AI and Audio w/ Valerio Velardo (The Sound of AI) | Ep 17

Valerio Velardo, creator of The Sound of AI YouTube channel, joined The Audio Programmer meetup to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence and audio technology. With over 10 years in the field, Velardo has built a thriving community of 3,500+ members and leads innovative open-source research projects that bring together hundreds of contributors to advance AI music technology. His channel focuses on machine learning applications in music and audio, from speech processing to music generation, while maintaining a philosophy of giving back to the community through educational content and collaborative research.

The conversation explored critical topics in AI audio, including the challenges of music genre classification, the subjective nature of musical taste, and the ethical considerations of AI-generated music. Velardo emphasized that machine learning should be viewed as a tool rather than a starting point, recommending that companies begin with simpler solutions before incorporating AI. He shared his vision for AI as an assistive technology that empowers musicians and producers rather than replacing them, highlighting applications in interactive video game music and intelligent audio plugins that streamline workflows while preserving human creativity.

Looking toward the future, Velardo advocates for AI as a creative enabler, particularly in areas like real-time adaptive music for gaming and functional music for commercial applications. He discussed how open-source research and community-driven projects are democratizing access to AI music technology, allowing people at all skill levels to contribute to cutting-edge research. His work demonstrates how AI can expand musical possibilities and compositional spaces while maintaining the irreplaceable human connection that makes music meaningful.

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Originally recorded on Sep 29, 2021