Melomics was founded in 2012 by the University of Malaga. It is a computer system that uses bio-inspired algorithms to make music automatically.

Melomics employs an evolutionary method to music composition, i.e., by simulating evolution, it generates music pieces. Typically based on formal and aesthetic considerations, these themes compete to better adapt to a proper fitness function. Each theme is encoded in a genome by the Melomics system. The entire population of musical compositions undergoes evo-devo dynamics. Once programmed, the system is entirely autonomous and composes music without human involvement.

Computer composers

Iamus is a computer composer who writes classical music in the modern style. It composes in a way that is similar to how people learn the rules of composing music. This process is what makes its strategy unique. Iamus is an evo-devo approach, which uses an evolutionary algorithm and a complex indirect encoding scheme to map genotypes to phenotypes. In essence, Iamus uses artificial genomes to make complex musical structures evolve (resembling multicellular living organisms, which develop from a genome and also grow in time). 

If the music community has good tools for using these apps, they could be very disruptive. Another problem with computational creativity is that the issues aren't always apparent. 

Moreover, Melomics uses a fitness function to determine how musical organisms change over time. Researchers made these functions with the help of professional musicians, and Melomics evaluates music compositions based on different formal and essential aesthetic criteria. This approach lets groups of music pieces evolve toward formally correct forms that could be beautiful. For example, piano chords with six notes that musicians can only play with one hand would hurt the piece because musicians can't play them. Almost a thousand rules have set up the conditions in which correct music is supposed to grow.

Applications

Melomics' empathic music has several therapeutic clinical trials, which have shown that it helps people with a fear of heights, acute stress, and pain. For example, in one of the studies, compared to the standard procedure, children who got a standard Skin Prick Test for allergy testing felt almost two-thirds less pain. Some of these experiments used free mobile apps to adapt music to everyday activities like jogging or commuting, as well as for therapeutic purposes like reducing stress before an exam, chronic pain, insomnia, and helping kids fall asleep.

Conclusion

Hiller and Isaacson programmed it at the end of 1956 to experiment with the formal parts of music composition. Since then, many researchers and artists have come up with interesting results, like David Cope's Emily Howell algorithm or Kemal Ebcioglu's CHORAL expert system. Most ways for computers to compose have been to copy human styles, but Melomics' computer composers don't follow this trend. Instead, they teach the system how to compose music, like a human learner, letting the computers make their styles.

Furthermore, Melomics is a new way to make computers creative. In particular, it focuses on algorithmic composition and aims to automate the process of creating professional music entirely. 

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