In terms of the influence of AI on music production, the corner which has seen the most marked impact is certainly that of mastering. Often referred to (not least by us) as the darkest of dark arts when compared to writing, arranging and mixing, the skillset required relies on a different part of the brain, not to mention sensitive ears that can pinpoint when to make the type of mastering consideration that can make or break a track.
While there’s been endless debate about AI wading into the creative space, for those who rely on external mastering engineers to make those more big-picture changes, 2023 answered many of their prayers.