Randy Travis gets his voice back in a new Warner AI music experiment

For nan first clip since a 2013 changeable near state vocalist Randy Travis incapable to speak aliases singing properly, he has released a caller song. He didn’t singing it, though; instead, nan vocals were created pinch AI package and a surrogate singer.

The song, called “Where That Came From,” is each spot nan benignant of folksy, sentimental tune I came to emotion arsenic a kid erstwhile Travis was astatine nan tallness of his fame. The producers created it by training an unnamed AI model, starting pinch 42 of his vocal-isolated recordings. Then, nether nan supervision of Travis and his career-long shaper Kyle Lehning, chap state vocalist James DuPre laid down nan vocals to beryllium transformed into Travis’ by AI.

Besides being connected YouTube, nan opus is connected different streaming platforms for illustration Apple Music and Spotify.

The consequence of Warner’s research is simply a gentle tune that captures Travis’ relaxed style, which seldom wavered acold from its baritone foundation. It sounds for illustration 1 of those singles that would’ve hung astir nan charts agelong capable for maine to nervously sway to erstwhile aft moving up nan gumption to inquire a woman to creation astatine a mediate schoolhouse social. I wouldn’t opportunity it’s a great Randy Travis song, but it’s surely not nan worst — I’d moreover opportunity I for illustration it.

Dustin Ballard, who runs nan various incarnations of nan There I Ruined It societal media account, creates his AI sound parodies in overmuch nan aforesaid way arsenic Travis’ team, giving commencement to goofy mash-ups for illustration AI Elvis Presley singing “Baby Got Back” aliases synthetic Johnny Cash singing “Barbie Girl.”

It would beryllium easy to sound nan siren complete this opus aliases Ballard’s creations, declaring nan decease of human-made euphony arsenic we cognize it. But I’d opportunity it does rather nan opposite, reinforcing what devices for illustration an AI sound clone tin do successful nan correct hands. Whether you for illustration nan opus aliases not, you person to admit that you can’t get thing for illustration this from casual prompting.

Cris Lacy, Co-president of Warner Music Nashville, told CBS Sunday Morning that AI sound cloning sites nutrient approximations of artists for illustration Travis that don’t “sound real, because it’s not.” She called nan label’s usage of AI to clone Travis’ sound “AI for good.”

Right now, Warner can’t really do overmuch astir AI clones that it feels don’t autumn nether nan heading of “AI for good.” But Tennessee’s recently-passed ELVIS Act, which goes into effect connected July 1st, would let labels to return ineligible action against those utilizing package to recreate an artists’ sound without permission.

Travis’ opus is simply a bully edge-case illustration of AI being utilized to make euphony that really feels legitimate. But connected nan different hand, it besides whitethorn unfastened a caller way for Warner, which owns nan authorities to immense catalogs of euphony from famous, dormant artists that are ripe for integer resurrection and, if they want to spell there, imaginable profit. As heartwarming arsenic this communicative is, it makes maine wonderment what lessons Warner Music Nashville — and nan grounds manufacture arsenic a full — will return distant from this song.