YouTube recently unveiled Restyle, an AI-powered tool that lets content creators edit and adapt their videos to different themes, moods, or audience preferences. Restyle is the latest addition to Dream Track, YouTube’s experimental AI features hub.
To restyle music, select the “Restyle a Track” prompt, choose a qualifying song, define how you want to reimagine it—changing its genre or mood, for example—and let the AI create a new 30-second version of the tune. While YouTube hasn’t yet revealed all of the songs or labels that are part of this test, some artists who agreed to be a part of the project include Charlie Puth, Charli XCX, Demi Lovato, and John Legend.
What distinguishes this experiment is the use of AI-generated voices from collaborating artists, which adds a dynamic new dimension to music creation. Creators can incorporate these restyled tracks into their YouTube Shorts, providing correct attribution to the original music and explicit labeling to highlight the use of YouTube AI. YouTube claims that this new AI-powered interpretation captures the core of the original song, including the voices and lyrics, while also providing a fresh perspective consistent with the creator’s intention. For example, an upbeat pop song could be turned into a soulful ballad or a high-energy electronic remix.
“AI is everyone’s job now,” YouTube’s chief business officer Mary Ellen Coe said at a Made on YouTube Conference roundtable in September, adding that AI “permeates everything.”
Because of this sharp focus on the emerging technology, the company is taking care to ensure that its AI tools are as ethical as possible. Many artists have warned against the unethical use of AI in the music industry, with over 200 A-list artists—including Nicki Minaj, Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish, and Beyonce—signing an open letter issued by the Artists Right Alliance advocacy group earlier this year.
The introduction of AI restyling might be YouTube’s attempt to push the limits of creative expression on its app, which leans into the broader industry trend of incorporating AI into the arts. There are now several AI Art Generators for visual artists to explore.
While YouTube has maintained a stance of using AI responsibly, with promises to ensure rights and royalties for artists, it’s left to be seen how this new experiment pans out.