On April 18th, during the Web Summit Rio 2024 - the largest technology event in the world, which attracted more than 34,000 attendees in this edition - the Center Stage’s spotlight shone on Music.AI’s groundbreaking use of artificial intelligence to enhance creativity in music and audio production.
With a talk titled “Empowering creativity in music and audio with AI,” Music.AI’s co-founder and COO, Eddie Hsu, took the stage to share insights into how top artists and companies harness AI to enhance their creative capabilities and drive new business opportunities.
About Eddie Hsu and Music.AI
Alongside Music.AI’s co-founder and CEO, Geraldo Ramos — who is also his childhood friend —Eddie Hsu is at the forefront of merging technology with music.
Their journey began with a simple yet innovative use of a free AI model. This led to the creation of the famous Moises App, which now has over 45 million users.
Today, Music.AI stands as a testament to their vision. Backed by top investors in the U.S. and Brazil, it has a team of 90 people spread across eight countries.
From Product Hunt to global success
Moises was first made available on Product Hunt. The 60 thousand early adopters proved the public’s growing interest in Hsu and Ramos' product, sparking the co-founders' desire to shift 100% of their professional focus to Moises.
Among the early users was Alexandre Kassin, a renowned Brazilian music producer with 3 Latin Grammys to his name. Having worked with the band Los Hermanos, Kassin played a vital role in the careers of other prominent artists, including:
- Caetano Veloso;
- Adriana Calcanhotto;
- Vanessa da Mata;
- Tim Maia;
- Marcello Jeneci;
- Erasmo Carlos.
Event highlights
The burning question at the summit was how best to harness AI’s power in today’s world. This question, often steeped in concerns about disruption, was met with Eddie’s optimistic perspective on AI’s potential to enhance the creative process and create new opportunities for both artists and businesses.
Music.AI and Moises are dedicated to bringing out the creative potential in a wide range of fields. The Moises App processes an impressive two million minutes of audio daily, demonstrating the company’s scale and global influence.
Two great examples that demonstrate how Moises enables creativity include: include:
- Charles Gavin — drummer of the iconic band Titãs —, using Moises to gear up for the band’s farewell tour;
- The singer Luana Carvalho paying a touching tribute to her late mother, Beth Carvalho, a samba star.
Key Takeaways
Empowering creativity
Eddie and Geraldo’s passion for music and technology sparked an idea that resulted in the development of Moises and the success of Music.AI. This, in itself, is a vivid demonstration of how AI and creativity can powerfully intersect.
By leveraging advanced technology and a deep passion for music, Music.AI has transformed the music and audio industry landscapes, opening up new avenues for creativity and business innovation.
Solutions for challenges
When faced with voice cloning challenges on the scene, Music.AI went beyond simply responding to them. Instead, the team actively created opportunities to benefit producers, vocalists, and beyond.
The team assembled a group of talented vocalists in studios around the world, working directly with them to create voice timbre models. This created a new opportunity for vocalists to earn revenue from the authorized use of their voices. Each vocalist is compensated for their work and also receives ongoing payment for the use of their voice models by the producers.
Much more than a business move, this was a celebration of talent and a testament to the team’s dedication to:
- Innovation;
- Making a difference;
- Equipping musicians and producers with the best tools to learn, evolve, and create outstanding content.
The essence of technology
Near the end of his presentation, Eddie played the video for a theme song he created with the Moises team, showcasing some of Moises’s features — like Stem Separation, Lyrics Transcription, and Voice Studio.
"So, when we were creating this song, we were not concerned about AI. We just wanted to create a song. And this is what we have to do as a technology company. We have to make technology disappear because, at the end of the day, our users just want to master their craft. So we have to get out of their way." (Eddie Hsu)
The intuitive creation of a Web Summit theme song using Moises underlines Hsu’s philosophy: ...the technology should seamlessly integrate into the creative process, allowing artists to focus on their craft.
Eddie Hsu’s talk at the Web Summit certainly achieved its goal: to showcase how AI boosts artistic expression in music and makes audio production easier.
Music.AI and Moises are clear examples of how technology and creativity converge to transform the future, and we are immensely grateful to the ever-growing and multicultural user base that has been part of this journey.
You can check out the full recording of Eddie Hsu’s talk below.
Beyond the Web Summit Center Stage
Along with his major Center Stage presentation at the Web Summit Rio 2024, Eddie participated in two other insightful talks and spoke at a press conference.
The AI valuation premium
In 2023, a fascinating trend emerged: AI startups were valued 1.5 times higher during their second major fundraising round than other startups.
Earning the title busiest among the small panels, this Web Summit session delved into whether these companies were genuinely rooted in AI or just employing a touch of AI technology to enhance their appeal.
Eddie Hsu acted as a speaker along with three other entrepreneurs:
- HubKonnect’s co-founder and CEO, Michael Koch;
- Marvik’s founder and CTO, Rodrigo Beceiro;
- CGTN America’s anchor, Elaine Reyes.
How can AI empower creatives and musicians?
On the same stage he shared with Koch, Beceiro, and Reyes during the talk titled “The AI valuation premium,” Eddie Hsu also conducted a session by himself: “How can AI empower creatives and musicians?”.
During this presentation, he debunked the myth that AI stifles creativity. On the contrary, he demonstrated how artists are leveraging AI to boost their creative process, shedding light on the exciting possibilities at the intersection of technology and artistic expression.
Press conference: AI, machine learning, and content creation
Eddie Hsu was also the focus of an exclusive media-only event, where he was interviewed and shared his knowledge and thoughts on how AI and machine learning connect with content creation.
Eddie Hsu’s presence at the Web Summit Rio 2024 underscored AI’s revolutionary potential in the lives of musicians and producers. His insights emphasized how technology can foster innovation and intuitively aid the creative journey. Looking towards the future, we envision a world where AI continues to merge with human creativity, powering extraordinary and positive changes — in music and other fields.
Now, the mic is yours: we invite you to explore AI-powered creativity and leave your mark in the music industry. And keep an eye out for upcoming news and events!