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Virtual Singer Uses Crowdsourced Songs To Become a Star In Japan (bloomberg.com)
An anonymous reader quotes Bloomberg. [Alternate version here]:
During her 10-year career, she's released more than 100,000 songs in a variety of languages and opened shows for Lady Gaga. And yet Hatsune Miku, who boasts 2.5 million Facebook followers, doesn't actually exist -- at least not in the typical way we think of a flesh-and-blood diva. Miku is a computer-simulated pop star created more than a decade ago by Hiroyuki Ito, CEO of Crypton Future Media in Sapporo, Japan.
She started life as a piece of voice-synthesis software but since has evolved to become a singing sensation in her own right -- thanks to the creativity of her legions of fans. Crucial to Miku's success is the ability for devotees to purchase the Yamaha-powered Vocaloid software and write their own songs for the star to sing right back at them. Fans then can upload songs to the web and vie for the honor of having her perform them at "live" gigs, in which the computer-animated Miku takes center stage, surrounded by human guitarists, drummers and pianists.
Bloomberg's article includes some video clips of the virtual artist -- as well as her real-world fans.
She started life as a piece of voice-synthesis software but since has evolved to become a singing sensation in her own right -- thanks to the creativity of her legions of fans. Crucial to Miku's success is the ability for devotees to purchase the Yamaha-powered Vocaloid software and write their own songs for the star to sing right back at them. Fans then can upload songs to the web and vie for the honor of having her perform them at "live" gigs, in which the computer-animated Miku takes center stage, surrounded by human guitarists, drummers and pianists.
Bloomberg's article includes some video clips of the virtual artist -- as well as her real-world fans.
Music companies have been manufacturing stars for years, this is really just the next step in the process.
A very very small step, truth be told.
Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
Her vocals are based off samples of an actual person.
Now, consider modern pop stars: who can only sing (not play any instruments), are singing songs written by someone else, and are having their vocals put through filters and auto-tune in production, and live out a personality in public groomed by their marketing agency.
How big is the difference really?
She isn't real.
I've seen videos of Hatsune Miku. I've heard sounds that give the impression that she can sing. You, you're just text on a screen.
"Now, consider modern pop stars: who can only sing (not play any instruments), are singing songs written by someone else, and are having their vocals put through filters and auto-tune in production, and live out a personality in public groomed by their marketing agency." Like say, Bing Crosby and Doris Day?
No, not like Bing Crosby or Doris Day. Stars of yesteryear actually had a recognized talent. A natural ability to sing anyone's songs.
We have mostly entertainers today, who are more valued for their porn star looks and ability to dance around on a stage. Many rely on lip-syncing and Autotune because they cannot actually sing. Society accepts this because they now value entertainment more than natural talent.
The rise of a virtual singer only clarifies just how far we've fallen. Regardless if Hatsune's vocals are based on a "real" person, it's still a manufactured product at best. I don't even call an Autotuned human voice authentic, because it's not.