Best AI Music Generator
Compare the top AI music generators including Suno, Udio, ElevenLabs, Stable Audio, and more. Pricing, audio quality, legal status, and recommendations for every use case.
Last updated: December 2025
Quick answer: For full songs with vocals, Suno v5 delivers the best combination of quality, speed, and value at $10–30/month. For maximum audio fidelity on instrumentals, Stable Audio 2.5 offers 100% licensed training data and enterprise-grade output. For YouTube creators and podcasters needing legally bulletproof background music, Soundraw and Beatoven.ai provide the cleanest commercial terms.
Critical warning: Udio—previously the quality leader—suspended downloads in November 2025 following its Universal Music settlement. You can create but not export songs. Avoid until the new streaming platform launches in 2026.
The AI music landscape shifted dramatically in late 2025. Major label lawsuits forced settlements, open-source models reached commercial quality, and the line between “AI-generated” and “human-produced” became nearly indistinguishable. This guide covers 25+ tools across full-song generators, background music platforms, and open-source options—with honest assessments of audio quality, legal risk, and practical utility.
The current state of AI music: December 2025
AI music generation crossed an inflection point in 2025. A Deezer/Ipsos study found that 97% of listeners couldn’t distinguish AI-generated music from human-produced tracks in blind tests. Suno now generates 7 million songs daily—the equivalent of Spotify’s entire catalogue recreated every two weeks.
But legal and ethical clouds hang over the industry. Three shifts define the current landscape:
1. The lawsuit settlements reshaped the market
The RIAA’s June 2024 lawsuits against Suno and Udio triggered a cascade of settlements. Udio settled with Universal (October 2025) and Warner (November 2025), immediately suspending downloads and transitioning to a “walled garden” streaming model. Suno settled with Warner (November 2025) but faces ongoing litigation from Sony and Universal, plus European suits from GEMA (Germany) and Koda (Denmark).
The message is clear: AI music trained on unlicensed copyrighted material faces existential legal risk. Tools built on licensed or original training data—Stable Audio, Soundraw, Beatoven—are positioned for long-term viability.
2. Quality reached studio-grade
Suno v5 (September 2025) eliminated the “uncanny valley” problem. Vocals now include natural vibrato, breath control, and emotional dynamics. Audio outputs at 44.1kHz with up to 12-stem separation. Independent reviewers describe the output as “virtually indistinguishable from professional studio recordings.”
3. Open-source models became viable
Chinese researchers released multiple Apache 2.0 licensed models in 2025: YuE (5-minute songs with synchronised vocals), ACE-Step (4-minute tracks in 20 seconds), and DiffRhythm (4:45 songs in ~10 seconds). These run locally with no API costs—though quality trails Suno/Udio by roughly one generation.
AI music generators compared
| Tool | Best for | Max length | Audio quality | Vocals | Price | Commercial use | Training data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suno v5 | Full songs | 8 min | 44.1kHz | ✓ Full | $0–30/mo | ✓ Paid tiers | Undisclosed* |
| Udio | 15+ min | 48kHz | ✓ Full | $0–30/mo | ⚠️ Suspended | Undisclosed* | |
| Stable Audio 2.5 | Enterprise | 3 min | 44.1kHz | ✗ | ~$12/mo | ✓ | 100% licensed |
| ElevenLabs | Vocals | 5 min | 44.1kHz | ✓ Full | $0.50/min | ✓ Paid tiers | Licensed (Merlin/Kobalt) |
| Soundraw | YouTube | Unlimited | 44.1kHz | ✗ | $11–32/mo | ✓ Perpetual | 100% in-house |
| Beatoven.ai | Video scoring | 2.5 min | 44.1kHz | ✗ | $0–20/mo | ✓ | Licensed (MAESTRO) |
| AIVA | Classical/film | 5.5 min | 48kHz | ✗ | €0–33/mo | ✓ Pro tier | 30K+ licensed scores |
| Mubert | Streaming/API | 25 min | 44.1kHz | ✗ | $0–199/mo | ✓ | Licensed artists |
| Boomy | Distribution | ~3 min | Variable | ✓ Basic | $0–30/mo | ✓ | Undisclosed |
| Google MusicFX | Experimentation | 70 sec | N/A | ✗ | Free | ⚠️ Unclear | Undisclosed |
| Mureka | Song creation | 5 min | 44.1kHz | ✓ Full | $0–30/mo | ✓ | Undisclosed |
Undisclosed training data = legal risk. Suno and Udio admitted in August 2024 court filings to training on copyrighted music.
Tier 1: Full song generators
These tools create complete songs with vocals, instrumentals, and professional mixing from text prompts.
Suno — Best overall for full songs
Price: Free (50 credits/day) | Pro $10/mo (2,500 credits) | Premier $30/mo (10,000 credits)
Audio: 44.1kHz, up to 8 minutes, 12-stem separation
Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Discord
Commercial use: ✓ On paid plans
Suno dominates the AI music space with 100+ million users and $200M annual revenue. The September 2025 v5 release marked a qualitative leap—vocals now sound genuinely human with natural emotional dynamics, and audio quality rivals studio masters.
Key features:
- Add Vocals: Layer AI vocals onto any instrumental (uploaded or generated)
- Add Instrumentals: Transform voice recordings into full productions
- Inspire: Generate songs matching the style of your curated playlists
- Suno Studio: Browser-based DAW with VST support, live recording, and MIDI (via WavTool acquisition)
Strengths:
- Best-in-class vocal realism and emotional expression
- Fastest generation (full songs in under a minute)
- Extensive genre coverage—pop, rock, EDM, hip-hop, classical, world music
- Credit system is generous for casual users
- Studio integration bridges AI generation and traditional production
Limitations:
- Ongoing lawsuits from Sony, Universal, GEMA, and others create legal uncertainty
- Training data undisclosed—likely includes copyrighted material
- Free tier songs are owned by Suno
- Complex prompts sometimes produce inconsistent results
Best for: Musicians wanting quick demos, content creators needing original songs, anyone prioritising vocal quality and speed.
Udio — Currently in limbo (avoid until 2026)
Price: Free (10/day + 100/mo) | Standard $10/mo | Pro $30/mo
Audio: 48kHz (highest consumer rate), 15+ minutes
Commercial use: ⚠️ Downloads suspended
Udio produced the highest-fidelity AI music available—superior vocal realism, instrument separation, and stereo imaging compared to Suno. Founded by former Google DeepMind researchers, it attracted investment from Andreessen Horowitz and artists like will.i.am.
Then the settlements hit.
Following Universal and Warner settlements in October–November 2025, Udio immediately suspended all downloads. Users had a 48-hour window to export existing songs before the feature was permanently disabled. The platform is transitioning to a “walled garden” streaming-only model launching in 2026.
Current status:
- You can create songs on the platform
- You cannot download, export, or use songs externally
- Existing users who missed the download window lost access to their music
- Future model will be streaming-only with label licensing
Our recommendation: Avoid Udio until the new platform launches and terms are clear. If you have credits, don’t renew. Users report mass exodus to Suno and alternatives.
ElevenLabs Eleven Music — Best for licensed commercial use
Price: $0.50/minute (deducted from character credits)
Tiers: Free (11 min) | Starter $5/mo (22 min) | Creator $22/mo (62 min) | Pro $99/mo (304 min)
Audio: 44.1kHz, 10 seconds to 5 minutes
Commercial use: ✓ On Starter+ plans (excludes streaming/broadcast)
ElevenLabs, the $6.6B voice AI company, launched Eleven Music in August 2025. Unlike Suno and Udio, it’s built on licensed training data through partnerships with Merlin Network (Adele, Nirvana, Phoebe Bridgers) and Kobalt Music (Beck, Bon Iver, Childish Gambino). Artists opt in and receive revenue sharing.
Key features:
- Fully licensed training data—lowest copyright risk among full-song generators
- Section-level editing (modify chorus, verse, bridge independently)
- Multi-language vocal support (English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese)
- API available for integration
Strengths:
- Cleanest legal position among vocal-capable generators
- Studio-grade audio quality
- Integrates with ElevenLabs’ voice cloning and TTS tools
- API access for developers
Limitations:
- Expensive compared to Suno ($0.50/min vs ~$0.01–0.03/song)
- Per-minute billing creates unpredictable costs
- Less intuitive interface than competitors
- Commercial rights still exclude streaming platforms and broadcast
Best for: Businesses needing legally defensible AI music, content creators prioritising IP safety, developers building audio products.
Mureka — Best for melody-first creation
Price: Free (1 song/day) | Basic $8–10/mo (400 credits) | Pro $24–30/mo (1,600 credits)
Audio: 44.1kHz, up to 5 minutes
Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Commercial use: ✓ Full rights on all plans
Mureka differentiates through its “MusiCoT” (Music Chain-of-Thought) technology—the AI plans song structure before generating audio, producing more coherent compositions. With nearly 10 million users by October 2025, it’s emerged as a credible Suno alternative.
Key features:
- Multiple input methods: text prompts, lyrics, humming, YouTube reference links
- Voice cloning for personalised vocals (Pro tier)
- Stem exports for DAW integration
- Style-matching from reference tracks
- Built-in marketplace for monetisation
Strengths:
- Superior melodic coherence from structure-first approach
- Reference track matching is genuinely useful
- Stem separation enables professional post-production
- Full commercial rights even on lower tiers
- Voice cloning adds personalisation
Limitations:
- Training data undisclosed—potential legal risk
- Some users report “formulaic” output lacking creative nuance
- Customer service issues noted in reviews
- Quality trails Suno v5 on complex prompts
Best for: Musicians wanting control over melody and structure, creators who work from reference tracks, users seeking DAW-compatible outputs.
Tier 2: Background music and scoring
These tools focus on instrumentals for video, podcasts, games, and commercial content—prioritising legal clarity over vocal generation.
Stable Audio 2.5 — Best for enterprise and legal safety
Price: Free (50/month, 3 min) | Creator ~$12/mo (unlimited, 3 min) | Enterprise custom
Audio: 44.1kHz, up to 3 minutes, audio inpainting
Commercial use: ✓ Full rights on paid plans
Stable Audio is the only major AI music platform trained exclusively on licensed data—partnered with AudioSparx for a fully cleared training dataset. This makes it the safest choice for risk-averse businesses.
Key features:
- 100% licensed training data—zero copyright litigation risk
- Audio inpainting: upload audio, select a point, and AI generates the continuation
- Multi-part compositions with intro/development/outro structure
- Sub-2-second generation on GPU
- Enterprise fine-tuning on brand sound libraries
Strengths:
- Cleanest legal position in the industry
- Excellent prompt adherence for mood and genre
- Fast enough for real-time iteration
- Brand customisation for enterprise clients
- Available via API, Replicate, ComfyUI
Limitations:
- No vocals—instrumental only
- 3-minute maximum is restrictive for longer content
- Less “creative” than Suno—optimised for production music
- Enterprise pricing not disclosed
Best for: Brands needing on-brand audio at scale, agencies with strict IP requirements, game developers, enterprise video production.
Soundraw — Best for YouTube creators
Price: Creator $11.04/mo | Artist Pro $23.39/mo | Artist Unlimited $32.49/mo (annual)
Audio: 44.1kHz, unlimited length
Commercial use: ✓ Perpetual licensing
Soundraw generates background music from 100% in-house training data—no legal grey areas. The standout feature: perpetual licensing. Songs you download remain licensed forever, even after cancellation.
Key features:
- 30+ genres with bar-level editing
- Stem separation for custom mixing
- Perpetual licensing (keeps rights after unsubscribe)
- Intuitive energy/mood curve editor
- Download history for reaccessing tracks
Strengths:
- Zero copyright risk—fully original training data
- Perpetual license model is unique and valuable
- Excellent for YouTube monetisation (clean Content ID)
- Bar-level editing provides real control
- Consistent, reliable output quality
Limitations:
- No vocals
- Less “creative” variation than AI generators
- Interface can feel rigid for experimentation
- Higher cost than some alternatives
Best for: YouTubers needing monetisation-safe music, podcasters, video editors who need consistent background music with legal certainty.
Beatoven.ai — Best for video and podcast scoring
Price: Trial (10 generations) | Creator $10/mo (30 min) | Visionary $20/mo (60 min)
Audio: 44.1kHz, up to 2.5 minutes per track
Commercial use: ✓ Full rights
Beatoven.ai specialises in mood-based generation for video and podcast soundtracks. Its August 2025 MAESTRO launch made it the first “fully licensed and fairly trained” AI music model—paying ongoing royalties to training artists.
Key features:
- Mood-based generation (8 mood categories)
- Auto-sync to video length
- Stem separation
- MAESTRO: ethically trained with artist royalties
- “Fairly Trained” certified
Strengths:
- Industry-leading ethical training practices
- Purpose-built for video scoring workflows
- Clean, professional output
- Mood system is intuitive for non-musicians
- Reasonable pricing for light users
Limitations:
- 2.5-minute maximum per track
- Minute-based limits can feel restrictive
- No vocals
- Less genre flexibility than Suno
Best for: YouTubers, podcasters, documentary makers, anyone prioritising ethical AI sourcing.
AIVA — Best for classical and cinematic
Price: Free €0 (3/month, AIVA owns copyright) | Standard €11/mo (15/month) | Pro €33/mo (300/month, full ownership)
Audio: 48kHz, up to 5.5 minutes, MIDI export
Commercial use: ✓ On Pro plan only
AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist) focuses on orchestral, cinematic, and classical composition. Trained on 30,000+ classical scores, it produces the most sophisticated orchestral arrangements of any AI tool.
Key features:
- 250+ musical styles and influences
- MIDI export for DAW editing
- Influence system (combine Mozart + Hans Zimmer + jazz)
- Full orchestral instrument simulation
- Recognised as a composer by SACEM (French rights society)
Strengths:
- Best orchestral and cinematic output
- MIDI export is unique and valuable for composers
- Deep style customisation
- Professional-grade instrument samples
- Strong for film/game soundtracks
Limitations:
- Free tier: AIVA owns your music copyright
- Less suitable for modern pop/electronic genres
- Interface has a learning curve
- Euro pricing
Best for: Film composers, game developers, classical music enthusiasts, anyone needing orchestral scoring.
Mubert — Best for streaming and API
Price: Ambassador Free (25/mo, attribution required) | Creator $14/mo (500/mo) | Pro $39/mo (500/mo + plugins) | Business $199/mo (1,000/mo)
Audio: 44.1kHz, up to 25 minutes
Commercial use: ✓ On paid plans
Mubert generates infinite, real-time music streams—ideal for live content, meditation apps, and ambient backgrounds. It offers the strongest API among consumer tools.
Key features:
- Real-time infinite generation
- 100+ genres and moods
- Adobe and DAW plugin integrations
- Developer API with flexible licensing
- 25-minute continuous tracks
Strengths:
- Best for ambient/background streaming
- Strong API for developers
- Plugin ecosystem for professional workflows
- Infinite generation unique to platform
- Licensed artist collaborations
Limitations:
- No vocals
- Less structured compositions
- Attribution required on free tier
- Business tier expensive for individuals
Best for: Meditation/fitness apps, streamers needing background music, developers building audio products, ambient content creators.
Boomy — Best for streaming distribution
Price: Free (1 release/mo) | Creator $9.99/mo (3–5 releases) | Pro $29.99/mo (10 releases, WAV)
Audio: Variable quality
Commercial use: ✓ 80% revenue share on streams
Boomy takes a different approach: create songs in under 30 seconds and distribute directly to 40+ streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.). The platform claims responsibility for 14% of the world’s recorded music (20M+ songs created).
Key features:
- Sub-30-second song creation
- Direct distribution to streaming platforms
- 80% revenue share to creators
- Simple editing interface
- Mobile-friendly
Strengths:
- Fastest path from idea to streaming platforms
- Revenue sharing is genuine (artists make money)
- Extremely low barrier to entry
- Distribution included in subscription
Limitations:
- Audio quality lower than competitors
- Limited creative control
- Vocal quality inconsistent
- Distribution flooding concerns
Best for: Hobbyists curious about music creation, anyone wanting to publish music without production skills, passive income experimenters.
Tier 3: Free and experimental tools
Google MusicFX — Best free option for experimentation
Price: Free (no credit system)
Audio: 30–70 seconds, looping option
Regions: US, Kenya, New Zealand, Australia only
Commercial use: ⚠️ Unclear—assume non-commercial
Google MusicFX is a Google Labs experiment powered by Lyria/Lyria RealTime (DeepMind models). It’s completely free with no credit limits—just describe what you want and generate.
Key features:
- MusicFX DJ: real-time interactive mixing with multiple prompt channels
- Expressive chips for prompt suggestions
- Looping functionality
- SynthID watermarking on all outputs
- Developed in collaboration with Jacob Collier
Strengths:
- Completely free, no account required
- No generation limits
- DJ mode is genuinely fun for experimentation
- Fast generation
- Good for learning prompt crafting
Limitations:
- 70-second maximum—not usable for real projects
- No vocals allowed
- Filters block artist name prompts
- Commercial licensing unclear (assume non-commercial)
- Limited to four countries
- Can’t download without SynthID watermark
Best for: Experimentation, learning how AI music works, quick brainstorming, having fun with real-time generation.
Meta MusicGen — Best open-source for developers
Price: Free (MIT license for code)
Models: 300M, 1.5B, 3.3B parameters
Audio: 32kHz, 30+ seconds
Commercial use: ⚠️ Model weights are CC-BY-NC (non-commercial)
Meta MusicGen is the leading research-grade open-source music generation model. Code is MIT licensed, but model weights are CC-BY-NC—meaning you can train custom models on your own commercial data for commercial use.
Key features:
- Multiple model sizes (300M–3.3B parameters)
- Melody conditioning from audio input
- Available on Hugging Face
- Run locally or via API
- Text and melody-to-music generation
Strengths:
- Full transparency on architecture and training
- Can fine-tune on your own data
- Run locally for privacy
- Research-grade quality
- Active community development
Limitations:
- 32kHz audio (lower than commercial tools)
- No vocals
- Requires technical expertise to deploy
- Pre-trained weights are non-commercial only
- Short generation length
Best for: Researchers, developers building music products, anyone needing full control and transparency.
2025 Open-source releases: YuE, ACE-Step, DiffRhythm
Chinese researchers released several strong Apache 2.0 licensed models in 2025:
YuE (乐): 5-minute songs with synchronised vocals in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean. Best open-source full-song option currently available.
ACE-Step: 3.5B parameters, generates 4-minute music in 20 seconds. Includes voice cloning and supports 19 languages.
DiffRhythm: Fastest generation—4:45 songs in approximately 10 seconds. Uses latent diffusion architecture.
Tencent SongGeneration (LeVo): Open-sourced June 2025, produces 4:30 songs with separate vocal/accompaniment tracks. Competitive with Suno v4.5.
Best for: Self-hosting, privacy-first workflows, cost elimination, research applications.
Use-case recommendations
For YouTube creators
Winner: Soundraw ($11–32/mo)
Perpetual licensing means downloaded tracks stay legal even after you cancel. 100% in-house training data eliminates Content ID issues. Bar-level editing lets you match video pacing precisely.
Alternative: Beatoven.ai ($10–20/mo) if you prefer mood-based generation for video scoring.
For podcast intros and background
Winner: Beatoven.ai ($10/mo)
Mood-based generation is intuitive for non-musicians. Auto-sync to episode length. Ethically trained with artist royalties. The 30-minute/month Creator plan covers most podcasters.
Alternative: Soundraw for more granular editing control.
For game soundtracks
Winner: AIVA (€33/mo Pro for ownership)
Best orchestral and cinematic output. MIDI export lets you edit in your DAW. 250+ styles enable diverse worlds and moods. Full ownership on Pro tier.
Alternative: Stable Audio 2.5 for adaptive/procedural audio, Mubert API for infinite ambient generation.
For musicians wanting demos
Winner: Suno v5 ($10–30/mo)
Studio-quality vocals, 8-minute songs, extensive genre coverage. Use Suno Studio for post-production. Credit system is generous for iteration.
Caveat: Ongoing litigation creates uncertainty. For maximum legal safety, use ElevenLabs Eleven Music instead.
For businesses prioritising legal safety
Winner: Stable Audio 2.5 (Enterprise pricing)
100% licensed training data. Zero copyright litigation risk. Enterprise fine-tuning on brand sound libraries. The only choice for risk-averse legal/compliance teams.
Alternative: Soundraw for simpler needs (perpetual licensing, in-house training data).
For developers building audio products
Winner: Mubert API ($199/mo) or Stable Audio API
Mubert offers the most flexible API licensing with real-time generation. Stable Audio provides enterprise-grade quality with clear commercial terms. Both have proper documentation and developer support.
Open-source alternative: MusicGen for full control, but requires fine-tuning on commercial data for commercial use.
For maximum audio quality
Winner: Udio → Suno v5 or ElevenLabs
Udio had the edge at 48kHz with superior vocal realism—but downloads are suspended indefinitely. Suno v5 now delivers comparable quality at 44.1kHz. ElevenLabs matches fidelity with licensed training data.
The legal landscape: What you need to know
Current litigation status (December 2025)
| Platform | Lawsuits | Settlements | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suno | Sony, Universal, GEMA (Germany), Koda (Denmark), class action (Tony Justice) | Warner (Nov 2025) | Ongoing litigation |
| Udio | Universal (Oct 2025), Warner (Nov 2025) | Downloads suspended | |
| Stable Audio | None | N/A | 100% licensed |
| Soundraw | None | N/A | 100% in-house data |
| Beatoven.ai | None | N/A | ”Fairly Trained” certified |
| ElevenLabs | None | N/A | Licensed via Merlin/Kobalt |
| AIVA | None | N/A | Trained on public domain/licensed |
”Fairly Trained” certification
The Fairly Trained certification identifies AI music companies that train only on licensed or public domain content. Certified companies include: Beatoven, Boomy, Soundful, and 12 others—but not Suno or Udio.
Training data transparency
Neither Suno nor Udio disclose their training datasets. Both admitted in August 2024 court filings to training on copyrighted music. The legal question isn’t settled: is training on copyrighted music “fair use” or infringement? The industry awaits definitive court rulings.
Practical guidance
For personal use and experimentation: Use any tool. Legal risk is yours.
For YouTube/content creation: Stick to Soundraw, Beatoven, or Stable Audio. Their clean training data avoids Content ID issues and copyright claims.
For commercial products and enterprise: Use only Stable Audio, Soundraw, Beatoven, or ElevenLabs. Their licensed training data provides defensible IP positions.
For streaming distribution: Be extremely cautious. Deezer reports 34% of daily uploads are now AI-generated, triggering aggressive fraud detection. Major platforms may flag or remove AI music.
Audio quality specifications
| Tool | Sample rate | Max length | Stems | Export formats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Udio | 48kHz | 15+ min | ✓ | |
| Suno v5 | 44.1kHz | 8 min | ✓ 12 stems | MP3/WAV |
| Stable Audio 2.5 | 44.1kHz | 3 min | ✓ Inpainting | WAV |
| ElevenLabs | 44.1kHz | 5 min | ✗ | MP3 (128–192kbps) |
| AIVA | 48kHz | 5.5 min | ✗ | MP3/WAV/MIDI |
| Beatoven | 44.1kHz | 2.5 min | ✓ | MP3/WAV |
| Soundraw | 44.1kHz | Unlimited | ✓ | MP3/WAV |
| MusicGen | 32kHz | 30+ sec | ✗ | WAV |
Key insight: 44.1kHz (CD quality) is sufficient for virtually all consumer and professional applications. Udio’s 48kHz offered marginal improvement detectable only on high-end monitoring systems—and is now inaccessible anyway.
Pricing comparison
Individual creators
| Tool | Free tier | Paid plans | Cost per song (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suno | 50 credits/day (~10 songs) | $10–30/mo | $0.01–0.03 |
| ElevenLabs | 11 min (~2–3 songs) | $0.50/min | $1.50–2.50 |
| Soundraw | Trial | $11–32/mo | ~$0.05 (unlimited) |
| Beatoven | 10 generations | $10–20/mo | ~$0.33–0.67 |
| AIVA | 3/month | €11–33/mo | ~€0.11–3.67 |
| Mureka | 1/day | $8–30/mo | ~$0.02–0.08 |
| Stable Audio | 50/month | ~$12/mo | ~$0.24 |
| MusicFX | Unlimited | Free | $0 |
| Boomy | 1 release/mo | $10–30/mo | ~$1–3 (includes distribution) |
Best value
For casual use: Suno free tier (50 credits/day = ~300 songs/month)
For regular creators: Suno Pro ($10/mo for 2,500 credits = ~500 songs)
For heavy production: Soundraw Artist Unlimited ($32.49/mo for unlimited songs)
For developers: Self-hosted open-source (MusicGen, YuE) = $0 after setup
Frequently asked questions
Which AI music generator is best?
For most users, Suno v5 offers the best combination of quality, features, and value. For legally safe commercial use, Stable Audio 2.5 or Soundraw are better choices due to licensed training data.
Can I use AI-generated music commercially?
It depends on the platform and plan. Suno, ElevenLabs, Soundraw, and Stable Audio all permit commercial use on paid plans. However, platforms trained on undisclosed/copyrighted data (Suno, Udio) carry legal uncertainty. For bulletproof commercial rights, use Stable Audio or Soundraw.
Is AI music legal?
Creating AI music is legal. The legal questions concern: (1) whether training on copyrighted music constitutes infringement, and (2) whether AI outputs that resemble copyrighted works infringe. Courts haven’t definitively ruled. Platforms using only licensed training data (Stable Audio, Soundraw, Beatoven) eliminate this risk.
What happened to Udio?
Udio settled copyright lawsuits with Universal and Warner in October–November 2025. As part of settlements, it immediately suspended downloads. Users can still create on the platform but cannot export songs. A new streaming-only platform launches in 2026. We recommend avoiding Udio until terms are clarified.
Can AI generate vocals?
Yes. Suno v5, Mureka, and ElevenLabs Eleven Music all generate realistic vocals with emotional expression. Suno’s v5 vocals are considered virtually indistinguishable from human singers. Most other platforms (Stable Audio, Soundraw, AIVA, Mubert) are instrumental-only.
Are there free AI music generators?
Yes. Google MusicFX is completely free with no limits (but capped at 70 seconds). Suno offers 50 free credits daily. Beatoven has a 10-generation trial. Open-source options (MusicGen, YuE) are free to self-host.
Can listeners tell the difference between AI and human music?
A Deezer/Ipsos study found 97% of 9,000 participants couldn’t distinguish AI-generated from human-produced music in blind tests. At the current state of the art, the difference is essentially undetectable for most listeners.
What about copyright on AI-generated music?
You own the copyright to music you generate on most platforms (Suno paid, Soundraw, Beatoven, Mureka, ElevenLabs paid). Exception: AIVA’s free tier retains copyright. The U.S. Copyright Office has indicated AI-generated content may require “sufficient human authorship” for registration—this area remains legally unsettled.
Conclusion: How to choose
The AI music landscape has matured dramatically. Quality has reached studio-grade, but legal clouds hang over platforms trained on unlicensed data. Here’s how to navigate:
For experimentation and personal use: Start with Suno’s free tier (50 credits/day). It’s the most capable and accessible option. Use MusicFX for quick fun without any account.
For YouTube and content creation: Use Soundraw or Beatoven. Their licensed training data eliminates copyright risks, and perpetual licensing (Soundraw) means your library stays legal forever.
For professional music production: Suno v5 Pro ($10/mo) offers the best combination of quality and features. Complement with Mureka for melody-first workflows or AIVA for orchestral scoring.
For enterprise and brands: Stable Audio 2.5 is the only choice. 100% licensed training data, enterprise fine-tuning, and proper commercial terms.
For maximum legal safety: Avoid Suno and Udio until litigation resolves. Use Stable Audio, Soundraw, Beatoven, or ElevenLabs—all built on licensed or in-house training data.
For developers: Mubert API for real-time generation, Stable Audio API for quality, or self-hosted open-source (MusicGen, YuE) for full control and zero ongoing costs.
The tools work. The quality is real. But choose carefully based on your use case and risk tolerance.
This guide is updated monthly as new tools launch, lawsuits settle, and quality evolves. Bookmark for the latest AI music intelligence.