Exploring the latest hype in music AI
Suno has been on the scene for months and seems more than just a passing platform
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Exploring the latest hype in music AI
The music AI landscape is evolving rapidly. Suno v3 may have cracked the code.
Why it matters
Numerous other music AI platforms have emerged since I proclaimed that Stable Audio is the best tool for generative music AI. Suno has been on the scene for months and seems more than just a passing platform. Much chatter surrounds it, especially since Suno v3 went public last month, which is reason enough for artists and music industry professionals to try it.
How it works
First, sign up for a free account with 50 daily credits. Creating a full two-minute song in Suno v3 costs about ten credits.
Suno boasts an intuitive interface that generates music from text in seconds. It is best suited for making new music with new lyrics, including vocals.
The app opens on an Explore page, showing trending and new Suno output by users worldwide. Click ‘Create’ to generate a song.
Techno Connect
My first experiment was to generate a song in a less familiar genre: A nineties Eurodance song about smartphones.
De Smartphonetijd
Next, I tried the same prompt requesting another language: A nineties Eurodance song, in Dutch, about smartphones.
As a native Dutch speaker, I can confirm the lyrics are grammatically correct.
Theme song
I tried to create a new theme song for this newsletter with the same prompt I used while testing Stable Audio: A welcoming theme song for a newsletter about music strategy.
Use a reference track
Next, I tried creating a song based on another song. I randomly scrolled through my Spotify library and selected Jamie XX’s Loud Places for this experiment.
I asked ChatGPT to act as a prompt engineer who describes existing songs into a prompt for a generative AI music tool. It gave me this prompt:
Create a dynamic electronic track with a pulsating beat and ethereal melodies that evoke feelings of nostalgia and introspection. The song's lyrics reflect on the search for connection and solace amidst the noise and chaos of urban environments. Incorporate elements of deep house and ambient music, with layers of atmospheric synths and sampled vocals reminiscent of crowded spaces. Build tension gradually, then release it into euphoric crescendos that capture the essence of finding peace and belonging in bustling surroundings. Strive for a balance between intricate rhythms and spacious arrangements, creating a soundscape that transports listeners to vibrant urban landscapes filled with energy and emotion.Unfortunately, Suno’s input field is limited to 200 characters. I only used the prompt’s first sentence, the result is a failed experiment:
Go deeper
I’d like to use Spotify’s audio features as input for a prompt to create a song based on an existing song. My manual on Spotify’s Developer Tools is not up to date anymore, and the Spotify API is now only accessible for those with programming expertise. I’m working on an easy-to-understand workaround.
Yes, but..
The platform’s 200-character limit on the input field makes it impossible to generate specific music.
Ownership of songs created in the free version is retained by Suno. Use the free version only to play around.
Lyrically, Suno v3 is not that strong; the lyrics are cliché and obvious. With the current pace of development in generative AI, it appears that it will only take a matter of time before it is improved.
Suno has a Western bias: Suno presents itself as a US company for the US market - they don’t even mention the country when discussing their office location on their website (scroll down on Suno’s homepage).
Suno users are complaining about a drop in quality since Suno v3 went public. This could indicate that Suno should scale up its server capacity to align with the platform’s surge in popularity.
Take action now
Artists and industry professionals could play around in the free version of Suno, and explore how they can use such tools to their advantage.
Your prompt?
I purchased a Suno Pro plan and I have 2.000+ credits left. I’m eager to hear your suggestions to generate music with Suno AI. Join the conversation and engage with hundreds of artists, creators, and industry professionals in the comments.
Further reading
A ChatGPT for Music Is Here. Inside Suno, the Startup Changing Everything (Rolling Stone)
Introducing v3 (Suno)
Suno FAQ (Suno)
How to explore this new AI tool that generates music from text prompts (The Fanbase Builder)
This AI tool generates animations from text, images or videos (The Fanbase Builder)
This AI tool generates music from text prompts (The Fanbase Builder)
How Spotify’s algorithms listen to music (The Fanbase Builder)