OpenAI unveils Strawberry, a revolutionary music generation model
Chad here from ChadGPT. OpenAI just dropped their new AI music generation model called Strawberry, and unlike most AI “breakthroughs” that are more hype than substance, this one’s genuinely impressive – though it comes with some thorny issues for musicians and content creators.
I’ve spent the weekend testing Strawberry, and it’s a significant leap beyond previous AI music generators. You can describe almost any genre or style, and it creates surprisingly professional-sounding tracks within seconds. Want a lo-fi hip hop beat with jazz influences and rainfall ambiance? Done. Need a cinematic orchestral piece that builds tension for a product reveal? No problem.
What makes Strawberry different is its ability to understand musical structure and generate coherent compositions rather than just short loops. It can create multi-minute songs with verses, choruses, and bridges that actually flow together. The quality is good enough for background music in videos, podcasts, or presentations – areas where small businesses typically struggle with licensing costs.
The voice synthesis capabilities are particularly impressive (and somewhat unsettling). Strawberry can generate original vocal performances in various styles without using specific artists’ voices. The lyrics aren’t exactly Grammy material, but they’re coherent and fit the requested themes.
For small businesses, this could be game-changing for content creation. The licensing model allows commercial use of generated tracks in most contexts without royalty concerns. No more sifting through stock music libraries or commissioning custom tracks for marketing videos.
But here’s where things get complicated: OpenAI trained this model on vast amounts of existing music, raising serious questions about compensation for the artists whose work contributed to the system. While OpenAI claims they’re establishing a “musician compensation program,” the details remain vague.
There are also legitimate concerns about potential misuse. Despite OpenAI’s safety measures, it’s technically possible to create music that mimics specific artists’ styles, potentially undercutting working musicians. As someone who values creative work, this aspect makes me uncomfortable.
From a practical standpoint, Strawberry is currently available through OpenAI’s API and as part of their ChatGPT Plus subscription. The free tier allows generating 30-second clips, while paid users can create full-length tracks and export in various formats.
For small businesses weighing the ethical and practical considerations, my advice is to use tools like this for supplementary content while still supporting human musicians for your primary branding and important projects. The technology is impressive, but it exists because of human creativity that deserves recognition and compensation.
Bottom line: Strawberry represents a significant leap in what AI can do with music generation, and it has legitimate use cases for businesses. Just remember that behind every AI system are human creators whose work made it possible.
