2023 Vocal Synth Predictions

[lIlI]

It's that time of year again: after a relatively quiet period where things seemed to be slowing down, 2022 has been a positive renaissance for vocal synths, with enough releases to rival V3's heyday. This was heralded by AI making high quality voices more and more accessible, from Dreamtonics' commercial releases to Diff-SVC reaching open source creators. This has been the first year of maximum activity from every major engine, with Synth V, CeVIO, VOCALOID, and ACE regularly releasing new products.

At the beginning of the year we also held a poll to see where people thought VOCALOID's future lay, and it turns out VOCALOID6 surprised a lot of us, with only 17% expecting its release, and 44% predicting no more engine updates!

Last year's thread: did any of your predictions come true?

In which I am bamboozled

2022 predictions:

• Not one, but TWO new male vocals are released for Synth V! That's right, I want to get more predictions wrong next year. Screw you, future me.

LOL, not one, not two, but six male vocalists were released for Synth V. I'm sorry for doubting you, Kanru Hua. This isn't even counting two more that have been announced, who could be released before the new year.

• A Vocaloid literally no one expects makes the jump to AI on Synth V or CeVIO. Not Gumi (sorry y'all).

No new Vocaloid migrations were announced, but I'm giving myself half a point for 'Not Gumi'.

• Maghni AI succeeds its crowdfund. The goal isn't too high, as Vocatone and Misbah Studios are able to raise some of the funds themselves.

Maghni AI hasn't given us a monthly update since summer, I was going to predict 'Maghni AI update on their one year anniversary', then I looked it up and realised it had been two years. To cope with this revelation I've decided to go on Prediction Strike until we get a demo.

• Sonika and Oliver are announced for Maghni AI.

ibid.

• Yan He and Ling are finally, finally, finally released for VOCALOID5. Yamaha immediately stops supporting the software, as is their prerogative.

YAS I KNEW IT. We all knew it. It couldn't have happened any other way. Wait...they still haven't been shipped yet. (Everyone give it up for 5 years)

• A voicebank is revealed that has a design I really like (SSR event).

Several fairly swag mascots were released this year, special shout out to Chis-A.

• The gods look favourably upon the land and a powerful alto is released for Synth V. Like Prometheus breaking from his chains, at last I am free.

Somehow, despite releasing a thousand voices that circle around this concept, none have quite hit what I was looking for. Next year...

My definitely accurate 2023 predictions:

• Synth V releases a powerful alto I really like. But for real this time.
• Yanhe and Tianyi V5 are lost at sea and don't turn up until at least Q3.
• Dreamtonics' first party releases slow down, but VOCALOID6 releases ramp up, resulting in a year that's equally busy.
• SOLARIA starts being spotted in the wild more often, normal producers are baffled by the SynthV stans, but appreciate the engagement.
• A new weirdo US tech startup tries to release AI voices, but their marketing undercuts the spirit of the vocal synth fandom by being transparently profit focused and anti-art. A bunch of obnoxious thinkpieces about a 'new age of music' are published, in which journalists react to vocal synths as though it's a brand new concept for the 5th time this decade. Someone manages to use the word 'metaverse', somehow. This results in backlash from real singers, and vocal synths become the subject of fear and controversy for a few months. Then CeVIO or AHSoft release a new anime character and everyone gets back to business.

What are your vocal synth predictions for 2023?

 

[PearlStarLight5]

Predictions:
-Takahashi AI Talk will sell well and they'll announce Takahashi AI Song in response
-Either we get Fee Song or the U-Stella guy kicks the bucket
-The new Audiologie vocal is either welcomed with enthusiasm or gets stuck in Asterian's shadow the way Anri got stuck in Solaria's
-More V6 releases
-Internet announces Gackpo AI, Una AI, or both
-Finally at least a demo for Rosa's SynthV
-Still no news on Piapro NT

Stuff that would be cool:
-Virvox SynthVs announced
-Yokune Ruko comes back in some form (Voicevox?)

 

[Vector]

I'm going to be maybe a little optimistic and unrealistic, but I think it would be for the best...

* Crypton abandons NT and announces Miku for VOCALOID 6, as most of their products are still on VOCALOID 4 with no change in sight.

* Hololive will be involved in some sort of outright collaboration with Crypton characters, as an extension of their technological involvement with Hololive's events.

* Gackpo AI will be released, leading to many updated covers of Dancing Samurai.

* There will be a "Gumi Renaissance" as more people get their hands on VOCALOID 6 and start releasing music.

 

[Blue Of Mind]

I normally don't attempt to make predictions on these threads because I'm terrible at guessing the future (a great case in point, the sudden appearance of V6), but I'm gonna throw in my wild card - with the rise in mainstream awareness and popularity of vocal synths in the West, eventually a VB based on a famous Western singer will be announced. Think of Miriam but with waaay more hype based on the name. Considering how popular SynthV is becoming among musicians who aren't vocal synth fans, I expect this famous Western bank to be on that engine.

Also, with the appearance of a rock VB for SynthV, I think it's only a matter of time before a proper metal VB appears on a engine. (Perhaps it could be related to the famous Western VB prediction?)

Yet again, I will continue to pine for other languages on synths that aren't English, Japanese or Chinese. I'm still wishing on multiple stars for German support, dammit.

 

[Vector]

@Blue Of Mind What if you combined all three predictions into one event and we got a Hansi Kürsch voice bank? :D

 

[sapplerx]

All V6 announced vocals will get a final release date of some sorts
Dreamtonics will release a new vocal or two every month, with one Gold vocal in each half
New genres like gospel or reggae might appear
Teto gets her own concert (or maybe other UTAUs too)

And I thought Yamaha would not release V6 but I was wrong.

 

[MillyAqualine]

Wow oki so let's go (however I may update because right now I'm sleepy so I may not be in the best moment to make wild guesses haha)


Well so :

- Lily AI is announced and maybe has a companion (Luna ? Mosh ? )
- SeeU will have a surprising new
- Maybe UNI appends and english will finally come up but not on the vocaloid engine ?
- NT finally reaches a new step
- As Pearl said, Takahashi will likely receive both a Song and Talk treatment as people will be happy to see the trio reunite (and Tsudumi getting more and more popular than ever)
- Sure we now have more guys on synthv and cevio, but still feeling a guy cevio other than Takahashi and Kirune may pop up out of the blue
- There will be an unexpected "duet" between a 'loid and a famous singer ? (not sure though if it's going to be a Japanese, American, or even European singer)
- A third vocal, maybe either neutral or cartoony would likely pop up after Solaria and Asterian, perhaps called Cometa ?
- Miku will finally get a Talk bank or something as exciting she never had had so far
- A new famous VP will join the Internet co ship
- Also like Pearl wished, I do expect maybe some news from Ruko ?
- An old synth character will come back (would it be a popular one that got abandoned or one that needs to get their dirty name cleared once for good ? After all there was the vivi thing so)
- Ameya shows up some sign towards the update (or shows an incfredible stuff we sadly won't get access to at least for half of the year ? )
- galaco gets a shout out from Kou ?
- Why would there be a Winx Club voicer voicing a synth regardless of software ? That's strange



And finally wishing French is finally supported so not only utau can see French banks flourishing (gthen again at least we have utau, ti's better than nothing, without mentioning the attempt to make enunu/nnsvs and diff-svc)

 

[aru ii]

Predictions predictions

- Takahashi song is at least announced
- A new character from eclipsed sounds will be announced by the end of the year
- new bandori vocals will come
- kafu becoming more and more popular as always
-at least 2 internet's previous vocaloids will go onto v6
- seeu will be restocked and be out of stock for at least 2 times, but she along with uni will not have new vb releases
- all the vsingers will be announced, and tianyi, yanhe, ling and longya will release for ace. or at least will have a released beta
- zundamon and maybe metan will receive cevio ai vbs
- ustella wont die but will definitely be very silent
- volor will have at least one more major controversy and lots of small ones
- dreamtonics will not chill down with it's releases, and by the end of 2023 there will be at least 30 letter banks in total, OR they start having avatars.
- new tokyo6 character will release and she will be "autumn" themed.
- medium5 maybe will release at least 2 ai vbs?
- kafu english
- some unreleased vocaloid (most likely a western or a chinese) will leak
- cevio/voisona will release it's first chinee voices
- yuyao will not do too well
- there will be some new synth that becomes popular, or an already existing synth will improve in quality and accessibility and so will grow in popularity
- ace will loose popularity
- akari cevio ai?
- no major news from mighani
- miku eather goes onto v6/cevio, or announces miku solid and sweet for nt
- and last but not least LORRA PLEASE RELEASE FOR ANY SYNTH PLEASE

 

[pico]

Some predictions for the first time! Happy early new year. Here's to a lot more fun. I enjoyed thinking about this more than I expected.

• wat announces officially that no further updates to Piapro Studio and Hatsune Miku NT will be made (aside from bug fixes) for the foreseeable future until development refocuses. Despite this, SEGA/Colorful Pallette continues to use the unreleased NT VBs for covers.
  • My Ideal Scenario: Hatsune Miku V6 is announced. It includes an append or two not included in V4.
  • Realistic Prediction: Hatsune Miku voicebank updates remain quiet during 2023.
  • Weird Alternate Future: Crypton makes some kind of second "NT" or derivative character based on Hatsune Miku and sounds like Hatsune Miku, but is not Hatsune Miku. It is released on V6 with an AI voicebank. Crypton does this because they want to be able to separate their "AI experiment" from the Hatsune Miku character in case things go wrong. This is met with a feeling of confusion and hilarity from fans. It is received surprisingly well and the V7 release, or late V6 release involves Hatsune Miku AI.
• dwango and Techno-Speech collaborate and integrate it into bokakore. It's some kind of ranking challenge tied into the (eR) branding and involves incorporating the formerly separated utattemita category. The #1 ranked video spawns a CeVIO AI VB.
  • My Ideal Scenario: The voice provider is Kenzaki Mesuo. They name it Mesuroid. The VB quality isn't good, but the momentum behind it is so big and the circumstances are so painfully funny that everyone accepts it. The first masculine vocal is added to CeVIO AI as a result.
  • Realistic Prediction: There is none. If this were to happen, there is no "normal" outcome" I think LOL
  • Weird Alternate Future: The voice provider is cowshi and the VB has a nonhuman avatar. The character's description is that he wants to conquer Ado's reign as Lord Of Utattemita.
• SynthesizerV feature updates slow down, but letter-based VBs keep getting released.
  • My Ideal Scenario: Cross-language synthesis is tested in BETA or released for French.
  • Realistic Prediction: Something is cooking behind the scenes but we don't find out what for at least the majority of the year. The letters effectively stay the same, with gold vocals being limited to Chinese-native voice banks.
  • Weird Alternate Future: The logo is changed and everyone complains about it on Twitter.

Short predictions:

• Audiologie's new VB wears clothes that evoke the eboy/egirl style from TikTok that was popular in the US shortly before COVID. (or incorporates elements of jirai kei)
• We get one massive scene hit, even bigger than Phony or Goodbye Sengen, that is propelled somewhat into the general sphere outside of TikTok and video sharing sites thanks to Billboard Japan's Vocaloid rankings board.
• Kirune's massive meme potential disappears after everyone's trials run out. Then, suddenly, and with no warning, a hit song with him tops the rankings and he spikes in popularity, mainly as a meme character. In the end, everyone is just sad that there's a subscription model but nothing changes for VoiSona.
• Giga is hired to make a demo song for HARU and q*left does the lyrics.
• KAMITSUBAKI organizes a live concert for their CeVIO VBs.
• VOICEVOX's commercial version is released.
• A lot of fresh faces and beginners come to the VOCALOID engine. A lot of music is made. A lot of it is GUMI. Everyone is happy!
• The nana contest VOCALOID 6 AI VB is a smash hit.

 

[mary34]

My Objectively Correct Predictions That Will Definietly All Come True as Apollo himself bestowed the gift of prophecy on me(jk):

The (mostly) realistic ones:

- Azumi Ririse, Azumi Suo, Tohoku Zunko and Frimomen get singing banks (possibly for SynthV?) at some point
- More MEDIUM 5 AI banks
- More Bandori Cevio AI banks
- New vocal synth programs by indie developers drop
- Assuming Xia Yu Yao AI does well we might get more VOICEMITH characters transitioning to SynthV
- AI banks in languages other thatn English, Japanese or Chinese
- Gakupo and Una on Vocaloid 6
- Ace Studio's popularity will skyrocket in the western fandom when english language singing/UI implemented but tanks immediately as soon as they implement whatever subscription model they had in mind for the program.
- Singing banks for the VirVox bois (Probably not SynthV tho)

The "this may be wishfull thinking but I kinda want it" tier:

- Haruno Sora for SnyhtV and/or Voicepeak
- Crypton will finally realize NT was a mistake and gives us Crypton 6 on Vocaloid 6 or another engine
- New mainline Diva game that isn't an arcade port
- More accesible way for overseas users to access MEDIUM 5 vocals that isn't anicute, for example the Dreamtonics store or maybe some other alternative
- Cevio AI implements actual honest to god cross language synthesis of some kind
- UTAU's I like get ENUNU banks from their managers
- We might finally get an official NEUTRINO GUI

The silly ones:

- We finally get that cowboy SynthV voiced by PM Seymour that one guy on twitter really wants
- Dreamtonics finally gives mascots to their first party banks, but they are all in the form of funny stock photos they bought in a discounted bundle from Shutterstock like the thumbnail for their metal vb's teaser
- Doraemon on Cevio AI
- We finally get Miku AI but it's an ENUNU voicebank
- EmVoice gets an actual redemption arc and becomes a beloved synth in the community

 

[MagicalMiku]

some predictions:

- 2023 is Miku 16th Anniversary, I think Crypton will announce a new version of Miku NT during Magical Mirai in Osaka (august) or in Tokyo (september). Usually in Tokyo they hold a talk session with key figures of Crypton
- Crypton might announce something also before, during Snow Miku 2023 talk session in february
- the new version of Miku NT will include some features seen on Vocaloid 6, thanks to collaboration with Yamaha (I remember that when Wataru Sasaki of Crypton announced Miku NT, he said that they will continue to make collaboration with Yamaha)
- on the same way, there will be an updated version of Miku Vocaloid keyboard and Sekai piano
- some teaser for Rin, Len and Luka NT

 

[Luxie]

I feel as if Crypton will abandon NT. Either that or there will be a “Kagamines NT and Luka NT are coming soon” with zero release date.
More V6/MEIKO and KAITO voicebanks are my biggest hopes.

 

[Blue Of Mind]

I like how so many people here are predicting the fall of Piapro NT based on how little to no news we've received on it this year. Saying that, I can kinda see Crypton doing a u-turn and dropping a surprise announcement of a Miku V6 with AI and cross-language support. That would bring NT back to how the previous versions of Piapro worked (being compatible with Vocaloid. But imagine Piapro Studio with AI support...)

 

[PearlStarLight5]

I'm taking a wild guess saying that NT is a flop in Europe and the Americas, but how is it doing in Japan? Either way its development being inactive at all may say at least something, but Japanese producers still use Miku, but I haven't listened enough to know if they stayed with V4 or switched to NT.

 

[___]

I'm taking a wild guess saying that NT is a flop in Europe and the Americas, but how is it doing in Japan? Either way its development being inactive at all may say at least something, but Japanese producers still use Miku, but I haven't listened enough to know if they stayed with V4 or switched to NT.

From my personal observation her V4 remains the most popular option, but that doesn't necessarily mean NT is entirely underused, some noteworthy stuff had been made featuring her, these two come to my mind.

 

[Luxie]

I think it's that only Miku has an NT voice-bank. Keep in mind that she was released in 2020, while V4X was released back in 2016. Her other voice-banks have had more time to become popular.
Another selling point of V4X (for me at least) was that it comes included with a Piapro version that can handle other VOCALOIDs than merely V4. I've also heard that V4's version of Miku is more well received. I personally heard no difference when comparing the demos.

 

[___]

It's extremely rare for a voicebank to gain popularity and relevancy with time, they usually lose it, the 1st year of the vb is the most successful and fruitful, Flower and Yuki are about the only exceptions.

I think it merely boils down to the fact, that while it definitely has it's own charm and merit, and it's gonna be used to a degree by the merit of her being Miku, it's still an objectively inferior product and there's not many reasons to pick it over the higher quality one ( this being Miku v4, also being the most accessible of her vbs along with NT ).

But I won't derail the thread further apologies

 

[cafenurse]

I think unfortunately this is the first year in my life I've become so detached from the voice synth community that I can't make predictions? I used to have a vague interest in nearly all synth programs but reserved a special love for Vocaloid, but as Vocaloid waned in relevancy with the community and all these new engines kept popping up at a rate I couldn't keep up with, I found myself always feeling out of the loop. It also doesn't help I'm not an AI fangirl and AI is the hot new thing. Even Vocaloid6, which should have had me smitten, didn't really intrigue me that much because I feel like it was announced with such little fanfare. Yamaha is not great at PR.
I can't name a single voicebank that was released this year. (unless solaria was this year? i can't remember if she was this year or last.) I can't name a single one of these new voice synth programs that came out after Synth V. I feel old and confused and sad! Everything has "AI" in the title and it's confusing my brain that it's all so similar! I'm mostly just sad I don't seem to have the passion for voice synths like I used to. I wish I could properly deduce why. Perhaps oversaturation? Or maybe it's just a loss of interest in hobbies due to my mental illness I struggle with. I figured voice synths was untouchable territory, but things change.
Anyway this was just an old man yells at clouds moment instead of anything useful to the thread, sorry.

I predict that next year we will get a new Vocaloid finally.
Also, maybe Crypton will formally admit defeat on the whole NT thing and go back to Vocaloid? I literally held off buying Luka and Meiko V4 to get their NT voicebanks and I'm STILL waiting

 

[Luxie]

I'm mostly just sad I don't seem to have the passion for voice synths like I used to. I wish I could properly deduce why. Perhaps oversaturation? Or maybe it's just a loss of interest in hobbies due to my mental illness I struggle with.

Don't feel bad for something like that. Perhaps you'll get back into them once you recover? Or maybe the new year may help.

Also, maybe Crypton will formally admit defeat on the whole NT thing and go back to Vocaloid? I literally held off buying Luka and Meiko V4 to get their NT voicebanks and I'm STILL waiting

Personally, I'm starting to think there will be a new Crypton VOCALOID released that isn't Hatsune Miku. My bets go to the Kagamines or Luka, but KAITO or MEIKO may have a surprise voicebank!

 

[Infoholic]

| Vocaloid |
-> V6 will revive new companies to produce voicebanks
-> Gackpo will receive an AI voicebank for V6
-> Vsinger will announce their official departure from the engine
-> The contest Vocaloid will have a positive reception

| CeVIO AI + VoiSona |
-> Ci Flower will surpass expectations and be a hit
-> There will be more Bandori vocals
-> Takahashi will receive a singing voicebank
-> Chis-A English will be incredibly high quality
-> VoiSona will grow in popularity significantly despite the subscription model
-> Another former-Vocaloid company will make the jump
-> Kamitsubaki will continue to see success
-> Xin Hua will become the first Chinese-language CeVIO*
-> Vocalomakets will announce Akari for CeVIO AI*

| SynthesizerV |
-> Quadimension won't release any new voicebanks going forward due to monetary restraints
-> Rosa either won't release again or be canned
-> Audiologie's new vocal will be either decently or negatively received
-> Voicemith will announce plans to migrate Joan and Oscar after Xia Yu Yao sees great success
-> Dreamtonics will continue to release vocals at a rapid rate, leading to significant burn out for many fans
-> There will be another gold vocal
-> Minase Kou will receive a singing voicebank
-> Volor won't release any new voicebanks

| Crypton |
-> Will continue to develop NT, releasing Rin and Len as the next vocalists
-> Will not participate in AI synthesis, continually citing their belief in the artificial

| Other |
-> Iori Yuzuru will receive a singing voicebank for Neutrino*
-> The status on the official Neutrino GUI will be updated
-> Gackpo will receive an A.I.Voice
-> VirVox will jump to Neutrino following the GUI update
-> Maghni releases a demo at least

* Moreso hopes and wishes rather than serious predictions