LimeWire Is Back To Destroy The Music Industry In A Whole New Way

Remember when LimeWire (along with Napster) turned the entire music industry on its head by introducing free, peer-to-peer music sharing? That same company could be poised to disrupt the music industry status quo yet again with the launch of LimeWire’s new AI music studio.

The new LimeWire website (still featuring the classic logo) allows users to enter the AI Studio to generate images and audio, with a video generator still in development. Visitors can create and edit images by entering prompts, with the audio function working much the same way.

AI-generated content has been at the center of controversy recently. Over the summer, the Writer’s Guild of America went on a 148-day strike to ensure protections that generative content would not put them out of work. Programs like LimeWire, which are trained off of existing music and art, present a new shortcut in the creative process. While many have argued that such technology devalues art created by human beings, others have asserted that it could make music creation possible for people without access to expensive studio gear and instruments.

“I think it actually fits the brand perfectly, to be honest. It’s again a very disruptive approach to the music industry,” COO Marcus Feistl said of the company’s rebrand. “But at the same time, compared to the initial LimeWire, we’re taking a bit more of a cautious and careful approach in things like licensing of the content, where we get the training data.”

Much like popular image generators MidJourney or AI software ChatGPT, LimeWire’s audio creator is a work in progress, with the quality of results often proportional to the specificity of the prompt. There are obvious limitations; it cannot generate an Applebee’s jingle written by Tom Petty (I tried), but it did spit out some generic Mike Campbell-sounding guitar riffs.

The software also allows users to upload an image and will attempt to create audio to match the picture. The company plans to develop the basic generator into a more in-depth creator throughout 2024. Rolling Stone reported LimeWire is working on a text-to-voice generator with plans for a “full-fledged digital audio workstation as well.”

“The music generation bid in AI is super, super early. But I think in a matter of months, this is going to be the same as with the image generation space,” Feistl said. “In a matter of time this will be like knowing a tool like you know Ableton. The idea is really to enable anybody to create a full track. This will improve the level and the access to creativity a lot more for every type of user.”

LimeWire is not the first infamous audio-sharing company to make a comeback. In 2016, Napster re-emerged after licit streaming service Rhapsody bought the name to capitalize on its brand recognition. During their original runs, Napster and LimeWire were both buried in lawsuits from major record companies and the Recording Industry Association of America, rendered bankrupt by massive fines, and ultimately shut down. Despite their demise, the company’s technological advancements redefined the music industry for the 21st century and paved the way for the takeover of streaming services.

Poke around the Limewire AI studio here.