Virtual influencers are making their way into the music industry, aiming to become popstars. These digital characters, such as Noonoouri and Lil Miquela, have already achieved Grammy Awards and held holographic concerts. Noonoouri, created by German designer Joerg Zuber, has recently signed a record deal with Warner Music, making her the first avatar artist for the label. While her vocals were partly created using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, Warner Music states that AI played a minor role in her creation. However, concerns over the role of AI in music creation and its potential to duplicate artists’ sound, style, or image are growing.

According to Marec Lerche, head of business development at Warner Music Central Europe, virtual influencers like Noonoouri offer labels more experimentation and flexibility. They can appear in multiple places simultaneously and change their style easily. As a digital character, Noonoouri presents more opportunities than human artists. This pivot to music follows the footsteps of Lil Miquela, who started releasing tracks in 2017 and has gained millions of views on YouTube.

The rise of virtual influencers-turned-popstars may unsettle real-life musicians who are already competing for a larger share of revenues in the streaming-dominated music industry. Dr. Shara Rambarran, a musicologist, believes that the entry of virtual influencers into the music arena may create additional competition for musicians who want to showcase their own music. However, she doesn’t believe that virtual influencers will completely overtake the industry, as there will always be room for everyone.

Noonoouri is not your average artist. She has been created using motion capture and advanced graphics, allowing her to dance, sing, and model virtually. Noonoouri has a substantial following on Instagram, a modeling contract, and a customizable appearance. Joerg Zuber, her creator, describes her as a “lifetime project” and explains that she was initially designed to address and highlight global issues in a lifelike, 3D form. To achieve her unique voice, Zuber’s base vocals were combined with a melodic track from a professional singer, and algorithms were used to correct and match the singer’s voice.

While some artists like Grimes and David Guetta embrace AI technology for music production, others like Sting and Ed Sheeran have criticized its use. Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, CEO of UK Music, believes that AI offers exciting opportunities for artists and producers but emphasizes the importance of understanding the regulatory and legal landscape to ensure that AI enables human creativity rather than erodes it.

In conclusion, virtual influencers entering the music industry as popstars is a growing trend. While concerns exist about the role of AI in music creation, virtual influencers like Noonoouri and Lil Miquela offer labels experimentation and flexibility. However, they may pose additional competition for real-life musicians. Despite this, it is unlikely that virtual influencers will completely dominate the music industry, as there will always be room for both virtual and tangible

Original news source: Can AI popstars make it in the real world? (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Have students read the article and then, in pairs or small groups, create a concise summary of the main points. They should focus on capturing the key information and present their summary to the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into groups and assign each group a virtual influencer mentioned in the article (e.g. Noonoouri, Lil Miquela). Have them discuss and gather opinions on the pros and cons of virtual influencers in the music industry. Then, have each group present their findings to the class.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to sketch their own virtual influencer based on the description in the article. After they finish, have them share their drawings with a partner and explain their design choices.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Select 10-15 vocabulary words from the article and write them on separate pieces of paper. Divide the class into teams and have one student from each team come to the front of the class. Show them a vocabulary word and have them draw it on the board without using any letters or numbers. The first team to correctly guess the word gets a point.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have students discuss and make predictions about the future of virtual influencers in the music industry. They should consider factors such as technological advancements, audience preferences, and the impact on real-life musicians. After their discussion, have each group share their predictions with the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the first avatar artist to sign a record deal with Warner Music?
2. How have Noonoouri’s vocals been created?
3. Why do virtual influencers like Noonoouri offer more opportunities than human artists?
4. Who is another virtual influencer-turned-popstar mentioned in the article?
5. How might the rise of virtual influencers as popstars impact real-life musicians?
6. How has Noonoouri been created to have a customizable appearance?
7. How do some artists feel about the use of AI technology in music production?
8. What does Jamie Njoku-Goodwin emphasize about the use of AI in music?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Virtual influencers are making their way into the (1)______ industry, aiming to become popstars. These digital characters, such as (2)______ and Lil Miquela, have already achieved Grammy Awards and held holographic concerts. Noonoouri, created by German designer Joerg Zuber, has recently signed a record deal with Warner Music, making her the first avatar artist for the label. While her vocals were partly created (3)______ artificial intelligence (AI) tools, Warner Music states that AI played a minor role in her creation. However, concerns over the role of AI in music creation and its potential to duplicate artists’ sound, style, or image are growing.

According to Marec Lerche, head of business development at Warner Music Central Europe, (4)______ influencers like Noonoouri offer labels more experimentation and flexibility. They can appear in multiple places simultaneously and change their (5)______ easily. As a digital character, Noonoouri presents more opportunities than human artists. This pivot to music follows the footsteps of Lil Miquela, who (6)______ releasing tracks in 2017 and has gained (7)______ of views on YouTube.

The rise of virtual influencers-turned-popstars may unsettle real-life musicians who are already competing for a larger share of revenues in the streaming-dominated music (8)______. Dr. Shara Rambarran, a musicologist, believes that the entry of virtual influencers into the music arena may create additional competition for musicians who want to showcase their own music. However, she doesn’t believe that virtual influencers will completely overtake the industry, as there will always be room for everyone.

Noonoouri is not your average artist. She has been created using motion capture and advanced graphics, allowing her to (9)______, sing, and model virtually. Noonoouri has a substantial following on Instagram, a modeling contract, and a customizable appearance. Joerg (10)______, her creator, describes her as a “lifetime project” and explains that she was initially designed to address and highlight (11)______ issues in a lifelike, 3D form. To achieve her unique voice, Zuber’s base vocals were combined with a melodic track from a professional singer, and algorithms were used to correct and match the singer’s voice.

While some (12)______ like Grimes and David Guetta embrace AI technology for music production, others like Sting and Ed Sheeran have criticized its use. Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, CEO of UK Music, believes that AI (13)______ exciting (14)______ for artists and (15)______ but emphasizes the importance of understanding the regulatory and legal landscape to ensure that AI enables human creativity rather than erodes it.

In conclusion, virtual influencers entering the music industry as popstars is a (16)______ trend. While concerns exist about the role of AI in music creation, virtual influencers like Noonoouri and Lil Miquela offer labels experimentation and flexibility. However, they may pose additional competition for real-life musicians. Despite this, it is unlikely that virtual influencers will completely dominate the music industry, as there will always be room for both virtual and tangible
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What do you think about the idea of virtual influencers becoming popstars?
2. How would you feel if a virtual influencer won a Grammy Award?
3. Do you think virtual influencers like Noonoouri and Lil Miquela have an advantage over human artists? Why or why not?
4. What is your opinion on the use of artificial intelligence in music creation?
5. How do you think the rise of virtual influencers in the music industry will impact real-life musicians?
6. Do you like the idea of virtual influencers holding holographic concerts? Why or why not?
7. How would you feel if virtual influencers started taking over the music industry and real-life musicians had less opportunity to showcase their own music?
8. What is your perspective on the role of AI in enabling human creativity in music production?
9. Have you ever listened to music created using AI technology? If so, what did you think of it?
10. How do you think virtual influencers like Noonoouri and Lil Miquela are changing the way music is consumed and experienced?
11. Do you believe that virtual influencers will have a long-lasting impact on the music industry? Why or why not?
12. What are your thoughts on the use of motion capture and advanced graphics to create virtual influencers like Noonoouri?
13. How do you think the presence of virtual influencers in the music industry will affect the revenue and success of real-life musicians?
14. Have you ever followed a virtual influencer on social media? If so, what do you find appealing about them?
15. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of virtual influencers becoming popstars?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Virtual
2. Noonoouri
3. AI
4. Warner Music
5. Musicians
6. Competition
7. Creativity
8. Trend

Meanings:
(a) The act of striving to outdo others in order to achieve a desired outcome
(b) A digital character and virtual influencer
(c) A record label that recently signed Noonoouri
(d) A growing pattern or direction in the music industry
(e) The ability to generate new ideas, concepts, or solutions
(f) Individuals who create and perform music
(g) Artificial intelligence, the use of computer systems to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence
(h) Existing or occurring in a digital or online environment
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who is the first avatar artist signed to Warner Music?
(a) Lil Miquela
(b) Joerg Zuber
(c) Noonoouri
(d) Marec Lerche

2. How were Noonoouri’s vocals created?
(a) By a professional singer
(b) Through motion capture technology
(c) Using artificial intelligence tools
(d) By combining different songs

3. What advantage do virtual influencers like Noonoouri have over human artists?
(a) They have a larger following on Instagram
(b) They can dance, sing, and model virtually
(c) They have a customizable appearance
(d) They can appear in multiple places simultaneously

4. Who started releasing music tracks in 2017 and gained millions of views on YouTube?
(a) Noonoouri
(b) Lil Miquela
(c) Grimes
(d) David Guetta

5. What concern do real-life musicians have about virtual influencers in the music industry?
(a) They may completely overtake the industry
(b) They may create additional competition for showcasing their own music
(c) They may erode human creativity
(d) They may dominate the streaming-dominated music industry

6. How does Joerg Zuber describe Noonoouri?
(a) A “lifetime project”
(b) A virtual superstar
(c) A digital avatar
(d) A modeling contract

7. Which artists embrace AI technology for music production?
(a) Grimes and David Guetta
(b) Sting and Ed Sheeran
(c) Noonoouri and Lil Miquela
(d) Joerg Zuber and Marec Lerche

8. What does Jamie Njoku-Goodwin emphasize about AI in music production?
(a) The need for more virtual influencers in the industry
(b) The potential for AI to erode human creativity
(c) The excitement of AI opportunities for artists and producers
(d) The importance of understanding the regulatory and legal landscape

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Noonoouri has been created using motion capture and advanced graphics, allowing her to dance, sing, and model virtually.
2. Virtual influencers like Noonoouri offer labels less experimentation and flexibility compared to human artists.
3. Some artists embrace AI technology for music production, while others criticize its use, emphasizing the importance of understanding the regulatory and legal landscape.
4. Noonoouri and Lil Miquela are virtual influencers who have achieved Grammy Awards and held holographic concerts.
5. The rise of virtual influencers as popstars may create additional competition for real-life musicians in the streaming-dominated music industry.
6. Noonoouri recently signed a record deal with Sony Music, making her the first avatar artist for the label.
7. Noonoouri’s vocals were primarily created using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, but AI played a major role in her creation, according to Warner Music.
8. Lil Miquela started releasing tracks in 2018 and has gained thousands of views on YouTube.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. How have virtual influencers like Noonoouri and Lil Miquela achieved success in the music industry?
2. What advantages do virtual influencers offer to record labels compared to human artists?
3. How do real-life musicians feel about the rise of virtual influencers in the music industry?
4. How was Noonoouri created and what unique features does she have?
5. What are the concerns and criticisms surrounding the use of AI in music production?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Noonoouri is the first avatar artist to sign a record deal with Warner Music.
2. Noonoouri’s vocals were partly created using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Her creator’s base vocals were combined with a melodic track from a professional singer, and algorithms were used to correct and match the singer’s voice.
3. Virtual influencers like Noonoouri offer labels more experimentation and flexibility. They can appear in multiple places simultaneously and easily change their style.
4. Lil Miquela is another virtual influencer-turned-popstar mentioned in the article.
5. The rise of virtual influencers as popstars may create additional competition for real-life musicians who want to showcase their own music.
6. Noonoouri has been created using motion capture and advanced graphics, allowing her to have a customizable appearance.
7. Some artists like Grimes and David Guetta embrace AI technology for music production, while others like Sting and Ed Sheeran have criticized its use.
8. Jamie Njoku-Goodwin emphasizes the importance of understanding the regulatory and legal landscape to ensure that AI enables human creativity rather than erodes it.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) music
(2) Noonoouri
(3) using
(4) virtual
(5) style
(6) started
(7) millions
(8) industry
(9) dance
(10) Zuber
(11) global
(12) artists
(13) offers
(14) opportunities
(15) producers
(16) growing
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Virtual
Answer: (h) Existing or occurring in a digital or online environment

2. Noonoouri
Answer: (b) A digital character and virtual influencer

3. AI
Answer: (g) Artificial intelligence, the use of computer systems to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence

4. Warner Music
Answer: (c) A record label that recently signed Noonoouri

5. Musicians
Answer: (f) Individuals who create and perform music

6. Competition
Answer: (a) The act of striving to outdo others in order to achieve a desired outcome

7. Creativity
Answer: (e) The ability to generate new ideas, concepts, or solutions

8. Trend
Answer: (d) A growing pattern or direction in the music industry
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who is the first avatar artist signed to Warner Music?
Answer: (c) Noonoouri

2. How were Noonoouri’s vocals created?
Answer: (c) Using artificial intelligence tools

3. What advantage do virtual influencers like Noonoouri have over human artists?
Answer: (d) They can appear in multiple places simultaneously

4. Who started releasing music tracks in 2017 and gained millions of views on YouTube?
Answer: (b) Lil Miquela

5. What concern do real-life musicians have about virtual influencers in the music industry?
Answer: (b) They may create additional competition for showcasing their own music

6. How does Joerg Zuber describe Noonoouri?
Answer: (a) A “lifetime project”

7. Which artists embrace AI technology for music production?
Answer: (a) Grimes and David Guetta

8. What does Jamie Njoku-Goodwin emphasize about AI in music production?
Answer: (d) The importance of understanding the regulatory and legal landscape
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Noonoouri has been created using motion capture and advanced graphics, allowing her to dance, sing, and model virtually. (Answer: True)
2. Virtual influencers like Noonoouri offer labels less experimentation and flexibility compared to human artists. (Answer: False)
3. Some artists embrace AI technology for music production, while others criticize its use, emphasizing the importance of understanding the regulatory and legal landscape. (Answer: True)
4. Noonoouri and Lil Miquela are virtual influencers who have achieved Grammy Awards and held holographic concerts. (Answer: True)
5. The rise of virtual influencers as popstars may create additional competition for real-life musicians in the streaming-dominated music industry. (Answer: True)
6. Noonoouri recently signed a record deal with Sony Music, making her the first avatar artist for the label. (Answer: False)
7. Noonoouri’s vocals were primarily created using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, but AI played a major role in her creation, according to Warner Music. (Answer: False)
8. Lil Miquela started releasing tracks in 2018 and has gained thousands of views on YouTube. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧