How Good Is Your Song? AI Music Rating System

We all know that music is art and art is subjective. Whether or not someone loves your song is in the ear of the beholder. However, there has to be a way to judge if your music is worth investing in. Money is not easy to come by in this economy and many artists are naturally broke. So before you throw down with a promotion company, run your song through this list to see if you are picking a winner.

The five levels are Broken (1 star), Generic (2 stars), Basic (3 stars), Top Forty (4 stars) and Roller Coaster (5 stars). Here are the breakdowns.

Broken - Broken songs are literally broken meaning that parts of the song are incomplete whether it be music or lyrics. There are flaws that cause the listener to feel thrown off or jolted from the vibe or message. These songs are just hard to listen to. They are incomplete, fractured melodies or have inconsistent storytelling that makes no sense. 

How can you be sure it's Broken? While listening to the song hold out one fist. Every time something in the song causes you to flinch, pause, get distracted or god forbid yawn, hold up a finger. By the end of the song if you are holding up three or more fingers - it is definitely Broken.

Do Not promote a Broken song. These are not finished. It might still have a chance of being better if you keep working on it. Don't jump the gun by putting it out there too soon. A lot of AI artists get hypnotized by the creation process, fall in love with the song's potential and make this mistake.

Generic - When you ask AI to make you a song and AI does all of the work, you usually end up with a generic track. The lyrics lack any real meaning, the music is too familiar, the story could have been written by anyone because it feels impersonal. These tracks are background music, nothing that will move you, teach you or make you feel anything.

How can you be sure it's Generic? It sounds like something but also nothing at the same time. Literally elevator music. The moment you shut off the sound, you forget the song because it lacks sincerity. These would have been mediocre thirty years ago. They are worthless now.

Do Not promote a Generic song. These are the songs that streaming services are taking down by the thousands. You'll never get an honest following promoting junk music. Dumping this stuff onto streaming services is a cynical way of making a quick buck but it hurts real artists. This is the very definition of AI slop.

Basic - Basic songs are everywhere because they are easy. They are easy to write, usually using small words and familiar phrases. They are easy to understand, simple stories and sentiments. They are easy to listen to, the music does not really stand out but it's not bad music. The difference between Generic and Basic is that you might feel something, think something or hear something that stays with you.

How can you be sure it's Basic? This is the easiest class to identify because you will understand it. The music, lyrics, sentiment and story can be appreciated by virtually anyone. You would call this music decent, relatable, enjoyable and adequate. Good but not great.

Feel free to promote a Basic song especially if it means something to you. Don't expect a passionate following but some people might like it. From my catalog, the first song I wrote was pretty basic and can be used as a good example, it's called "She Used To Say."

Top Forty - For those of you who are too young to remember, the American Top Forty was a billboard chart system for the most popular songs on the radio. It played out each weekend by DJ Casey Kasem. Side note: We really need a weekly Top Forty for AI Music, that show would easily get thousands of listeners.

How can you be sure it's Top Forty? This level of music is complete, competent, fun, smart and toe tapping. These songs stay with people, build audiences and create memories. This category makes up the best of popular music that you see on television shows and in movies. More complicated than Basic but not necessarily mind blowing.

If you have a Top Forty song put your money on it. These will get a following and help you grow an audience. When they say that it only takes one song to make it big, this is the category they mean. From my catalog, the best example is my current top song on Spotify, "Reality Ain't What It Used To Be."

Roller Coaster - These are the monster hits. These songs will move you, make you feel and make you think. These songs tend to be unique, highly expressive, sometimes explosive and often with multiple layers of meaning. Most of us will never write one of these songs. It is the highest bar. These songs are unforgettable and iconic. They change lives, they can change the world.

How can you be sure it's a Roller Coaster? You can't. It will take time for the truth to reveal itself. You can guess that one of your Top Forty hits might become a Roller Coaster but you can never be sure because it's not up to you. It's up to your audience and the events they connect to it.

If you have a song that you think is a Roller Coaster definitely promote it but be careful about your optimism. There have been many examples of epic songs promoted heavily, expected to do well that hugely flopped and wasted tons of money. From my catalog, if I had to guess which one might reach this level it could be my biting single, "Victim On Demand."

We can forever debate which popular songs belong in which categories but that is for another day. In the end this is just a system for you to evaluate your own AI Music to determine what is worth promoting with your hard earned money. I hope it helps. If you want some more advice about how to navigate this new industry I wrote a song about it called, "Might As Well Sway." Enjoy!