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Microsoft’s Songsmith provides the backup band

logo_songsmith3

Microsoft has a new tool that automatically generates backup music to go with original melodies and lyrics sung into a computer.

Songsmith, which debuted today at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, lets people explore songwriting.  The software first analyzes your vocal melody using existing pitch-tracking technology.  Then an algorithm the researchers built selects musical chords that will go well with the melody.  Songsmith evolved from MySong, a joint research project by Microsoft researchers Dan Morris and Sumit Basu and CSE’s own Ian Simon, who worked with them as an intern in 2007.

Read the full article here.

(TechFlash notes the “cringe-worthy” video and the derisive buzz it has attracted in the YouTube comments in this post. Almost 300,000 views at this 14 January writing! -SMR)

(ars technica offers this detailed review of SongSmith. -SMR)