AI country music on TikTok: A trend for the future
It’s not hyperbole to say that people are afraid of AI – particularly musicians. Most are scared of being out of a job, after all, AI can imitate voices, write lyrics and create full tracks in just one minute. All based on prompts. The ever-growing trend in AI use across the board and in music is one that has found an unusual battleground: the social media app TikTok.
TikTok really took off during the COVID-19 pandemic – why wouldn’t it? It was a way of people sharing easily from inside their own homes, a platform that was built off of music, now shaping the future of it. Country musicians flourished in particular (and continue to). It’s nearly impossible to talk to a country musician nowadays who doesn’t use the app, hasn’t posted them and a guitar in their bedroom singing on it, or hasn’t reached success due in no small part to TikTok. As of 2024, however, the threat of being replaced by AI is greater than ever for professional musicians.
The rise of AI in music
Artificial intelligence in music involves the use of algorithms and machine learning to compose, produce and sometimes even perform music. AI tools can analyse vast amounts of data, identifying patterns and structures that define specific genres. For country music, this means the AI can learn from thousands of songs, picking up on common themes, chord progressions and lyrical content.
So, what does that mean? Well, in short, AI can take its database of country music and create what we would expect a country song to sound like. Whether that’s lyrically, instrumentally or even imitating the voice of artists. For example, there is a cover of ‘Barbie Girl’ by Johnny Cash. Not the real Johnny Cash, but the tone, style and intonation of his singing to create a song that he never actually sang (we can’t comment on whether he knew it existed, as ‘Barbie Girl’ was released in 1997 and Cash died in 2003).
AI country on TikTok
On TikTok, AI-generated country music has found a unique niche. Users on the platform often engage with these tracks in various creative ways:
Original songs: AI can create completely original country songs, from lyrics to melodies. These tracks can then be shared by users, who often add their own twist by performing the song or creating videos that fit the mood and theme of the music.
Mashups and remixes: AI tools can also be used to mash up existing country songs or remix them, blending elements from different tracks to create something fresh and novel. TikTok users frequently use these AI-generated mashups to create engaging and entertaining content.
Customisation: Some advanced AI tools allow users to input specific themes, keywords, or moods and generate custom country songs based on these inputs. This level of customisation has led to a wave of personalised music content on TikTok, with users sharing songs that feel uniquely theirs.
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Hannah Larvin, Editor, Maverick Magazine
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