As the music streaming market continues to evolve, social music-sharing app Popster is introducing two new features designed to grow its user base. The AI image generator for cover art and collaboration capability where artists can remix another user’s song are set to enhance the platform’s offerings.
A Brief History of Popster
Initially launched last year as a song-creation tool and music video platform, Popster allows artists to engage with other musicians, create original songs and music videos, and share them on social media. The app provides users with the ability to record video and voice directly in the app, add stickers and color backgrounds, and access a selection of vocal effects created in-house.
Generative AI Integration
Popster has jumped on the generative AI bandwagon by providing ways for artists to generate ideas for lyrics as well as create new beats to record vocals on top. The AI tech used by Popster also enhances audio if there’s background noise. This feature is a notable addition to the app’s arsenal, setting it apart from other music streaming services.
‘Add a Beat’ Feature
The "Add a beat" feature allows users to select a genre (Lofi Hip Hop, R&B, Indie Pop, Slow Ballad and so on) and a vibe like ‘Smooth’ or ‘Normal’ to compose a backtrack for singers to add their voice recordings on top. This feature is powered by Mubert’s library of royalty-free pre-made tracks.
Distinguishing Features
Popster uses AI to create original songs that are not trained from copyrighted music, unlike some other apps in the market. The co-founder and CEO, Themis Drakonakis, emphasized the importance of creativity when using AI:
"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," he said. "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."
Albums: The New Artwork Generator
Popster’s new artwork generator, ‘Albums,’ is powered by OpenAI technology. This feature allows artists to enter a prompt to generate an image that can be displayed like a sticker overlay on top of an artist’s short-form video.
Mashup Feature
Another addition to the platform is its take on TikTok’s "Stitch" and "Duet" tools, which artists frequently use to combine their videos with other creators to add vocals, harmonize or play instruments. Popster’s new ‘Mashup’ feature lets artists create remixes and collaborate with other artists.
Collaboration and Growth
Popster is still in its early days, with only a few thousand users. However, the introduction of these new features may be what it needs to attract more people. So far, nearly 10,000 users have created original songs on the platform, demonstrating its potential for growth.
Conclusion
With its expansion into AI-generated music and collaboration capabilities, Popster is set to compete with other music streaming services in the market. The platform’s focus on creativity and originality sets it apart from others, making it an exciting addition to the music streaming landscape.
