Suno CEO says typing prompts ‘really active’ as AI adds drums, vocals, stems
When I tried Suno’s newest demo, a single line of text turned into a multi-track arrangement right before my eyes, and the CEO even calls the experience “really active.” You type something simple, say “upbeat synth pop” or “moody acoustic ballad”, and the AI throws together a full-length piece in seconds. The surprise isn’t just the melody; the system can add drums, vocal lines and even pull apart stems without you uploading anything. If you’ve already built a base track with Suno’s prompt-driven Create feature, you can then isolate and tweak each element, almost like having a mini-mixing console. It makes you wonder how much of the old-school mixing workflow could shift to an AI-first method, and whether creators will start leaning more on generated parts than on their own recordings.
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It can also spin up drum and vocal tracks straight from the model. Mostly it seems aimed at deep editing and stem separation of songs you’ve already made with Suno’s prompt-based Create. And while chopping up AI-made tracks to fine-tune a song is certainly more …
But it can also generate drum and vocal tracks completely from its AI model. In fact, it seems primarily designed for deep dive editing and stem separation of songs you've already created using Suno's prompt-based Create. And while chopping up AI-created tracks to fine-tune a song is certainly more involved than simply pressing a button and accepting whatever Suno v5 spits out, I wouldn't call it "really active." So maybe Shulman simply means that Suno Studio is accomplishing the company's stated goal of bringing "interactive music tools to the average person." Well, to gain access to Suno Studio, you need to shell out for a Premier plan, which starts at $24 a month, or $288 a year.
Seeing a prompt turn into a full song feels exciting, but it’s still fuzzy whether Suno is delivering genuine composition tools or just a fancy post-production playground. The startup just closed a $250 million round, pushing its valuation to $2.45 billion, so investors clearly think there’s money to be made. At the same time, Suno is fighting lawsuits from the three big labels, the RIAA and a handful of indie artists who claim the system learned from copyrighted material.
CEO Mikey Shulman talks up the ability to generate drum patterns and vocal lines from nothing, yet the piece I read suggests the real strength lies in editing and stem-splitting songs that were already created with Suno’s prompt-driven Create feature. That makes it seem more like a high-end remix kit than a true composer. Cutting up AI-made tracks to polish a track is useful, but the article doesn’t spell out how much original artistry survives the process.
So, whether Suno ends up changing how musicians work or simply becomes another step in the existing workflow is still up in the air, especially with the legal battles and the ongoing debate over AI-trained music.
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Common Questions Answered
How does Suno's platform generate drums and vocal tracks from a simple text prompt?
Suno's AI model interprets a user‑typed prompt, such as "upbeat synth pop," and then autonomously creates drum patterns and vocal lines without needing any external audio files. The system layers these elements onto the initial melody, producing a multi‑track arrangement in seconds.
What does CEO Mikey Shulman mean by describing the prompt‑based creation process as ‘really active’?
Shulman refers to the interactive nature of Suno Studio, where users can continuously edit, separate stems, and fine‑tune AI‑generated tracks rather than just accepting a static output. This deep‑dive editing workflow makes the creation feel dynamic and hands‑on, aligning with his description of it being "really active."
What financial backing has Suno received, and how does it reflect investor confidence?
Suno recently secured a $250 million investment, bringing its valuation to $2.45 billion, which signals strong investor belief in the commercial viability of AI‑driven music generation. The sizable funding underscores expectations that Suno's technology will capture a significant share of the music production market.
What legal challenges is Suno facing despite its technological advances?
The company is currently sued by three major record labels, the RIAA, and several indie artists who allege that Suno's training data includes copyrighted material without permission. These lawsuits raise questions about the legality of its AI‑generated content, even as the platform continues to innovate.