[Free Giveaway of LiveLoop!] Elevating the Art of Live Music Production & Performance: Live Looping Meets AI & Web3
Founder and Innovator Josep Shares His Vision for Web 3 & AI-Enhanced Live Looping with LiveLoop and MusicMoon.
Having been involved in music production for as long as I can remember, I have always admired the art of live looping. The ability to improvise a production makes the process more enjoyable and reminiscent of the traditional technique of playing instruments live.
When I discovered LiveLoop and MusicMoon's plans to integrate AI and Web3 into live looping, my interest was piqued. Imagine live looping software that can create variations of your loops on the fly, combined with an end-to-end Web3 music distribution service. This is exactly what Josep and his team are working on, and I'm excited to share our conversation and the many insights he provided.
Some background into MusicMoon:
MusicMoon is an “AI-powered music creation & Web3 platform that integrates music and instrument NFTs with a DAO to create a supportive ecosystem where artists can create, retain rights, earn royalties, and connect with fans.” The platform integrates LiveLoop "The Looping Software for Live Music Performance", and it's new AI feature which enhances live performances with real-time AI variations. MusicMoon features a Community Engagement DAO for artist-audience interaction, a Platform Governance DAO for stakeholder decision-making, and an NFT marketplace for minting and trading music NFTs.
Thanks for taking the time out to talk today, let's start off with a bit of background about yourself. What made you want to get into the Music AI space. What experiences led you to founding MusicMoon?
First, I was an engineer before becoming a musician. Back in the day, I worked as a development engineer in research and development, but my work had nothing to do with music. I was working in industries like oil and gas and pharmaceuticals. Although I was making quite a bit of money, I wasn't happy with my work.
So, how did everything start? I applied for a master's program at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where I was living at the time, and I was accepted.
I was doing live looping, which is the art of recording live and adding different layers, then applying effects to these layers. But when I started at the conservatory, I noticed many limitations with the general hardware I was using.
I spoke to my teacher and expressed my desire to create a live looping station because the industry options, like Ableton, were not sufficient for my needs. I wanted to achieve more complex rhythms and harmonies, which seemed impossible with the available tools.
So, I started developing LiveLoop as my thesis project, which I launched in 2020.
During my master's program, I experimented a lot with live looping. The idea of live looping is to record a loop that repeats continuously. When AI emerged, I wondered how I could use it to enhance my loops. It felt like a natural progression to use AI to learn the loop and add different features and elements. This would help me compose new music and make live performances less repetitive.
Regarding MusicMoon: it consists of two projects.
One is live looping software for creating music, which I would describe as part of the Web 2 industry. During my time at various music technology conferences, I learned about Web 3 and NFTs. I found NFTs very interesting because registering music in a decentralised way was something I had always wanted to do.
Unless you're a big musician with many followers and the backing of major industries, most musicians (around 99%) lack the means to register their music and manage their funds. So, with the music I created using LiveLoop, I thought it made sense to create a platform called MusicMoon. This platform allows me to immediately make NFTs of my music, sell them, and earn royalties. That's how MusicMoon was born.
Tell me about your team and how you met?
Okay, I have to say that for LiveLoop, I was a one-man developer. I should mention my teacher back then, Marcel Wierckx. He taught me programming because I didn't know it before. Before, I was a mechanical engineer, and I had to learn programming to create LiveLoop.
For MusicMoon, here's how it started: last year, I saw a hackathon in Seoul organised by the Polkadot chain. I proposed the idea of making a Web3 platform, an NFT platform, using LiveLoop. Then, I searched for someone who could develop the application for Web3 and found Usman Mohammed, a developer from Pakistan. He started developing, and we won first prize at the Polkadot hackathon.
When we won the first prize, he was very excited and asked me if he could be part of this project. He saw how it was born and believed we had a lot of potential. In addition to Usman, I also had an old friend who helped with all the branding of LiveLoop. He's a designer and created all the designs.
So, I had a whole team: a designer, a developer, and I was the main brain behind how everything should work. This is the basic team—the three of us working on the software and the platform.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the development of MusicMoon, and how did you overcome them?
Regarding LiveLoop, I faced many challenges, especially technical ones, but I don't want to start with them. These were mostly programming challenges. Any technical problem I encountered during development, I always solved with a lot of hours and a lot of tears as well. So those were the challenges on that side.
With MusicMoon, the challenges are different, primarily finding a good blockchain to deploy on because there are many blockchains at the moment, and some of them offer grants. MusicMoon is still in its early stages; we started last year and have been approached by different blockchains. The challenge is deciding which one to go with because it's important to make a good decision. The market is currently so unstable that it's hard to know which one will succeed in the end.
I think this is the biggest challenge, but we are tackling it by deploying MusicMoon on all the blockchains that are helping us with grants and attracting some customers. We are also open to deploying on any blockchain that is interested in working with us.
How do you envision MusicMoon being integrated into existing music production & performance workflows, and what are the potential benefits for artists, producers and the music industry as a whole?
What I believe is going to happen is that MusicMoon will be a very easy and straightforward tool where any music producer, composer, or musician can effortlessly create music in real time, export their music, and mint it as an NFT to earn royalties. I envision a future where musicians can register their songs before releasing them, ensuring that their ideas are protected.
Every time a musician releases a song, they can mint it into an NFT, updating and owning it so that no one can claim it as their own. I see MusicMoon as a platform where musicians can create great music, mint it into NFTs, and receive royalties forever in a simple and decentralised way, without paying any extra fees to third parties.
Additionally, I'm creating a DAO to address issues with social networks. As an artist, you might ask, "Where are my fans?" They could be on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok, but you don't have full control over who your fans are. The algorithms of these platforms can work for or against you.
The music industry needs a completely different way for musicians and fans to interact. So, I'm creating a DAO for musicians. When you visit our website, you can create an artist profile and then your own DAO. You will have a unique link to invite your followers and fans, giving you full control of the DAO.
Your true fans, those who follow you to your DAO, can vote and participate directly. This system ensures that we don't control any fan data; artists have full ownership of their fans and interactions without any algorithms. Fans will see all the updates and questions from the artist, empowering them and the artist.
We have a main DAO for the music platform, which includes investors, stakeholders, and users to guide the entire company of MusicMoon. Although I am the creator, I want the community to grow this platform.
Each musician will also have their own sub-DAO. For example, if you're deciding between two singles, you can ask your community in the DAO which one should be released. Fans can vote on important decisions like album release dates and favourite songs. They can also earn rewards, such as NFT tickets for concerts.
The DAO system allows fans to get rewards for their active participation. True fans, who are engaged in the community, can earn rewards and even connect with the artist. The goal of the DAO is to bring artists and fans closer together, fostering direct communication and engagement.
In the DAO system, you will see fewer but more genuine fans. If you have 1,000 followers on Instagram, how many would actually pay for your album or concert? In the DAO, you'll know who your real, dedicated fans are, and those are the ones you want to connect with and work with.
Are there any accepted "truths" about AI's role in music creation that you disagree with based on your discussions with musicians? What's your contrasting viewpoint and evidence?
Regarding the question of whether music created using AI is truly your music, I'd like to say yes, especially in the case of LiveLoop or when using technology to make music. AI is not a golden god that creates music for you. It can help, but you need to know music to effectively use it.
There are many discussions about AI in music, and I believe that AI is a positive development that will aid in creating new music. However, I don't think it will replace musicians. It might replace mediocre musicians, but good musicians will remain essential. You still need people who understand music to compose it. It's similar to using ChatGPT; you need to read and understand its output to ensure it conveys what you want to say.
When big labels ban some AI companies, I think it's important to remember that composed music doesn't come from nowhere. As a composer, I draw on my background in music, studying Bach, Mozart, and others. Inevitably, my music will reflect those influences. Even if I'm making pop music, it will likely sound like bands I enjoy. There is no difference with AI in this regard.
By experimenting with AI in music, I see it as a helpful tool for composers and producers in real-time music creation. I don't think people will just listen to AI music for enjoyment. It will be more functional, like background music in shops or restaurants. AI will have a place there, but it's different from music created by composers and musicians.
When you listen to a song you love on repeat, it's because it touches your heart. There is a certain magic when a composer creates music with emotion. I don't believe AI-generated music can replicate that magic. It might sound cool as background music, but it won't evoke the same emotional response.
AI lacks free will and will never surpass human creativity. AI will always need us. So, for those worried about AI taking over jobs, if you're a genuine musician creating music with your heart, you have nothing to worry about. Use AI as a tool to enhance your music, but don't rely on it exclusively.
How do you see the future of AI in the music industry evolving in the next 5-10 years? Where do you envision MusicMoon in that future?
I think there will be a lot of regulations about AI music, and it's important to consider what I'm saying. I don't think they can just ban all the AI engines that are learning from artists like the Beatles, Elvis, or other bands. This technology will continue to grow.
As I mentioned, AI will mostly be used for background music. Regarding MusicMoon, the way I use AI is different. I use AI to help musicians create new loops and enhance their performances.
In five to ten years, I envision that anyone will be able to download the MusicMoon software, create some music, and use MusicMoon to register and sell their songs through our platform. They will be able to communicate with other musicians and manage everything in a decentralised way, having full control over their work.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter the AI or music tech space?
When you get into the tech space, especially the music tech space, it needs to be a legitimate product. You must be solving a real problem in the industry or music production process, something that is a pain point for you and others. You want to fix it and improve the situation.
The most important thing is not searching for a problem because you have a solution, but genuinely having a problem you want to solve no matter what. You keep going until the solution sees the light. This applies to AI, music tech, blockchain, or any project—it needs to solve a real problem.
It's not about jumping on the AI bandwagon without understanding what you're doing. Solving a real problem and helping people is crucial.
I learned this with LiveLoop, and I'll explain how. Initially, I made the software for myself to address my own pain points. I wasn't making any sales at first because I was focused on my own problems. Then I realised it's not about me. It's about helping others.
I started asking customers about their problems with Live Looping. They told me, and I added the features they needed. That's how LiveLoop started to grow—by helping others.
Is there anything else you'd like to share about MusicMoon or your personal journey that we haven’t covered?
Regarding my personal journey, this follows up on my previous point. When you do something from your heart and truly believe in it, you encounter many people who want to help you, which is nice. However, in the end, you are alone. But if you truly believe in your project and keep going, no matter what others say, it will eventually succeed. I've been at this for a few years, and while the first year was a struggle, things are starting to improve. I realised that I had to stay true to my vision and pursue it relentlessly.
This is what I want to convey to encourage others. We have a lot of exciting developments on the horizon. By the end of this year, we will release our next version of LiveLoop with the AI engine directly integrated. We are currently in the middle of this process. Additionally, we are launching MusicMoon on different blockchains, which is interesting because each blockchain serves different communities, allowing users to choose the best fit for them.
The next steps include a new AI engine for LiveLoop and new blockchains to deploy and mint NFTs. This vision has been a long time coming. A couple of months ago, I attended a workshop at a university in Barcelona with a strong team in music AI. There, I met a couple of German engineers who are very skilled in music AI. They are now working on this platform, and we hope to release it by this winter. By Christmas, everyone will be able to create Live Loops with AI.
🎉 Exclusive LiveLoops Giveaway! 🎉
🎵 Limited Quantities Available! 🎵
✨ Grab your LiveLoop Lite v4 for FREE! ✨
⚡️ 30% OFF thereafter! ⚡️
👉 Get it now! 👈
Hurry before it's gone! 🚀🎶
Browse the Music AI Archive to find AI Tools for your Music
https://www.musicworks.ai/
Find out more about MusicMoon & LiveLoops
MusicMoon Links: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter/X | Instagram | Facebook