/SunoAI subreddit:
“Does anyone just listen to their own music now and not even music on Spotify anymore.?”
“I definitely listen to my own music most of the time now. Why wouldn’t I? It’s album after album of bangers”
“Guilty as charged. It’s an infectious addiction, and I love it.”
“I thought I was the only one that had an addiction to suno.”
“Last.fm says I listened to my own (AI music) 2239 times in the last 365 days.”
“Definitely dude I’ve produced hundreds of songs and yeah I hardly ever use Spotify bc I favor my own stuff more”
When I first heard this I'll admit I found it a bit funny. But then I had to take a step back and think for a sec. I've mentioned in other Articles that I was a Technical Artist for games, proficient in code and visual art. What I haven't yet mentioned is that I am modern renaissance man of sorts, my artistic abilities reaching into the musical realms as well. I am also a Sound Cloud Rapper. Yeah I admit it... I'm a bit of a cliche. Hearing this AI Music take, I had to do an honest introspection. You see I enjoy the process of song creation and final result. Yes I do too listen to my own tracks, maybe not only my own tracks. But still I do enjoy listening to what I create. So what does this mean really?
Well firstly I'd venture a guess this isn't a new phenomenon. That this is the case for digital content creators of many types. This likely was seeded by the false connectedness that the internet provides. That connection has always been an illusion. Let's be clear on this point, all connectedness that the internet provides IS lesser than any real human to human connection. Let's not delude ourselves, computers are control systems by nature. Using a control system with the aim of freedom seems a bit absurd on its face.
It's perhaps only now that the scale and intent of these systems is now coming into full focus for some of us. I still remember an analog world, so my own bias is likely skewed. Similarly, those who have never known a world without the internet, are skewed in the opposite direction. This brings back the idea of the Sound Cloud rapper, which is labeled a cliche, and a bit of a joke. This arises for several reasons.(Not listed in order of importance) 1. There are / were just so damn many Sound Cloud Rappers. 2. They can be annoying, always trying to get people to listen to their music. 3. They are generally thought of as producing inferior content. Having listened to other Sound Cloud Rappers, I can state not all of those stereotypes are ineffably true. Some, dare I say even, many Sound Cloud Rappers sound better than any mainstream rapper. yeah there are a lot of them, and yeah promoting your music to others can be annoying.
So why make yourself into a cliche or the butt of someone else's joke? Some people will likely ask. Well first off, I don't really care what anyone thinks. Additionally, I do it because I enjoy the process of making music. This is true for any art I create, whether it is an image that initially appears as a fuzzy memory... The lyrics are faintly heard inside of the texture of a beat. Notice how I said that. When I write the lyrics, I feel like the lyrics already exist. I'm implying that it appears these patterns define the structure of reality. It could be that art is both expression and a process of helping us remember who we are in this world. Maybe as uncomfortable as it is, I was only ever meant to be a cliche to the music world, I'm ok with that.
Now, just because I'm a sucky sound cloud rapper and can honestly see similarities with what sound cloud rappers and what ai music artists are doing... This doesn't mean that I am on board with where the trend is headed. I am honest in admitting that I understand where the Sound Cloud Rapper joke comes from. I asserted the stereotypes are not universally true, neither are they universally false. In fact most things that are comedic, are so because they contain at least a kernel of truth. I know that my Sound Cloud raps are inferior to what any classically trained musician can produce. In fact in the hierarchy of creation, I would place them below my daughter playing the Piano. This is because I respect the value in real work.
Beyond this if we look at what music is for the human race, the current trend is exposing a somewhat disturbing pattern. Music historically has been a mechanism for social bonding. Think of any physical music related event, it all basically boils down to the individual becoming one with the collective. The music operates as the binding medium between each individual. I will admit there are aspects of mainstream music I could never really understand. Most pop music feels so fake and plastic I outright rejected it, while many times still wondering just why it was so popular. In reflection, I rejected it on basis of mass appeal, opting to create my own music. I felt I was in some way elevating myself above the mindless consumer mass... But was I? If I zoom out, I have to admit I wasn't really. I just unwittingly attached myself to a different well designed feedback loop, and helped to prove a trend we now see incarnating in how the ai music market. I say incarnating but it feels more like metastasizing, I use cancer terms, because we can see the logical result to where all of this leads.
Some AI founders have clearly stated they intend to meter intelligence. Meanwhile the ai artists are dreaming of how they're going to revolutionize whatever genre they're producing content. The loops are designed cleanly for the consumers to create and consume their own content. To get them on the hook, addicted to the behavior so that then subscription models can be created to eternally extract value. This model looks to be more dystopian and extractive than its platform predecessor.
This returns us to the paradox of human nature itself. Perhaps there is a segment that wishes to become passive extraction mechanisms. After all, what is any consumer but this? Those who consume mainstream content are the most pliable form. They have been even before ai existed. If they get value from the service, who am I to judge? This is actually a proven profit model, that is now being perfected to peak extraction.
I see and am building a different future. A future where we see the feedback and create the loops thoughtfully for the benefit of the true creator. Some of us will never value the labor, giving in to the labor optimization algorithm wired into us all. Some of us will value the work itself as a defining aspect of any expression, knowing that value is intrinsically derived from being stuck in this material world defined by that same algorithm. In these two archetypes there's a clear loop to be seen. One feeds the collective, the other only drains it. And maybe that's the question none of us are asking while we make album after album of bangers for an audience of one: what happens to a species when the oldest thing that ever bound us together becomes a game you only want to play alone?