Berklee Opens AI Music Lab To Prepare Students for Changing Industry

Berklee College of Music has launched the Berklee Emerging Artistic Technology Lab (BEATL) to help students explore artificial intelligence (AI) in music production, composition, and collaboration as the industry evolves.

BEATL aims to prepare students for career opportunities in a rapidly changing field where AI influences how music is made and how careers unfold. The program focuses on ethics and values alongside technical skills.

Students like Sean Zielinski say the knowledge and skills he'll gain from BEATL will enhance his career prospects.

"I think for me, a lot of these AI tools, they're not a replacement for anything. It's just sort of a way that it changes my workflow and inspires me to make different decisions," Zielinski explained to NBC10 Boston. "It's more like an experimenting thing, or if I'm sort of struggling with inspiration, maybe I'll use it to sort of generate an idea."

Berklee professor Jonathan Wyner, BEATL's head of artistic technology initiatives, discussed the broader implications of AI in music and the importance of prioritizing ethics.

"When something new comes into our world, as a creative person, if you can sort of be ahead of the curve and figure it out, there's always some interesting opportunities that accrue," Wyner explained to NBC10.

Suno, an AI music startup based in Cambridge, is one example of the future of AI in music. Suno provides tools that emphasize human collaboration in music creation. According to NBC10, the company has 2 million paid subscribers and recently secured licensing agreements with Warner Music Group to use AI-generated music featuring Warner artists' voices, following a 2024 copyright dispute with major labels.

In June, Berklee plans to host an AI Music Summit to address ethical questions and the future of creative work. This summit, held from June 3-5, will feature keynotes, demos, conversations, and live experiences.