Melomics

Melomics applies an evolutionary approach to music composition, i.e., music pieces are obtained by simulated evolution. These themes compete to better adapt to a proper fitness function, generally grounded on formal and aesthetic criteria. The Melomics system encodes each theme in a genome, and the entire population of music pieces undergoes evo-devo dynamics (i.e., pieces read-out mimicking a complex embryological development process).{{cite journal|last1= Sánchez|first1= C|last2= Moreno|first2= F|last3= Albarracin|first3= D|last4= Fernandez|first4= JD|last5= Vico|first5= FJ|date= 2013|title= Melomics: A Case-Study of AI in Spain|url= http://geb.uma.es/images/papers/AIMAGAZINE.pdf|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210424221443/http://www.geb.uma.es/images/papers/AIMAGAZINE.pdf|url-status= dead|archive-date= April 24, 2021|journal= AI Magazine|volume= 34|issue= 3|pages= 99–103|doi= 10.1609/aimag.v34i3.2464}}{{cite journal|last=Stieler|first=Wolfgang|title=Die Mozart-Maschine|journal=Technology Review (Germany)|year=2012|volume=December|pages=26–35| url =http://www.heise.de/tr/artikel/Die-Mozart-Maschine-1750720.html}}{{cite journal | last=Ball|first=Philip| title= Algorithmic Rapture| journal= Nature| volume= 188|issue=7412| year =2012| pages= 456| doi = 10.1038/488458a| doi-access= free}}{{cite journal|last1= Fernandez|first1= JD|last2= Vico|first2= FJ|date= 2013|title= AI Methods in Algorithmic Composition: A Comprehensive Survey|url= http://www.jair.org/media/3908/live-3908-7454-jair.pdf|journal= Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research|volume= 48|pages= 513–582|doi= 10.1613/jair.3908|s2cid= 8822245|access-date= 2014-08-23|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161117213115/http://www.jair.org/media/3908/live-3908-7454-jair.pdf|archive-date= 2016-11-17|url-status= dead}} The system is fully autonomous: once programmed, it composes music without human intervention.

This technology has been transferred to industry as an academic spin-off, Melomics Media, which has provided and reprogrammed a new computer cluster that created a huge collection of popular music. The results of this evolutionary computation are being stored in Melomics' site,{{cite web|title=Melomics.com|url=http://Melomics.com|accessdate=6 December 2011}} which nowadays constitutes a vast repository of music content. A differentiating feature is that pieces are available in three types of formats: playable (MP3), editable (MIDI and MusicXML) and readable (score in PDF).

The Melomics computational system includes two computer clusters: Melomics109 and Iamus, dedicated to popular and artistic music, respectively.{{cite news | title= Artificial music: The computers that create melodies|publisher= BBC Future|last= Ball |first= Philip| publication-date =8 August 2014| url =http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140808-music-like-never-heard-before/}}

File:Melomics109.jpg

Melomics109 is cluster programmed and integrated in the Melomics system.{{cite news | last=Lenhart|first=Christian| title= Die Mozart-Maschine| work= taz.de| date =13 January 2013| url =http://www.taz.de/Computer-komponiert-klassische-Musik/!108691/}} Its first product is a vast repository of popular music compositions (roughly 1 billion), covering all essential styles. In addition to MP3, all songs are available in editable formats (MIDI); and music is licensed under CC0, meaning that it is freely downloadable.{{cite news | last=Bosker|first=Bianca| title= Life As Francisco Vico, Creator Of The Incredible Computer-Composer Iamus| work= The Huffington Post| date =13 January 2013| url =http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/13/francisco-vico-iamus-melomics_n_2457374.html}}

0music is the first album published by Melomics109, which is available in MP3 and MIDI formats, under CC0 license.

It has been argued that, by making such amount of editable, original and royalty-free music accessible to people, Melomics may accelerate the process of commoditization of music, and change the way music is composed and consumed in the future.{{cite news | last=Smith|first=Sylvia| title= Iamus: Is this the 21st century's answer to Mozart?| work= BBC News Technology| date =3 January 2013| url =https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20889644}}{{cite news | last=Peckham|first=Matt| title= Finally, a computer that writes contemporary music without human help| work= Time Magazine| date =4 January 2013| url =https://techland.time.com/2013/01/04/finally-a-computer-that-writes-contemporary-music-without-human-help/}}

In the first stages of the development of the Melomics system, Iamus composed Opus one (on October 15, 2010), arguably the first fragment of professional contemporary classical music ever composed by a computer in its own style, rather than attempting to emulate the style of existing composers. The first full composition (also in contemporary classic style), Hello World!, premiered exactly one year after the creation of Opus one, on October 15, 2011. Four later works premiered on July 2, 2012, and were broadcast live{{cite news|last=Ball|first=Philip|title=Iamus, classical music's computer composer, live from Malaga|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jul/01/iamus-computer-composes-classical-music|accessdate=2 July 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=1 July 2012}} from the School of Computer Science at Universidad de Málaga{{cite web|author=School of Computer Science (University of Malaga - Spain) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygMRtXxqEBw |title=Can machines be creative? (live from Malaga) |publisher=YouTube |date=2012-07-02 |accessdate=2012-10-05}} as part of the events included in the Alan Turing year. The compositions performed at this event were before recorded at Real Conservatorio María Cristina, Málaga (Spain), March 2 to 3, 2012, and Angel Studios, London (UK) at April 14, 2012, by the London Symphony Orchestra, creating Iamus' eponymous first album, which New Scientist reported as the "first complete album to be composed solely by a computer and recorded by human musicians."{{cite journal | title=Computer composer honours Turing's centenary|journal=New Scientist|date=5 July 2012|url =https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21528724.300-computer-composer-honours-turings-centenary.html}}

Commenting on the quality and authenticity of the music, Stephen Smoliar, critic of classical music at The San Francisco Examiner, commented "What is primary is the act of making the music itself engaged by the performers and how the listener responds to what those performers do... what is most interesting about the documents generated by Iamus is their capacity to challenge the creative talents of performing musicians".{{cite news|last=Smoliar|first=Stephen|title=Thoughts about Iamus and the composition of music by computer|newspaper=The Examiner|date=4 January 2013|url=http://geb.uma.es/otros-recuros/examiner|access-date=12 June 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140613160748/http://geb.uma.es/otros-recuros/examiner|archive-date=13 June 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} Accessed: 10 January 2013.

Melomics' empathic music has been tested in a number of therapeutic clinical trials,{{cite conference |last1= Caparros-Gonzalez |first1= R |last2= Torre-Luque |first2= A |last3= Buela-Casal |first3= G |last4= Vico |first4= F |title= MELOMICS relaxing music for premature infants: preliminary results testing its effects on physiological parameters|chapter=10th International Conference on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology |date=20{{ndash}}22 July 2015 |location=University of Roehampton (London)}}{{cite conference |last1= Torre-Luque |first1= A |last2= Caparros-Gonzalez |first2= R |last3= Bastard |first3= T |last4= Buela-Casal |first4= G |last5= Vico |first5= F |title= Effects of relaxing music listening after the exposure to acute stress within laboratory settings|chapter=7th International Congress of Clinical Psychology |date=14{{ndash}}16 November 2014 |location=Seville |chapter-url=http://www.ugr.es/~aepc/WEBCLINICA/ENGLISH/}}{{cite conference |last1= Seinfeld |first1= S |last2= Slater |first2= M |last3= Vico |first3= F |last4= Sanchez-Vives |first4= M |title= The influence of relaxing music on anxiety induced by fear of heights in an immersive virtual reality experience|chapter=120th APA Convention |date=1{{ndash}}5 August 2014 |location=Seville |chapter-url=http://listserv.tcu.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A3=ind1204&L=ALB-ISCP&E=base64&P=443157&B=--20cf302d4dd42a2ad004bd846282&T=application%2Fpdf;%20name=%22APA%20Conv%20Div%203%206%202012.pdf%22&N=APA%20Conv%20Div%203%206%202012.pdf&attachment=q}}{{cite journal |last1= Requena |first1= G |last2= Sanchez |first2= C |last3= Corzo-Higueras |first3= JL |last4= Reyes-Alvarado |first4= S |last5= Rivas-Ruiz |first5= F |last6= Vico |first6= F |last7= Raglio |first7= A|date= 2014| title= Melomics music medicine (M³) to lessen pain perception during pediatric prick test procedure|journal= Pediatric Allergy and Immunology|volume= 25 |issue= 7 |pages= 721–724 |doi= 10.1111/pai.12263|pmid= 25115240 |s2cid= 43273958 }} evidencing positive effects in reducing fear of heights, acute stress and pain perception. One of the studies resulted in a reduction of almost two thirds of pain perception in children undergoing a standard Skin Prick Test during allergy testing, as compared to the standard procedure. Some of these experiments made use of free mobile apps to adapt music to daily activity,{{cite web |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Melomics&hl=en |title=Melomics apps |publisher=Google Play |accessdate=21 June 2015}} such as jogging,{{cite web |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.melomics.sport_free&hl=en |title=Sports free |publisher=Google Play |accessdate=21 June 2015}} or commuting,{{cite web |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.melomics.car_free&hl=en |title=Commuting free |publisher=Google Play |accessdate=21 June 2015}} but also for therapeutic use, such as lessening stress before an exam,{{cite web |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.melomics.school_free&hl=en |title=School free |publisher=Google Play |accessdate=21 June 2015}} reducing chronic pain,{{cite web |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.melomics.pain_free&hl=en |title=Chronic Pain |publisher=Google Play |accessdate=21 June 2015}} insomnia,{{cite web |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.melomics.sleep_free&hl=en |title=Fall asleep for adults |publisher=Google Play |accessdate=21 June 2015}} and to help children go to sleep.{{cite web |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.melomics.sleep_kids_free&hl=en |title=Fall asleep for kids |publisher=Google Play |accessdate=21 June 2015}}

Ongoing efforts to allow Melomics to adapt music in real-time to changes in the physiological state of the listener, and to music branding were also reported.{{cite web |url=http://geb.uma.es/melomics-music-applications/ |title=Music applications |publisher=Universidad de Malaga |accessdate=26 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213031/http://geb.uma.es/melomics-music-applications/ |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}(archived at )

{{Commons|Melomics logos and screenshots}}

{{reflist|33em}}

• [http://melomics.uma.es/ Melomics Homepage]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140808054022/http://geb.uma.es/melomics Melomics page at University of Malaga (Spain)]

Category:Biotechnology

Category:Music technology

Category:Evolutionary algorithms software

Category:Spanish Supercomputing Network