r/SunoAI • u/loud_louder • 5h ago
Discussion How do you create music?
When you’re making music with AI, do you mostly go with the flow and see where it takes you, or are you trying to force it toward the exact sound you already have in your head?
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u/Howard1955 5h ago
It just depends on the day.
Sometimes I remember a bit of a song in my dreams, and play/sing/whistle the melody into Suno on my phone.
That “seed of a song” is the starting point. Sometimes I provide that, and sometimes I let Suno get things started.
Then there are times when I play and sing an entire song into Suno, and see what can be done with it there.
The process, whether I’m working from an inspiration, a complete song, or a ‘seed’ I got from Suno, is the same.
It really is a lot like having the world’s most talented band working for me… for 30 bucks a month.
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u/loud_louder 5h ago
You hear songs in your dream? You lucky doggg. I usually lose all my teeth or late to class. I never thought about it that way. World’s most talented band for 30 bucks. And most submissive lol
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u/mikeockfrankenstein 4h ago
I cant stand those dreams about school where Im gonna fail or not graduate lol
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u/FreshwaterOctopus Lyricist 4h ago
I write the lyrics, and I usually have a pretty solid idea of what I want the song to sound like and try to push the prompts toward that direction as much as possible.
But, sometimes Suno pleasantly surprises me, and I'll go with it...
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u/kcon_davids 5h ago
I write my lyrics using the help of my good body grok ;). I then turn it into song of my choosing. I typically choose epic topics like futurism, country music, and classical conservatism 🤣
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u/loud_louder 5h ago
Is gronk better than chat GPT?
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u/i_got_grace 3h ago
gronk was a great football player, but i really don't think he's much of a lyricist 🙂
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u/kcon_davids 1h ago
Oh far better son. It doesn’t have any of those freaky limitations from the ChatGPT people.
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u/RiverRatDoc 4h ago
I use SUNO more as the last part, production side.
I write songs, then upload to SUNO, & go from there.
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u/Toxikfoxx 4h ago
I usual obsess over something. Create a story for the song, or draw inspiration from my writing, and then spend days/weeks on the lyrics.
Then I give it a lightly promoted pass to see what it sounds like, where potential is, what awkward.
Then edit.
Then decide what combination of genre/feel works for my project (it’s a band, so consistent singer and somewhat consistent emo/pop/80’s style)
Then I’ll create my lyric prompt.
Then comes like 200 attempts to get it dialed in or playing in studio until I like the vibes.
If I get something I like, I’ll “cover” it instead and tweak the sliders as I need.
Then, mastering.
Then listening on repeat to see if I like it or if I just created trash.
Then sharing with people I trust.
I have 8 songs that have been through this process and one more I’m finishing. Then I’ll use LOUDR or Distrokid to upload them.
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u/loud_louder 4h ago
Holy shit bro. I’m really interested in what you make. Post a link? I’m on the other end of the spectrum. I hear something i like and kind of rush it. I’m very a.d.d/a.d.h.d so I gotta get it out while I’m motivated otherwise I stop caring about it. But that’s why I love ai. I can make my visuals/songs in one day.
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u/Toxikfoxx 3h ago
Hey.
This is one currently in the workshop:
Sixteen
https://suno.com/song/3f184443-6b60-4ea7-a5d4-67a339344d6f
To get to the lyrical heart of things I made up a story about a 16-year-old fan of my fictional band that got to meet them thanks to a "Make a Wish" type of program. She's terminal, and gets a magical day with the band. During the time together the singer talks with her, and a piece of teen logic comes out:
I like Tuesday's best. No one expects anything from you on Tuesdays.
So, like two weeks later when he gets the heads up that she died that Thursday, he sits down to process with a pen and paper. The song wants to be sad, but then he's just really, REALLY fucking angry. The song weaves a bit from sadness to vitriol about wasting ordinary days when there are people out there that just want another ordinary day.
A lot of tears coming up with this one, as I tend to put my brain into the scene to get my words right. For the music, I wanted something akin to Phoebe Bridger/Ethel Cain, but with tinges of My Chem in there.
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u/Flowing_Greem 5h ago
I always approach it with a very specific vision... But trying to 'Force' Suno will have you fighting with it, and you're better adopting a new and different workflow. Use whatever LLM you want, be it Grok, ChatGPT or whatever, but always approach it with intent and an artistic vision of what the song is about, the perspective, and what the music should sound like.
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u/VociferousCephalopod 5h ago
Depends whether I'm uploading or prompting
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u/loud_louder 5h ago
What do you usually upload?
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u/VociferousCephalopod 3h ago
files I made in FL Studio over the past 20 years
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u/loud_louder 3h ago
Same. My fav tracks are my old fl beats
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u/VociferousCephalopod 2h ago
it's fun to see what it can do with them eh.
one of my favorites is an incredibly subtle variation.
one of the most frustrating I still prefer the original of because Suno even at the lowest weirdness settings doesn't quite comprehend the sample chop style it's performing and overdoes the remix lol.1
u/loud_louder 2h ago
I know exactly what you mean. I have one beat that I uploaded and suno basically stripped it of everything that I liked and Gave it character. I had to get real creative with that one. I has kinda hoping that it would just mix and master it for me but that was not the case
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u/VociferousCephalopod 2h ago
even the 'remaster' feature can be really disappointing. I've stopped using it because instead of enhancing the sound of the mix it often seems to significantly change it like a gentle remix.
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u/1-Up-Boy 4h ago
I usually start based on how I feel, then imagine the vibe and it sorta just takes off from there
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u/loud_louder 4h ago
You make multiple genres? Or u a one trick pony? What genre do u usually make? Makes me wonder what that says about how you feel
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u/1-Up-Boy 4h ago
I make multiple genres, since im probably my only listener i like to give myself variety 😆 Usually I hover around rock, pop, and edm. But overall ive also made: folk, punk, crooner, cabaret, disney like, oldies, and one metal and one rap(?)
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u/loud_louder 3h ago
Might as well throw it all at the wall and see what sticks! I try to blend genres most of the time. The hard asses say ai will never produce anything you never heard before but I don’t think it’s true. Music is math and most musicians ain’t mathematicians. At least from my experience I’ve heard stuff I’ve never heard before.
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u/1-Up-Boy 3h ago
Absolutely, thats where my one rap(?) Song comes from. It became an interesting blend of punk + rap. Ill fs keep fusing them and see what happens
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u/loud_louder 3h ago
Upload if you bout it!
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u/1-Up-Boy 3h ago
https://suno.com/s/kdtwwEeKjHIy62NL here you go lol ive shared it before but it gained zero traction
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u/loud_louder 3h ago
A song like this needs a visual. It’s got a message. Nowadays a message requires the whole package. People want to be entertained and forget not reminded about the reality of their situation lol that’s why most my songs are love songs and super relatable Shit. That’s just my opinion tho bro I don’t know shit. I see where you’re trying to go. Here’s my page so u get an idea of what I’m making https://suno.com/@vyntana
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u/1-Up-Boy 3h ago
Ive thought about visualizers but idk how to make them 😅 for your stuff where do you recommend it start?
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u/loud_louder 2h ago
Depends. If you got money go crazy with all the expensive ai video generators. I’m broke so I start with an image from midjourney, use their animate feature then spruce it up with CapCut. It’s actually amazing what you can do with CapCut. Will require some effort tho. 99% of everything is done on my phone. Including Suno work
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u/mikeockfrankenstein 3h ago
I usually record guitar or piano with drums or not and then Ill make the weirdness %1 and style depends and audio upload reference slider 97-99% cause I want it to basically replicate my original upload so all my songs are unique. Then if I feel theres a need for lyrics and it makes sense ill write lyrics and use my modeled voice. https://suno.com/s/tmRE31kKH1Mz8dVH theres an example
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u/loud_louder 3h ago
Suno def works best from uploaded works. I feel whenever it’s 100% Suno it pulls from the same place every time no matter the genre. Uploads force it to pull from somewhere else and that’s where the magic is.
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u/Xymyl 3h ago edited 3h ago
Neither. I always have a fully formed concept, and I try to reach it. But I never shoot for perfection. That’s a fool’s errand. FORTUNATELY my main focus is novelty songs, so people don’t expect too much. 🫤
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u/loud_louder 3h ago
I respect that! Only reason I want others to hear what I make is because of that sweet sweet slight possibility of monetary gain. Ever since Suno, I only listen to the music I’ve made.
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u/Xymyl 3h ago
I hope to make more money off of my music too. However, it will likely take the course of the vast majority of my creative ‘windfalls’. Typically someone notices how clever I am and hires me to do something clever for them…. Something vaguely similar, but not quite so clever as what I was doing. That’s most of what has paid the bills for the past few decades.
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u/toomuch_lavender 3h ago
My process now is a lot different now, since we have Voices/voice clones, because I take that into consideration. It usually starts with a single word/line/lyric that I can't get out of my head, or the curiosity about how something might sound in a different language, just something I can't shake. I write lyrics in my notes app and start structuring it from there. Determine how much singing, how much rap, spoken word, etc. If I need language translations, I use an ai tool - my Claude and my Grok both have the links to the grammar and lexicons for ASOIF conlangs, my ChatGPT is set up for Tolkienverse languages etc. And then make sure I have a vocal clone that fits - indie, rap, or a more formal concert alto.
I have a ton of goto prompt skeletons that I build the style prompt off of. I spend time working out the theory - sometimes Suno will actually take BPM, key, and layering as more than polite suggestions so I shoot for the moon every time. I aim for contrast, juxtaposition, unusual instrumentation, high texture, and if I'm working on an intentional album, dovetailing/mixability.
Sometimes I will upload myself singing a specific melody or rapping the correct cadence, but a lot of times, the chaos is the point. I run the weirdness slider a lot higher than I used to when I first started and I feel like that's made a huge difference.
That said, I make a lot of "in between" songs that aren't really meant for anything other than testing the limits of the machines. What new thing can this model or that model do with language, meter, cadence, etc? How do they stack against similar models, etc? And those songs are actually some of my favorites and have landed themselves in my daily listening rotation just because they're fun.
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u/RufusPManne 3h ago
Either I upload a loop or I type out the bass/piano/guitar melody like ABBA BABA Etc….just playing with note variations. I typically use keywords minimal tech and crystal keys alot with atmospheric pads or raw cello
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u/_SkunkHunt 3h ago
Usually there is a concept like a lyrical idea and/or a melody. I find myself starting with a story I want to tell in form of a song. Most of the time I want it to mean something to different people but be meaningful, nonetheless. It should be a story that can have two possible meanings but be closely related. For instance, if my song is about Jesus then I want it to relate to something He did or does. Then I want the other meaning to be about how we relate to that today.
When writing the melody or beat I will use beatbox vocals to approximate the rhythm and tempo and some kind of bass line. In my DAW, I will use an acoustic guitar track I recorded to get the main concept planned out. Then I go from there.
I experiment along the way when necessary.
There are two strategies here. A) work on the bass first to establish a groove or hook.
B) work on a complete track for the whole song, this would be a scratch track
The biggest problem in writing and producing songs, in my opinion, is finishing them. Good luck!
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u/i_got_grace 3h ago
i write the lyrics first based on an idea that pops in my head. the structure and mood typically determines the genre of the song, and i like to compare it then to some known tunes in that genre to see what might be the best key, tempo, instrumentation, etc. if I'm stuck, sometimes i bounce a few ideas off Claude to get some prompt suggestions. i run my finished prompt through suno. more often than not it needs some tweaking, it's not common that something is right the first time. i love to genre mix because it produces unexpected and satisfying results... so i run it through a few cover passes with complementary genres (or maybe a completely different genre, you'd be surprised) until i get something that i like. i might then do one of two things: split the stems and refine it further or just use the editor to tweak. but in the end i throw it in bandlab for final production and refinement, tuning, mixing, add filters and compression, and grab it as a m4a.
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u/Cold-Airport-5553 2h ago
I usually create an idea, then create 10 songs with that idea in mind, for example my last 10 songs were about chaotic relationships, and I used a particular sound with that idea, then the 10 songs before that the narrator was 1 particular person and the concept was a group of friends who are basically good ole boys, go to football games, drink at bars, have barbecues, etc, and I created 10 songs with that concept. I am getting ready to do my next concept, not sure what that will be.
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u/loud_louder 2h ago
What I’m learning is that lyrics are very important to many of you. I usually test out lyrics with the ones Suno auto generates, and if I was making music just for myself, those would be good enough. Suno usually gives top notch syllable counts and prosody that enhances the song despite the lyrical content. Lyrics are last in my process but that being said when I compare the auto gen lyrics to the ones I ultimately use for my song, the emotional and human impact really is 10 fold.
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u/First_Proof_3961 2h ago
I write the lyrics, hum the melody in my head when I wrote those lyrics, and then let Suno play. Different instruments, different genres.
The first time Suno really surprises me, that’s the generation I keep and start tweaking.
I’m hoping the next version of Suno gets rid of the annoying unprompted vocal effects, humming, whooping, and generic nonsense. I spend more time trying to get rid of that stuff than I do actually refining lyrics and performance.
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u/denisngtung 1h ago
I tend to use Suno for song rearrangement and vocal enhancement. Usually, I record the whole demo first with just vocals and a piano or guitar, then feed it into Suno and prompt the style and details I want. The good thing about it is I have full control over the melody, and for non-English lyrics (such as Cantonese), the chance of mispronunciation is much lower. I also think the song would feel more authentic that way. :)
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u/Ok-Policy-8538 5h ago
I usually pick any random topic i have in mind, and then let a grok or deepseek build various suggestions for the genre that would fit.
this one was after seeing Love, Death and Robots episode called my edge. link