Beijing-based company ByteDance has recently released a job advertisement indicating its search for a Product Manager in Los Angeles to join a team dedicated to developing an AI-powered tool for intelligent music creation and audio editing. The vision of the app is to make music creation more accessible and inspire creativity, thereby enriching the music content landscape. The desired candidate should possess knowledge of music creation tools or demonstrate a passion for music as a music enthusiast with skills in playing musical instruments and music creation. Experience or familiarity with intelligent creation and algorithms is considered a plus.
If ByteDance were to launch such a tool, it would enter a market that is already occupied by established players like BandLab, a Singapore-based music creation platform. BandLab offers a comprehensive suite of tools for music creators to make music, share it with fans, monetize their work, and even achieve chart success. BandLab also features its own generative AI tool called Songstarter, which generates three unique musical ideas at the click of a button.
ByteDance’s previous ventures into music creation include Mawf, a machine-learning-driven music-making app that analyzes audio signals and re-renders them using machine-learned models of musical instruments. ByteDance also launched a music creation app called ‘Sponge Band’ in China, which incorporates AI tools and assists users in enhancing audio effects and background music for short videos.
The job ad from ByteDance raises speculation about whether the company intends to introduce ‘Sponge Band’ or a derivative of it in the US market. The ad mentions the importance of understanding creators’ requirements, translating music creation templates into short video scenarios, and executing implementation requirements.
If ByteDance were to launch an AI-powered music creation and audio editing app, it would face competition not only from BandLab but also from other established platforms like Splice, a US-based music creation platform that offers its own AI-powered music creation tool called CoSo. Despite the crowded market, ByteDance would have an advantage with its massive user base of 1 billion monthly active users on TikTok, who are already highly engaged with music content.
Separately, TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, is currently hiring a “Music Creator Operations Manager” in Los Angeles. This role involves working in TikTok’s Music Creation Department, which focuses on developing music production tools and AI-generated music compositions. The department comprises skilled music experts dedicated to pushing the boundaries of music creation.
The recruitment efforts by TikTok and ByteDance for professionals to work on AI-powered music-making tools align with the growing trend of AI-generated music on various music platforms. For instance, Anghami, a MENA-focused rival of Spotify, aims to host over 200,000 songs generated by AI, positioning itself as the first platform to achieve this milestone. Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), the owner of China’s largest music streaming platforms, has already created and released over 1,000 tracks featuring vocals generated by its AI technology that mimics human voices. Furthermore, Deezer, a France-based music streaming service, has utilized AI to generate content, particularly on its wellbeing app, Zen by Deezer, resulting in cost-effective content creation without relying on external content creators.
