Need a digital assistant to help you run your music career?

You already have one waiting in the cloud: OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Yes, ChatGPT is just one of the many A.I. tools currently available. But since it’s grabbing all the headlines, I figure you might already be testing it.

So here are five prompts you can give ChatGPT to help out with the many logistical and creative tasks you face as a musician:

1. Write a business plan or grant proposal

If you’re an artist who can access government funding for your next album or tour (I’m looking at you, Canadians!), or you need to create detailed roadmaps for some aspect of your music career, try ChatGPT.

You’ll still have to edit and personalize the plan or application. But since beginning is sometimes the hardest part, ChatGPT can get you off to a great start.

2. Write an artist bio, headline, ad copy, or press release

Need a pithy paragraph or catchphrase?

A.I. might not knock it out of the park on the first try. But since ChatGPT is a “conversational” tool, you can keep adding new prompts and challenges along the way.  Same as the business plan or grant proposal idea, you probably won’t get 100% finished results. But as the context is refined, you’ll get workable text you can edit until it feels right.

3. Go beyond “search” when booking a tour

You’re probably used to booking a tour using Google:

“100-capacity clubs in Chicago”

“Driving distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco”

“Email for the talent buyer at…”

With ChatGPT, you can “search” for an entire tour itinerary that is customized to your needs, along with appropriate venue recommendations, contacts, and more.

All in one sitting.

4. Content creation and audience engagement

Should you have A.I. “make” your social posts for you? No, probably not.

Should you ask ChatGPT to come up with something like “10 ideas for TikTok videos about music production in a bedroom studio using only one microphone?”

Sure, why the hell not? One or two of those concepts might inspire something!

Another thing I’ve done is ask, “Please write 50 one-sentence responses to a person on social media who says I love your song.”

There’s that strange dread when you’re blessed with lots of positive comments on a new video or track. And suddenly the approval you’ve craved feels like a burden. Well, ChatGPT to the rescue! Of the 50 ideas it offered, 15-20 were actually useful or could be instantly altered. Cut-and-paste can be a huge time saver.

Does this dehumanize your connection with fans? I mean, maybe. But be honest: You were already writing the same message or emoji over and over, right? At least now there’s a bit of variety.

5. Collaborate on a song

Okay, here’s where I expect some big objections.

I’M NOT HAVING SKYNET WRITE MY SONGS!

But hear me out for a sec. I’m not saying you have ChatGPT write finished lyrics (which it can, in a matter of seconds).

What I’m saying is: You probably already use Thesaurus.com and Rhymezone; you steal ideas from your favorite artists; you ask peers, mentors, and co-writers for feedback.

How would that differ from saying, “ChatGPT, I’m stuck on a lyric. I need an eight syllable sentence that rhymes with SKYNET, about a human songwriter who can’t think of their own words.”

The same way you’d use a sample pack or choose a preset synth arpeggio, you can borrow inspiration from A.I.

Don’t like the first lyric it spits out? Keep asking it for more options. Eventually one might feel right. And now you’ve curated your way towards a complete song that is still informed by your own sensibilities and needs.

Or get real crazy and set your usual sensibilities aside. You can use ChatGPT to help push you out of your creative comfort zone, having it contribute things you would never have done if you were working alone.

Alright, those are a few ideas for ChatGPT. We didn’t even tackle other A.I. tools for design and music production. But since we’re at the start of this artificial intelligence revolution, we’ll have plenty of time later to cover the subject in more detail.

Or will we?

; )

For a more in-depth look at “Artificial Intelligence,” and the potential benefits and dangers it may pose to the music industry, art, and humanity, check out our full podcast episode about A.I. and music below.