The AI feature is said to allow creators to remix licensed songs for Shorts. Credit: Yasu31/Shutterstock.

YouTube is trialling a new feature that could enable creators to use AI to “restyle” licensed songs for their Shorts.

This addition to the Dream Track toolset could allow creators to remix tracks by describing desired style changes such as mood or genre, generating a reworked 30-second soundtrack.

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Currently, a select group of creators have access to the ‘Restyle a track’ option, where they can describe how they want to remix a song. The AI-powered feature will then produce a 30-second snippet for use in Shorts.

According to a YouTube update: “If you want to give a song a different genre or mood, you simply enter your vision into the ‘Restyle a track’ prompt and you will soon have a customised soundtrack that reimagines the music while maintaining the essence of the original song’s vocals and lyrics.”

This experiment is said to include AI-generated voices of participating artists, namely Charlie Puth, Charli XCX, Demi Lovato and John Legend.

The specific songs available for restyling and the music labels YouTube is partnering with remain undisclosed, the news publication added.

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However, in August, YouTube and Universal Music Group announced a joint AI Music Incubator group alongside a set of AI principles the companies have collaborated on. 

Google stated that remixed snippets will credit the original song through the Short video and the Shorts audio pivot page, with appropriate labels indicating AI modification.

Launched last November, YouTube’s Dream Track toolset is powered by the Lyria music generation model developed by Deepmind.

The platform also introduced a tool allowing users to create tracks by humming a tune.

To address potential concerns from the music industry, YouTube announced plans to compensate artists and rights holders for using their work in AI features, partnering with Universal Music Group to develop a payment structure.

YouTube is not alone in exploring music remixing options, with former JioSaavn executive Gaurav Sharma said to be developing an app called Hook, enabling users to remix songs for short video creation.