AI music: AI tools compared (17)

What aI music tools are for

AI music tools generate songs, instrumental pieces, or background tracks from instructions and, depending on the service, lyrics or existing audio. They can support video creators, musicians, communications teams, and anyone developing a musical idea. You might use them to prepare a demo, explore a mood, or compare possible directions before further production. For example, you may previously have assembled temporary tracks to test the atmosphere of a video. You can now describe the music you want, listen to a generated proposal, and refine the brief. Suno lets you create a song using your own lyrics. SOUNDRAW includes controls for a track’s duration and intensity. The relevant choice depends on your intended result: a sung composition, an instrumental piece, background music, or a new work developed from existing material. Each calls for different editing options and listening checks.

Example uses:

• You turn your own lyrics into a sung demo to explore phrasing before developing the arrangement further.
• You create an instrumental background for a video so you can assess its atmosphere during the editing process.
• You explore musical directions from a written description to communicate your intentions more clearly to collaborators.
• You use an audio or MIDI file as inspiration while developing an idea for a new composition.
• You adjust a track’s duration and intensity to support the changing pace of your finished content.

Our picks by need

These picks follow simple rules applied to the verified data, with no partnership or affiliate link:

• Best scored : Suno. 76/100 on our access and transparency grid.
• Cheapest paid option : ecrett music. First plan at $4.99 per month.

The main tools at a glance

Suno 76/100

Suno is for people creating songs from descriptions, their own lyrics, or audio excerpts. It also supports separating a track’s elements and editing songs in a web studio. Features: Create songs from a description; Produce a song with your own lyrics; Turn an audio excerpt into a new creation. Entry price: $8 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android, and API.

AIVA 71/100

AIVA composes tracks in different styles and supports creating a custom musical style. It serves people who want to edit generated tracks or use audio and MIDI files as inspiration. Features: Compose tracks in different styles; Create a custom musical style; Use an audio or MIDI file as inspiration. Entry price: €11 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Stable Audio 68/100

Stable Audio serves people creating music and sound effects from text or existing audio. It replaces sections, generates separate tracks, and lets users adjust mix levels and effects. Features: Create music and sound effects from text; Transform an existing audio excerpt; Replace a section without recreating the entire track. Free tier available. Runs on: web browser and API. Data hosting: United States.

Mureka 63/100

Mureka lets people creating music compose songs from text or produce instrumental tracks. It also supports remixing, song extension, vocal and instrument separation, and music video creation. Features: Compose a song from text; Create instrumental music; Remix a track. Entry price: $96 per year, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, and API.

Mubert 61/100

Mubert lets people creating music generate a track from text. They can choose a mood and genre, adjust the track’s duration, and modify or remove instrumental tracks. Features: Generate music from text; Choose a mood and musical genre; Adjust a track’s duration. Entry price: $11.69 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, and API.

SOUNDRAW 58/100

SOUNDRAW helps people compose music based on a mood and genre. Users can mix styles, adjust duration and intensity, add or remove instruments, and download music and separate tracks. Features: Compose tracks based on a mood and genre; Mix several musical styles; Adjust a track’s duration and intensity. Entry price: $5.99 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser and API.

Boomy 58/100

Boomy lets users generate music tracks and customize them with editing tools. Users can save a collection of their creations and download tracks to use or distribute them. Features: Generate music tracks; Customize tracks with editing tools; Save a collection of creations. Entry price: $9.99 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser.

Shazam 53/100

Shazam identifies songs from heard audio for people who want to find a track. It keeps recognized songs in a library, displays lyrics, and shows concerts associated with artists. Features: Identify a song from heard audio; Find recognized tracks in a library; View song lyrics. Free tier available. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android, and browser extension.

Soundful 53/100

Soundful lets people creating music compose from a genre and a template. It offers tempo and key adjustments, musical loop creation, and downloads of the mix or separate tracks. Features: Compose music from a genre and a template; Adjust tempo and key; Create musical loops. Free tier available. Runs on: web browser.

Udio 50/100

Udio lets people creating songs start from a description or guide their creation with an audio excerpt. It also supports remixing tracks, editing part of a song, and sharing songs through links. Features: Create a song from a description; Remix a track; Edit part of a song. Entry price: $10 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser.

The category in figures

Of the 17 tools in the category, 16 (94%) offer a free tier, 53% have a public API and 3 have a French interface. The median entry price, per month, is $10 (across 10 tools with a published price). 2 disclose where data is hosted, 0 of them in Europe or on device.

Also useful

These tools belong to another category but also cover this need:

• PrismPoster PrismPoster lets people creating multimedia content generate videos from photos or text, edit images, and comp
• Voice-Swap Voice-Swap serves people working with singing or voiceovers. It changes vocal timbre, creates voice models to
• SFX Engine SFX Engine creates sound effects from descriptions for people producing audio content. It adjusts duration, ge
• HarmonySnippetsAI HarmonySnippetsAI lets people promoting music analyze a track and extract a short preview. It identifies passa

Choosing well and avoiding pitfalls

Compare tools using your own briefs, including French lyrics, specific moods, desired instruments, and editing constraints. Listen for pronunciation, musical structure, and continuity between sections. Check whether you can revise a passage, import reference material, or adjust duration as your project requires. Export formats and compatibility with your usual audio software also matter. Read the terms covering generated music, uploaded material, and the plan used for creation. Finally, consider generation limits, project privacy, and billing arrangements in light of the repeated attempts you may need before a track fits your intended use.

Generated music can contain unclear lyrics, unexpected structural changes, or instruments that become difficult to distinguish. Listen to the entire track before using it. A detailed prompt does not ensure that every musical constraint will be followed. Keep your lyrics, source files, and the terms that applied when you created the music. Avoid uploading material you lack permission to use. Check publication rights and restrictions before releasing a track or delivering it to a client.

To compare with the cost of using an AI model directly, see the API price calculator.

Free or paid?

Free plans often let you explore styles and make demos, with restrictions on generation, downloads, or permitted uses. That may be enough to develop an initial musical direction. Paying becomes relevant when you need suitable publication rights, regular production, revision controls, or audio files that fit the rest of your recording and editing workflow.

Tools in the category with a free tier: Suno, AIVA, Stable Audio, Mureka, Mubert, SOUNDRAW, Boomy, and Shazam.

For which jobs?

The profiles that use these tools most, based on the use cases documented by publishers: musicians, podcasters, video creators, developers, marketers, and social media managers.