AudioCraft was launched by Meta yesterday. It is a open-source framework that generates high-quality, realistic audio and music from simple text-based inputs, revolutionizing the field of generative AI for audio.
Table of Contents
Features of AudioCraft
AudioCraft is a versatile framework comprising three models: MusicGen, AudioGen, and EnCodec. Each model plays a crucial role in generating audio and music from text-based inputs:
- MusicGen: This model is designed for music generation and has been trained on an extensive library of Meta-owned and licensed music. It can create musical compositions from textual descriptions, capturing nuances and stylistic elements that were challenging for traditional approaches using MIDI or piano rolls.
- AudioGen: Built to generate sound effects and environmental sounds, AudioGen utilizes public sound effects training data. With this model, users can effortlessly describe acoustic scenes in text, and the AI will produce realistic audio corresponding to the given description.
- EnCodec: The heart of AudioCraft, EnCodec is a lossy neural audio codec that compresses audio while maintaining high fidelity. It creates a fixed “vocabulary” of discrete audio tokens from raw audio signals, enabling the generation of new sounds and music when converting tokens back to the audio space.
Download AudioCraft
AudioCraft is available for research purposes, you can fork or download it from its Github Repository, It allows Music enthusiasts, researchers, and developers to make music that needed hours of work in seconds. The code and model weights are open-sourced under the MIT license, encouraging collaboration and further advancements in the field.
Why Use AudioCraft?
- Ease of Use: Unlike previous complex and closed-off audio generation methods, AudioCraft offers a simple and natural interface. Users can quickly and intuitively interact with the models, generating high-quality audio with long-term consistency.
- Versatility: AudioCraft empowers users to create music, sound effects, and audio compression in one unified framework. This flexibility encourages innovation, enabling users to build upon existing models and explore new possibilities.
- Advancing the Field: By granting access to these models, AudioCraft supports researchers and practitioners in pushing the boundaries of generative AI for audio. This openness encourages the development of better sound generators, compression algorithms, and music generators.
How to Use AudioCraft
Generating Audio from Text Descriptions:
Using Audiocraft is a straightforward and simple, you can create lifelike soundscapes and sound effects by simply providing a textual description of an acoustic scene. For example:
- Text Prompt: “Epic orchestral soundtrack with soaring strings and powerful brass, building up to a triumphant climax.”
- Text Prompt: “Laid-back jazz ensemble with a smooth saxophone solo, groovy bassline, and relaxing piano chords.”
Generating Music from Text Descriptions:

MusicGen allows you to compose original music by describing the desired style and elements. For instance:
- Text Prompt: “Futuristic electronic dance music with pulsating bass, futuristic soundscapes, and dynamic drops.”
- Text Prompt: “Lively and upbeat Latin dance tune with salsa rhythms, brass section, and infectious percussion.”
Checkout some sample music created using simple prompts on AudioCraft.
How AudioCraft Works
AudioCraft tackles the challenge of audio generation by learning discrete audio tokens from raw audio signals using the EnCodec neural audio codec. This technique significantly reduces complexity by creating a fixed vocabulary of music samples. An autoregressive language model then recursively generates new tokens, enabling the generation of high-quality sound and music.
Responsibility and Transparency
The team behind AudioCraft recognizes the importance of responsibility and transparency in AI development. They have open-sourced their work to foster innovation and eliminate potential bias in generative models. By sharing code and providing model cards, they encourage responsible use and further improvements.
Final Thoughts!
AudioCraft provides simplicity, versatility, and high-quality results when given right prompts, it offers a revolutionary way for musicians, game developers, and businesses to interact with audio and music. The open-source approach ensures accessibility to all, spurring innovation and creative possibilities.