Microsoft recently announced an exciting new capability for its AI assistant Copilot – song generation. Copilot can now take a simple text prompt and turn it into an original song with lyrics, instrumentation, and vocals. This is made possible through integration with the generative AI music platform Suno.
Simple Prompts Generate Complete Songs
Copilot users can now enter prompts like “write a folk song about summer adventures” and the AI will output a short original tune. The results include musical accompaniment and even sung vocals.
This offers an incredibly easy way for anyone to generate custom songs, without needing musical experience. The AI handles everything from writing lyrics to composing instrumentation and vocals.
To access this feature, Copilot users need to enable the Suno plugin within Microsoft Edge. Once enabled, they simply type their textual prompt and let Copilot work its magic.
More Accessible Than Ever
While other tech giants like Meta and Google have their AI music experiments, Copilot’s integration with Suno makes the songwriting process quicker and more accessible.
The results also seem of higher quality than alternatives based on samples from Suno’s site. The vocals and instrumentation are reasonably polished for an AI.
Microsoft hopes this partnership will “open new horizons for creativity and fun, making music creation accessible to everyone.”
How Suno’s AI Songwriting Works
Suno’s AI has been trained in licensing music to build an understanding of melody, lyrics, vocal technique, and more.
The models can take a text prompt and generate an original 1-2 minute song tailored to the description. In addition to instrumentation, Suno’s AI can synthesize decent vocal tracks.
On Suno’s platform, users get 2 songs per prompt for free. The partnership with Copilot provides a direct pipeline to Suno’s songwriting skills.
Limitations and Legalities
There are still some limitations around monetization and rights. Suno’s terms state they own songs created by free users. Paid subscribers have more commercial freedoms.
The Copilot integration only provides 1 song per prompt, whereas Suno normally offers 2 options. Users cannot export full-quality audio files either.
Like all AI-generated content, there are open questions about copyright and plagiarism. Suno claims their models don’t recognize artist names and block certain lyric usage. But the space is still legally untested.
The Future of AI Music
This collaboration provides an intriguing glimpse into the future of AI-generated music. As models continue to advance, personalized songwriting could become commonplace.
Some musicians and critics express concerns about how AI might disrupt the industry. But for everyday users, tools like Copilot offer newfound musical possibilities.
Expect more innovation in AI music tech as researchers explore how algorithms can mimic human creativity and artistry. Companies will need to tread carefully to avoid legal issues.
For now, Copilot’s songwriting skills provide beginners with a fun way to quickly create custom tunes. It certainly won’t replace human artists anytime soon, but does make musical experimentation more accessible.
We’ll have to see how professional musicians respond as AI music generation goes mainstream. But for casual users, this technology opens new creative horizons.
Trying Out Copilot Songwriting
Ready to try getting Copilot to write an original song for you? Just head to the Copilot site in Microsoft Edge and enable the Suno plugin.
Think of a short text prompt that summarizes the song you want, like an “upbeat pop song about summer fun.” Type your prompt into Copilot and let the AI work.
In a minute or two you’ll have your AI-generated tune! Lyrics and singing included.
While it may not be Spotify-ready quality, it’s an easy way to bring your song ideas to life. Copilot’s integration with Suno makes AI-based music composition available to everyone.
The Bottom Line
Microsoft’s Copilot taking song requests is a novel use of AI. Thanks to Suno’s backend, you can now turn text prompts into full instrumental and vocal songs.
It provides beginners with an easy way to experiment with AI music composition. While not perfect, it’s an impressive demonstration of how creative AI is evolving.
We’ll have to see where Microsoft takes this and how professional artists respond. But for now it’s a fun glimpse at the future of AI songwriting.
