#SXSW2019 — AI Assisted Music

Tech Trends is in Austin, Texas to cover the action at the South by Southwest conference.

By Laura Kobylecky

SXSW is a “convergence of the interactive, film and music industries.” Over the span of ten days, there are panels, educational sessions, a trade show, special events and more. One particularly unique element of the experience is the intersection of ideas. You can go straight from a concert to a discussion of artificial intelligence.

Here at Sony’s pop-up activation during SXSW, the company is showcasing some of its latest innovations. One that lies at the intersection of technology and music, is Flow Machines, an intersection of artificial intelligence and human ingenuity.

The Flow Machines presentation begins when a group of attendees is herded into a dark room. Haruhiko, Tatsuya and Ikuko are here to present. They are lit brightly in the dark room. Haruhiko is holding a guitar. It seems that anything could happen here. They explain that using Flow Machines, this group is going to make a song.

A projection of the Flow Machines interface is on the stage behind them. It might seem familiar to people who make digital music. The interface looks like a standard DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), such as Garage Band or Abelton, that one would use to record, edit and produce music.