Warner Music Signs an Algorithm to a Record Deal

Warner Music signs Endel, maker of an algorithm/app that generates ambient-style music: https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/27/18283084/warner-music-algorithm-signed-ambient-music-endel

Didn't Warner learn from Selected Ambient Works Volume II* back in '94?

* SAW II famously was one of the worst-selling ambient releases in Warner Bros history, so much so that Warner issued an internal memo that all ambient music signings/releases must have prior management approval, so the story goes

heard about this today and am fascinated. it's even on spotify, and the album titles sound just like playlist names. but i suppose that's the point

however, isn't it somewhat counterintuitive to release albums made out of generated music that is suppose to be personalized? in the podcast i heard about it in they talked about how it's just like the live compilations of 80s rock bands that put together the best sounding live performances from different countries and venues and made an album out of it, without any clear narrative between the songs whatsoever. i kinda agree

also: how come nobody ever replied to this, it's the most IDM news to come out so far this year

the interesting thing to me, is how they think to have some kind of business model wrt open source generative music apps. they really have to add something of value compared to other free options. which, imo, is highly unlikely. it's hard to see how this will turn into something viable.

Hmm. They may have to focus their business model on the person or team that makes the software.

yeah obviously. i think i wasn't clear.

the idea is that there's always going to be people who just put their software out there for free. kinda like ae and those files they recently put up. so who's going to buy into some app when there's going to be al kinds of free open source options available? this endel app's gotta be quite something for people to put in some money.

Sean pls

Now Grimes has made a song with Endel:

So that’s how Autechre whips out those albums so fast.