As extra music streaming apps and creation instruments emerge to compete for customers’ consideration, social music-sharing app Popster is getting two new options to develop its consumer base: an AI picture generator for canopy artwork and a collaboration functionality the place artists can remix one other consumer’s track.
Initially launched final 12 months as a song-creation software and music video platform, Popster permits artists to have interaction with different musicians, create unique songs and music movies, and share them on social media. Customers can file video and voice straight within the app and add stickers and coloration backgrounds. The app additionally gives a number of vocal results (created in-house) and a neighborhood part for artists to work together with one another.
The app has, naturally, jumped on the generative AI bandwagon as effectively. As an example, it offers methods for artists to generate concepts for lyrics in addition to create new beats to file vocals on high. (Popster additionally makes use of AI tech to reinforce the audio if there’s background noise.)
One notable AI-powered software is the “Add a beat” function. Powered by OpenAI, customers can choose a style (Lofi Hip Hop, R&B, Indie Pop, Sluggish Ballad, and so forth) and a vibe like “Smooth” or “Normal” to compose a backtrack for singers so as to add their voice recordings on high.
Popster trains its mannequin utilizing Mubert’s library of royalty-free pre-made tracks, distinguishing itself from AI music apps Udio and Suno, each of which just lately confronted lawsuits for allegedly utilizing copyrighted music with out authorization.
“The issue with AI right now is that many people create songs that are trained from original songs, so you don’t know who is the original creator, and there’s not this concept of creativity,” co-founder and CEO Themis Drakonakis advised TechCrunch. “We believe that if you put AI next to the artist as a creative partner, you can experiment with [different sounds], unlock different ideas, and get your creativity to another level.”
Popster’s new art work generator, “Albums,” is the most recent addition to its generative AI instruments (that are all powered by OpenAI). Along with with the ability to file and add movies, Popster now permits artists to enter a immediate to generate a picture that may be displayed like a sticker overlay on high of an artist’s short-form video. This provides an additional layer of sophistication for brand new and up-and-coming artists making an attempt to introduce their new songs into the world.
One other considered one of Popster’s new options seems to be its tackle TikTok’s “Stitch” and “Duet” instruments, which artists regularly use to mix their movies with different creators so as to add vocals, harmonize, or play devices. Popster’s new “Mashup” function lets artists create remixes and collaborate with different artists. Customers can now click on the “Mashup” button below one other particular person’s video and file their very own video, which can seem side-by-side.
Popster remains to be in its early days, with only some thousand customers. Nonetheless, Popster’s newest options could also be what it wants to draw extra individuals. Thus far, practically 10,000 unique songs have been created on the app. Drakonakis advised us that customers spend a mean of 1.5 hours on the app every day.
The startup was co-founded by Drakonakis, who beforehand created two different apps, Self’it (a location-based photo-sharing app) and UniPad (a collaboration app for school college students), and Sotiris Kaniras (CTO), a former engineer for UniPad.
Popster raised $280,000 from the Notice Tech Fund and is within the midst of elevating a pre-seed funding spherical, which can assist it develop its group and improve its video server. Different future plans embrace launching paid options and teaming up with music labels.
The app is obtainable for obtain on the App Retailer and Google Play Retailer.
