Suno CEO: Text Prompts Are ‘Active’ Music Creation
▼ Summary
– Suno raised $250 million at a $2.45 billion valuation while facing lawsuits from major labels and artists for allegedly training its AI on copyrighted music.
– The company’s CEO envisions a future where more people actively create music, increasing its societal value through AI tools like Suno’s Create and Studio features.
– Critics argue that AI-generated music lacks soul and devalues the creative process, with many artists and platforms viewing it as an abomination or reducing its visibility.
– Suno Studio offers generative music editing tools but requires a paid subscription, making it less accessible than many established, affordable or free digital audio workstations.
– The proliferation of AI-generated music may undermine the value of recorded music by eliminating scarcity, skill development, and the effort traditionally required in music creation.
The recent $250 million funding round for AI music startup Suno has propelled its valuation to a staggering $2.45 billion, even as the company faces significant legal challenges from major record labels and the RIAA over allegations of training its model on copyrighted material. Suno co-founder and CEO Mikey Shulman made a notable statement in the Wall Street Journal, suggesting that the platform enables a future where “way more people are doing it in a really active way,” thereby increasing music’s societal value. This perspective raises important questions about what constitutes active music creation and how AI-generated content might enhance music’s cultural worth.
Suno’s primary feature, known as Create, allows users to generate complete songs from simple text prompts. While the technology is undoubtedly advanced, the output often lacks the emotional depth and artistic intention found in human-composed music. This leads to skepticism about Shulman’s definition of “really active” participation. Is typing a descriptive request into an AI system equivalent to the engaged, skillful process traditionally associated with making music? Many working musicians and critics find this notion not just misleading, but offensive.
Perhaps Shulman was referring to Suno’s newer offering, Studio, which functions more like a conventional digital audio workstation. This tool includes features for audio transformation, such as converting a hummed melody into a trumpet line or recording live guitar parts. However, it remains heavily reliant on generative AI, capable of producing drum patterns and vocal tracks automatically. While editing and refining AI-generated stems involves more steps than a single button press, it still falls short of what most artists would consider genuinely active music-making.
Another aspect to consider is accessibility. Suno positions its tools as bringing interactive music creation to the average person, yet its Premier plan starts at $24 per month. In contrast, established DAWs like FL Studio offer lifetime licenses for $99, Ableton Live Lite is often bundled free with hardware, and GarageBand comes pre-installed on Apple devices. Suno isn’t necessarily more affordable, and its simplified interface, while user-friendly, doesn’t dramatically lower the barrier to entry compared to existing options.
The boldest claim, that AI tools will elevate music’s value in society, demands scrutiny. How does automating artistic creation, effectively removing the need for developed skill, thoughtful composition, and dedicated effort, contribute to music’s worth? Platforms like Deezer, Qobuz, and Spotify seem to disagree, as they are actively limiting the visibility of fully AI-generated tracks, signaling a perception that such content holds less value.
As YouTube commentator Nick Canovas pointed out, the risk is that “recorded music is no longer special.” When anyone can instantly generate songs from a brief prompt, the inherent value tied to scarcity, craftsmanship, and artistic vision diminishes. This isn’t about democratizing music creation, affordable and even free tools for making music already exist widely. Instead, Suno promotes skipping the creative journey altogether, bypassing the cultivation of talent and instinct that defines meaningful art. The consequence may not be an enrichment of musical culture, but a devaluation of the very essence of what makes music valuable.
(Source: The Verge)
