Autonomous humanoid robots joining the band
Will artists work with droids sooner than we think?
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Let’s dive into today’s topic:
Autonomous humanoid robots joining the band
Robots were just stage prop puppets, but they can soon help with everyday tasks.
Why it matters
Technology has always shaped music. From studio recording to electric guitars to DAWs to AI, every wave changed how artists create and perform. The next wave is already peeking through the blinds: autonomous humanoid robots.
What surprised me when digging into this topic is how close we are to early consumer adoption. Humanoid robots still stumble, and I don’t think we are on the edge of a five-year revolution, but the direction is clear.
Stronger AI models and faster computing accelerate robot learning. Faster learning accelerates progress. It turns remote-controlled robots into autonomous entities that make their own decisions.
Recent announcements like Figure 03, Unitree R1, and the 1X Neo show how fast the field is moving. It’s worth watching their launch videos, and especially the WSJ review explaining Neo’s training process. It gives dystopian Black Mirror meets The Circle vibes.
For me, the music penny dropped when Deadmau5 performed with a Figure 02 last week. I can’t find a decent video of the set, so here’s the aftermovie instead.
The important part isn’t the novelty of a robot on stage. The keyword is autonomy. Earlier robot performances, like Kraftwerk’s, were programmed or controlled puppets. This one makes it’s own decisions. Deadmau5 discussed the setup in a thread on r/DJs.
Artists building sustainable careers benefit from paying attention to distant technologies. Not to predict the future, but to understand the edges of what becomes possible.
How it works
Let’s run a quick thought experiment on how autonomous humanoid robots might influence music and artist careers:
Robots could pressure artists who lean heavily on technical skill as their main brand association. Think of virtuoso guitarists like Joe Bonamassa, DJ technicians like James Hype, or any classical performer. A robot might outperform humans once trained.
However, music thrives on imperfection. Human errors bring emotion to performances. Can robots be trained to fail beautifully? And if so, can we recognise those mistakes as robotic?
Most artists position their brand around culture, story, identity, or scene. Those elements are hard to train. I don’t think robots will replace culture and brands; therefore, I don’t think robots will replace artists.
The opposite direction is interesting. It would be cool to build an artist brand for a robot. Artists could build robot-led creative identities.
Robots could join the creative team as executors. Think of a robot assisting with content production, playing secondary parts on stage, or handling repetitive studio tasks. This reflects how humanoids are currently framed: domestic helpers with general capabilities.
This is not an exhaustive list, and I look forward to reading your ideas in the comments below. The point is to frame robots as creative tools. They’re assets to expand creativity and boost productivity, not a threat lurking in the wings.
Yes, but..
Humanoid robots are expensive. The compute they require is expensive. We’re still in the phase where only large labs, wealthy collectors, and a handful of early adopters can experiment. Affordable creative-use robots sit far beyond the current horizon.
Take action now
Sketch a day in an artist’s life where a humanoid robot is part of the workflow. What tasks shift? What becomes possible? What becomes irrelevant?
Your thoughts
Further reading
What Is a Humanoid Robot? (Nvidia)
Deadmau5 brought out djing robots for his red rocks set (r/DJs on Reddit)
Figure’s Bot Drops the Bass with Deadmau5 (RoboHorizon)
How artists can get recommended more in ChatGPT and Claude (The Fanbase Builder)
How to access the Spotify Web API (The Fanbase Builder)
How to utilise NFC tags as an artist (The Fanbase Builder)
P.S.
You can’t bring up robots in music without a nod to Daft Punk. Consider it done.