Abhijit Vaghani bats for AI in music, says it saves lot of trouble
Mumbai, July 27
Music composer and producer Abhijit Vaghani, who has been the creative force behind many Bollywood songs in his 27 years of career, has shared his opinion on the music industry increasing affinity for AI in music-making.
The music producer spoke with IANS at his studio in the Andheri West area of Mumbai recently. He shared that AI saves music producers or composers the trouble of explaining to a singer why their voice hasn't been picked.
He told IANS, "Earlier, I remember that there was once when we had called, I wouldn't name the singer, but a really big singer to sing one of the songs. Imagine telling that big singer, whoever had come, the music director sitting there, and he has to have a call with the singer stating the fact that, 'Hey, listen, your voice is not fitting the bill'. I can't even put it on the producer. So in today's day with AI, I can actually judge that by doing it through AI. So, I don't have to answer to anyone. And everyone gets to hear that song".
He further mentioned, "Scratch singing also, the singer has to come to the studio for a session. Although in Hindi language, inclusion of certain words is very difficult so you have to either make peace with it or call the scratch singer".
Earlier, the music composer had shared that he has no favourites when it comes to genres. He said that he can't put a finger on his favourite genre as he likes to keep his playlist diverse, which adds depth to his music making process.
He earlier told IANS, "Actually, in Bollywood, there is no go-to genre. Even if you see my playlist, my playlist is also mixed with everything possible. It also has different unnamed artistes, I don't even know some of their names because I enjoy listening to so many different genres and artistes that I get lost in that discovery of music and artistes".
"So, for me, the go-to genre, I can't say there is any. I have been working in Bollywood for so many years, in every situation, everyone's tempo, scale, everything is different. And to select a certain genre for it, we have to go through a lot of genres", he added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally someone in Bollywood speaking sense about AI! The way he explains using AI to avoid hurting singers' feelings is so practical. But I hope composers don't lose the human element completely. Harmonium and tabla ka magic toh AI nahi de sakta na? 🎵
Honestly, I'm skeptical. AI in music sounds like a shortcut for lazy producers. Vaghani sahab is a legend, but using AI to avoid telling a singer their voice doesn't fit? That's just passing the buck. Real music needs human emotion and feedback. Ghatiya quality ka raasta hai yeh. 😒
As a trained classical singer, I'm worried. AI can analyze pitch and tempo, but can it understand the soul of a Raag? Vaghani ji makes a valid point about practical problems in the industry, but let's not forget that music is about connecting hearts, not just algorithms. Still, I appreciate his honesty. 🎶✨
Excellent point about scratch singers! As someone who's done scratch vocals for years, I've seen how awkward it gets when lead singers don't fit. AI as a tool is fine, but please don't replace real artists. Vaghani bhai's experience speaks volumes though. Portfolio diverse rakho, genre mat fix karo. 👏
I think people are overreacting. AI is just another tool in the composer's kit, like autotune or synthesizers. Vaghani ji has 27 years of experience—he knows when to use tech and when to rely on human skill. Really liked his point about
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.