> Do you think the _process_ of making music is the important part, or the final sounds that are produced?

Pharmaceuticals are regulated not just by testing the end product but by regulating the entire production process[1]. How this came to be has an interesting story but I believe that it's essentially the correct way to do things.

Saying that process is irrelevant, that only the end product matters is a very persuasive idea but the problem comes when it's time to validate the end product. Any test you can perform on a black box can only show the presence or absence of a specific problem, never the absence of problems.

“Program testing can be used to show the presence of bugs, but never to show their absence!” - Dijkstra

[1] If you're interested in how this regulatory structure has failed to regulate international drug manufacturers, check out "Bottle of Lies" by Katherine Eban.