AWS Machine Learning Blog

Announcing the AWS DeepComposer Chartbusters challenge, The Sounds of Science

We’re excited to announce the next AWS DeepComposer Chartbusters challenge, in which developers interactively collaborate with AI using the new edit melody feature launching today! Chartbusters is a monthly challenge where you can use AWS DeepComposer to create original compositions on the console using machine learning techniques, compete to top the charts, and win prizes. Following the completion of the Bach to the Future and Spin the Model challenges, we’re thrilled to announce the launch of the third Chartbusters challenge: The Sounds of Science. This challenge launches today and participants can submit their compositions until September 23, 2020.

To improve your music creation experience, we’re offering the AWS DeepComposer keyboard at a special price of $89 for a limited time during September on amazon.com.

In this challenge, you need to create background music using AWS DeepComposer to accompany a short video clip. The Autoregressive CNN (AR-CNN) algorithm and newly released edit melody feature on the AWS DeepComposer console enables you to iterate on the musical quality while allowing you to retain creativity and uniqueness, as you create the perfect composition to match the video’s theme.

The following screenshot shows the new Edit melody option.

The AR-CNN algorithm in the AWS DeepComposer Music Studio enhances your original input melody by adding or removing notes, and makes the newly generated input melody sound more Bach-like. Next, you can use the edit melody feature to assist the AI by adding or removing specific notes or even change their pitch and length by using an interactive view of the input piano roll. The edit melody feature facilitates better human-AI collaboration by allowing you to correct mistakes made by the model during inference. You can then resubmit your newly modified track, and choose Enhance input melody to create another composition.

How to compete

To take part in The Sounds of Science, just do the following:

  1. Watch the competition video. Your goal is to create background music that best matches this video.
  2. Go to AWS DeepComposer Music Studio and create a melody with the keyboard, import a melody, or choose a sample melody on the console.
  3. Choose the Autoregressive generative AI technique, and then choose the Autoregressive CNN Bach. You have four parameters that you can choose to adjust: Maximum notes to add, Maximum notes to remove, Sampling iterations, and Creative risk.
  4. Choose the appropriate values and then choose Enhance input melody.
  5. Use the Edit melody feature to add or remove notes. You can also change the note duration and pitch.
  6. When finished, choose Apply changes.
  7. Repeat these steps until you’re satisfied with the generated music.

When you’re happy with your composition, you can submit to SoundCloud.

  1. On the navigation panel, choose Chartbusters and choose Submit a composition.
  2. Choose your composition from the drop-down menu, provide a track name for your composition, and choose Submit.

AWS DeepComposer then submits your composition to the Sounds of Science playlist on SoundCloud. You don’t need to submit the video.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully submitted your composition to the AWS DeepComposer Chartbusters challenge The Sounds of Science. Invite your friends and family to listen to your creation on SoundCloud and vote on it!

To learn more about the different generative AI techniques supported by AWS DeepComposer, check out the learning capsules available on the AWS DeepComposer console.

About the Authors

Rahul Suresh is an Engineering Manager with the AWS AI org, where he has been working on AI based products for making machine learning accessible for all developers. Prior to joining AWS, Rahul was a Senior Software Developer at Amazon Devices and helped launch highly successful smart home products. Rahul is passionate about building machine learning systems at scale and is always looking for getting these advanced technologies in the hands of customers. In addition to his professional career, Rahul is an avid reader and a history buff.

 

 

Maryam Rezapoor is a Senior Product Manager with AWS AI Ecosystem team. As a former biomedical researcher and entrepreneur, she finds her passion in working backward from customers’ needs to create new impactful solutions. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, photography, and gardening.