Authentic Artists: AI-Powered Virtual Musicians

Authentic Artists: Pioneering Virtual Musicians

Chris McGarry, formerly responsible for music integration at Facebook’s Oculus, is launching a startup called Authentic Artists with a novel approach to music within virtual environments.

McGarry highlighted the impact of virtual personalities like Lil Miquela and large-scale virtual concerts, such as Travis Scott’s event within Fortnite, as precursors to Authentic Artists.

The startup effectively merges these concepts, crafting virtual musicians capable of performing live concerts – initially on Twitch – and dynamically responding to audience input.

A New Artistic Paradigm

“Our intention is decidedly not to replicate existing digital experiences,” McGarry stated. “We aim to leverage innovative tools to forge new art forms, experiences, and cultural expressions.”

He explained that these virtual artists can serve as platforms for audience collaboration, allowing viewers to actively influence the live performance.

Authentic Artists has already conducted trial concerts on Twitch, and McGarry expressed surprise at the positive reception, noting an average viewing duration of 35 minutes.

Upcoming Concerts and Collaboration

The next generation of virtual artists will be unveiled through Twitch concerts beginning April 14th. These events will be co-hosted by established Twitch streamers to introduce the concept to a wider audience.

McGarry anticipates further collaborations between virtual and human performers in the future.

The Technology Behind the Music

The Authentic Artists platform comprises several interconnected components that work together to animate the virtual musicians, compose their music, and enable real-time responses to audience feedback.

This includes adjusting song intensity, altering the tempo, or skipping to the next track.

Music Generation is Key

“Music is central to our vision, and we have made substantial investments in the core audio engine,” McGarry emphasized.

He clarified that the platform doesn’t simply rearrange pre-composed music loops, but instead generates original music independently.

“We want our virtual artists to possess autonomy; we want them to feel authentic.”

Demonstration and Future Development

While a complete concert experience wasn’t immediately available, McGarry’s team showcased renderings of the artists – including a cyborg and a large iguana – and their virtual performance spaces.

They also demonstrated the music engine’s ability to create new compositions in real-time, adjusting parameters on-the-fly.

“These are entirely original compositions, generated and produced as we speak, without any manual intervention,” McGarry explained.

Investment and Business Model

Authentic Artists has secured funding from investors including OVO Fund, Lupa Systems (James Murdoch’s firm), Mixi Group, and Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda.

Currently, McGarry is prioritizing achieving product-market fit over defining a specific business model.

Potential revenue streams include branded music and integration with decentralized finance/NFTs.

Future opportunities are being explored.