Being a content creator onYouTuberequires time and dedication, as anyone who makes long-form videos will tell you. That being said, the platform’s Shorts — short-form video content designed to be easily digestible — has made it simpler for creators. Shorts makers are relieved of the pressure that comes with developing long-form videos. On the flip side, viewers benefit from a steadier stream of easy-to-watch clips. Now, YouTube is shifting its focus to the music behind Shorts and leveraging AI to develop a new feature.
YouTube explainsthat Dream Tracks, as it’s been titled, allows Shorts creators to make their own music using an AI-generated voice. For the feature, the platform has brought on Alec Benjamin, Charlie Puth, Charli XCX, Demi Lovato, John Legend, Papoose, Sia, T-Pain, and Troye Sivan to lend their voices — Shorts creators can choose one to use for their “soundtrack” of up to 30 seconds.
Using the tool is as simple as typing a concept into the creation prompt, picking a musician, and letting the AI go to work. The feature is based on Google DeepMind’s Lyria, an AI music generator. The tool was made specifically to be able to decipher a wide array of instruments and vocals, giving users more control over the generated music’s style. For the time being, Dream Tracks is limited to a select group of creators in the US.
When Dream Tracks was announced, YouTube also revealed more details about its Music AI Incubator. The incubator was originally created to help develop the AI framework of the future — artists, producers, songwriters, and more were brought on to help with the initiative. Through YouTube’s AI tools, you’ll be able to transform audio according to various music styles, leverage different instrumental sections, and alter chords and melodies as you see fit. The company notes that it will continue to work with artists to explore how AI can be leveraged to benefit the music industry.
Google has begun testing a wide array of AI features for YouTube as of late. Premium users were recently invited to starttrying out a Conversational AI tool— this allows users to leverage a tool that can answer questions during video playback and suggest related content. The company is also testing comment topics, which allows AI to summarize large comment sections of long videos for viewers. Topics based on themes derived from the video being played can then be selected for easier sorting and viewing.
Whether you’re a YouTube creator, a routine video viewer, or both, there’s a good chance you’ll run into one of the AI features Google has developed. As AI continues to evolve and Big Tech finds new uses for it, it’s safe to assume it’s going to be more prevalent in daily life.
