Songwriting Declared Dead

[Lazz]

MS Songsmith

[Steve]

Oh Dear!

[john]

Hey

It's well seen it didn't write the lyrics lol

fortunately most people don't write lyrics and a lot can't carry a tune.... the upshot is they will soon get bored sounding crap.

Cheers

John

Oh, as an afterthought, I wonder how long it takes before music comes out with the label "Made with real musicians" lol

[roxhythe]

I think "Made with Real Musicians" is a great disclaimer. I think I'll use it on the next album. (I'd make it the title if I didn't already have a title.)

Joe

P.S. That you-too-can-be-a-songwriter thing sounds like just one more piece of Microsoft software I have no intention of buying.

[AnneC]

Disclaimer: I haven't clicked the link and I may have more input once I do. I have merely gotten the gist from the posts in this thread so far.

As Tom said, there is a great demand for instant gratification today. In a sense we're all guilty, or the internet wouldn't have nearly the draw that it does. On the other hand, quality is still valued as well (to a point; there are many examples on the airwaves of trash being king, but nonetheless people still vote with their dollars and attention). I doubt that we will see "All computer-generated music, all the time" as a radio format unless the world becomes much more Orwellian than it is now.

One additional thought: This type of thing is one reason I have shied away from using Band In A Box or similar programs. I know that particular program has many fans here and I don't discount its value, but it still has a certain creepiness factor for me.

[Nightwolf]

the upshot is they will soon get bored sounding crap.

I see no threat, sounds like doggy poop....nuff said

[john]

"You want to be cool. You want to be a star. Don't settle for second best! That's not even an option! Our new "You Can Sound Bad With A Beat" tm It's no where near second best.

It's a great way to entertain your friends as they laugh at your pathetic attempt to sound like a pop star but instead sound like an untalented idiot with no real sense of what is cool at all! "You Can Sound Bad With A Beat" tm Does it all!

Forgetting the latest in audio technology we will drown your voice in room echo to hide the blemishes the auto tuning can't hide, using only the poorest cheap samples we will construct a song around the nearest thing to melody we can find... then wait for it... we will add the worst synth sounds we can find, playing chords that provide no real structure but at least you don't sound out of tune! Great! you can now torture your family until they spit roast you!

But wait! Share your torturous crap with your friends! Persuade them to sound bad too so you don't die of embarrassment on your own!

Who knows, if enough people adopt this there will be a whole generation of idiots whose concept of music is meaningless dross turned out by people who have no understanding of music! Fantastic!

This is cutting edge technology, but like all our products, we like you to pay to be our testers! Yes, we know it's not ready for market yet but we don't care! We know you want to sound like an untalented tasteless idiot as soon as you can!

Buy "You Can Sound Bad With A Beat" Today! Our hype is going to get you!

Disclaimer: Any injuries or deaths caused by this product are due to your terrible voice and lyrics that suck like a blonde in a man drought.

[FinnArild]

After all, it's the next logical step in the ongoing trend toward "instant gratification".

Does this also mean the end to foreplay?

[Steve]

"You want to be cool. You want to be a star. Don't settle for second best! That's not even an option! Our new "You Can Sound Bad With A Beat" tm It's no where near second best.

It's a great way to entertain your friends as they laugh at your pathetic attempt to sound like a pop star but instead sound like an untalented idiot with no real sense of what is cool at all! "You Can Sound Bad With A Beat" tm Does it all!

Forgetting the latest in audio technology we will drown your voice in room echo to hide the blemishes the auto tuning can't hide, using only the poorest cheap samples we will construct a song around the nearest thing to melody we can find... then wait for it... we will add the worst synth sounds we can find, playing chords that provide no real structure but at least you don't sound out of tune! Great! you can now torture your family until they spit roast you!

But wait! Share your torturous crap with your friends! Persuade them to sound bad too so you don't die of embarrassment on your own!

Who knows, if enough people adopt this there will be a whole generation of idiots whose concept of music is meaningless dross turned out by people who have no understanding of music! Fantastic!

This is cutting edge technology, but like all our products, we like you to pay to be our testers! Yes, we know it's not ready for market yet but we don't care! We know you want to sound like an untalented tasteless idiot as soon as you can!

Buy "You Can Sound Bad With A Beat" Today! Our hype is going to get you!

Disclaimer: Any injuries or deaths caused by this product are due to your terrible voice and lyrics that suck like a blonde in a man drought.

Feck! Where can I get a copy?

[Retrosaurus Rex]

At one point in the video someone says, "It's MicroSoft? So it's easy to use! "

I couldn't help exclaiming aloud, "Well, that's hardly a valid assumption..."

[Retrosaurus Rex]

"You want to be cool. You want to be a star. Don't settle for second best! That's not even an option! Our new "You Can Sound Bad With A Beat" tm It's no where near second best.

It's a great way to entertain your friends as they laugh at your pathetic attempt to sound like a pop star but instead sound like an untalented idiot with no real sense of what is cool at all! "You Can Sound Bad With A Beat" tm Does it all!

Forgetting the latest in audio technology we will drown your voice in room echo to hide the blemishes the auto tuning can't hide, using only the poorest cheap samples we will construct a song around the nearest thing to melody we can find... then wait for it... we will add the worst synth sounds we can find, playing chords that provide no real structure but at least you don't sound out of tune! Great! you can now torture your family until they spit roast you!

But wait! Share your torturous crap with your friends! Persuade them to sound bad too so you don't die of embarrassment on your own!

Who knows, if enough people adopt this there will be a whole generation of idiots whose concept of music is meaningless dross turned out by people who have no understanding of music! Fantastic!

This is cutting edge technology, but like all our products, we like you to pay to be our testers! Yes, we know it's not ready for market yet but we don't care! We know you want to sound like an untalented tasteless idiot as soon as you can!

Buy "You Can Sound Bad With A Beat" Today! Our hype is going to get you!

Disclaimer: Any injuries or deaths caused by this product are due to your terrible voice and lyrics that suck like a blonde in a man drought.

I suppose this is the new SongStuff tool... what a desperate, feeble attempt to keep the site relevant. I feel sorry for you, John. MS will crush you like a bug...

[john]

Mwuahahahaha darn my ploy foiled again... Go on admit it you're a Microsoft double agent sent here to subvert both the boards and songwriters to pave the way for this poor offering from Microsoft (is it just me or does "Microsoft" sound like a condition Bill Gates might suffer from?)

[Lazz]

At one point in the video someone says, "It's MicroSoft? So it's easy to use"

Aah.

My cue for another scurrilous anecdote.

This one is undeniably apocryphal - but that doesn't matter.

It seems Bill Gates and Honey Divine once enjoyed a personal encounter at the informed recommendation of Hugh Grant.

"Mmmm" says Bill, "I can see where you got the name Honey Divine"

"Yes" she agrees "And I can see where you got the name Microsoft".

Bom-boom.

[Retrosaurus Rex]

Aah.

My cue for another scurrilous anecdote.

This one is undeniably apocryphal - but that doesn't matter.

It seems Bill Gates and Honey Divine once enjoyed a personal encounter at the informed recommendation of Hugh Grant.

"Mmmm" says Bill, "I can see where you got the name Honey Divine"

"Yes" she agrees "And I can see where you got the name Microsoft".

Bom-boom.

Boom-chicka-boom...

[john]

Boom-chicka-boom...

hey, you could be the drum sounds from the demo video!

[Geraint]

You have no idea how many times I've been tempted write something that does the same thing. Viterbi's algorithm to choose the chords and the auto-backing from a cheap keyboard to form the accompaniment. It's not exactly a revolutionary idea, and the maths has some pretty strong limitations. I don't exactly feel threatened.

On a related note, did anyone else ever have to harmonise chorales "in the style of Bach" in music lessons? That was fairly simple to automate, too.

[typo]

i was too busy laughing at the pathetic "songs" it churned out.... that really sucks! i can't believe they used that crap as an advert

[TaoMannaDon]

Some music software appeals to professionals.

Some music software appeals to amateurs.

And with the advent of Microsoft Songsmith, we now have music software that appeals to posers.

To expand their customer base, I suggest this ad copy:

Microsoft Songsmith --- karaoke for those who don't know the words or the melody

[john]

Hmmm.... what about these:

Microsoft Songsmith - where melody and words don't matter

Microsoft Songsmith - It sucks

Microsoft Songsmith - So much pain in a small box

Microsoft Songsmith - If the advert is the best Microsoft could come up with the you need to be really, really desperate, and deaf to buy it

Microsoft Songsmith - Music to deaf ears

[Chokai]

ugh... bringing back memories of "dance ejay". Watch out for several thousand new musician profiles on myspace...