On Digital Platforms and AI for Music in the UK and China

Digital technologies play a fundamental role in New Interfaces for Musical Expression as well as music making and consumption more widely. This paper reports on two workshops with music professionals and researchers who undertook an initial exploration of the differences between digital platforms (software and online services) for music in the UK and China. Differences were found in primary target user groups of digital platforms in the UK and China as well as the stages of the culture creation cycle they were developed for. Reasons for the divergence of digital platforms include differences in culture, regulation, and infrastructure, as well as the inherent Western bias of software for music making such as Digital Audio Workstations. Using AI to bridge between Western and Chinese music traditions is suggested as an opportunity to address aspects of the divergent landscape of digital platforms for music inside and outside China.