The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has never been one to shy away from sharing his opinions, and his latest comments on modern music technology are no exception. While he recently embraced artificial intelligence to create a multilingual ad for his legendary band, his stance on other forms of tech in the music world is far less favorable.
In a recent interview with Goldmine Magazine (via Music Tech), Corgan aired his concerns about the impact of digital audio workstations, particularly Pro Tools, on the industry:
“In many ways, Pro Tools has made music much worse. It brought a lot of people into the music business that really have no business being in the music business,” Corgan says. “…Pro Tools, as a sort of way of making music, on some level, has leveled the playing field that allowed people who can’t sing to sound like they can sing. And people who can’t play guitar now sound like they can.”
His critique didn’t stop there. As he delved deeper into the topic, Corgan connected the issues with Pro Tools to broader technological trends, especially the rise of AI in music production:
“OK, so whenever a new technology shows up, people are right to raise the alarm,” Corgan said. “We can already see people using AI to generate lyrics, melodies, and chord changes. Streaming services are already buying companies to make AI-generated music, so they don’t have to pay human beings. They can just take the money themselves.”
Corgan’s viewpoint highlights a growing concern among musicians about the diminishing role of human creativity in an industry increasingly shaped by tech. However, he reassures fans that The Smashing Pumpkins are still rooted in a traditional, hands-on approach to their music-making: “Not to get too technical, but we still use amps. There’s no amp modeling; it’s all raw power. It’s guitars and amps into cabinets and mics. We still believe in moving air, whereas a lot of rock records are made in the box,” he notes.
