I was reading on threads about somebody using their lyrics with AI to create music. I am not about to get in to the debate about AI music, rather what I am curious about is why if your were a lyricist you would not team up with a composer to work with?
When I first started recording I belonged to a couple of songwriting organisations and one function of them was to connect lyric writes with composers and arrangers’ and so forth. I might get a lyric in written form or perhaps a cassette with the words spoken or occasionally something which sound like demonic howling at midnight distantly across the Yorkshire Moors (please note other moors and desolate regions are available, see terms an conditions 😉). Often these collaborative efforts came to naught, but some time’s the cross fertilisation of human interaction allowed a seed to blossom that might be nurtured into a full blown healthy song, able to grow tall in the wind and the rain and withstand the bleaching searing rays of the sun. Anyways whatever.
Of course this was very far from instant gratification. You open the post and there was a lyric sheet or two or three in there. Sometimes scrawled, sometimes neat cursive or typed on one of those new fangled word processors. Then you had a think, then eventually you found something you liked and fooled around on the guitar or the piano and scribble down an accompaniment and made some sort of demo. Then you posted it to them, and maybe they liked it or not and then….
Some made on to Cds and Mp3s. a lot of people used to sell cds via mail order that were in fanzines and magazines and you would make you own artwork and print your own labels. Some indie record shops and outlets would sell the for you too if you were lucky. A very different world. It all took months. No algorithms to chase then of course.

Another thought:

I have been using the net since about 1995 I think. In those days you needed to have some idea of what you were doing…. Built my first website around 1997. Watching people repost rubbish was always a thing of course as the first forums and early social networks came into being. But what I find funny and tragic is the number of people that think they can control what happens to anything (Videos, photos, music or written content) in someway. When you post something on a website basically you set it free as it can be copied edited or passed of as somebody’s else’s work. That’s a risk particularly with photos and music. But I still see people posting stuff that looks like its written by a 5 year old using what they might think was legalise saying they dont give permission for their image/work to be used. Well actually you did when you posted it. look at the T&Cs you signed up with at your social media accounts. But notwithstanding anything you make public on the net can be copied, redistributed or altered. If that bothers you don’t use social media just create your own personal website or blog but even if you do that I wish you the best of luck in trying to control what happens to your content if you actually want it seen by others.

I met someone I hope will become a new friend recently and was surprised at how much we did have in common after we talked. That was pleasantly uplifting though I did up get a bit over caffeinated.