How AI gave me my voice back – an artist's review of Suno Studio
96 comments
·October 25, 2025greygoo222
I absolutely love Suno music. Most of the music I listen to nowadays is Suno generated. There are so many creative people out there making things that never would've existed without it.
tr1ll10nb1ll
Recently talked to the founder of wavtool (acquihired by Suno which probably accelerated their work on Studio) and from my understanding, their overarching goal is to reduce to the time from concept to actual production. faster workflows, in other words.
I produce music as well on the side and I can assure you things like making beatpacks, finding the exact sound are non-trivial at times and a unified interface that lets me go fast asf without losing expression is vital.
I'm making my OSS version of this (faster than ffmpeg.wasm tho) called WAV0 - github.com/fluid-tools/wav0
babblingfish
This brings up an interesting philosophical question about AI assistance for those with disabilities. It reminds me of the debate when NanoWriMo said they would allow AI assistance for similar reasons.
We could make an argument based on equity. AI assistance levels the playing field. Something doesn't quite sit right with me though. Last weekend I was watching a band perform where each member of the band had down syndrome. I don't mean to compare the author's condition to down syndrome, little is said about his condition and I didn't read the linked article. And of course, many people with down syndrome did not get the opportunity to learn to play an instrument, whether from nature or nurture. But still, watching them play you get that feeling about how it's awesome when people strive for competence despite the obstacles.
I can't help but feeling those who use AI assistance are unknowingly capping their upside. The author's condition sounds painful and upsetting. But a major component of why practicing a creative craft is good for self-develoment is because the artist must confront and overcome self-doubt. We all suffer from the feeling of not being good enough. When you use AI to overcome those limits, do you confront the doubt? It feels more to me like you're a manager who is pleasantly surprised with the work your direct reports created. Rather than evoking a sense of wonder at your own latent competence. Which is what happens when you confront the negative feelings of self-doubt.
null
RobotToaster
> I can't help but feeling those who use AI assistance are unknowingly capping their upside.
You could use the same argument for using a calculator instead of doing mental arithmetic.
Or an artist using a printer instead of using oil paints.
babblingfish
We have to distinguish between craft and when we need a functional outcome.
Personally, I'm not interested in the craft of mental math. When I'm trying to calculate the tip I want the answer quickly so I can move on with my life. But if you care about the craft of mental math, then by all means, go for it
viccis
My honest review, as a musician who has spent many years of my life making music and both giving and receiving blunt critique:
Stunningly mediocre. Worthy of a Pitchfork 1/10. If your choice truly is between having AI make "art" that you pass off as your own vs not doing so, then please remember that, as a wise man once said, an artist understands the silence that serves as the foundation of creativity.
I can't see how "chronic health issues" make it impossible to write and sequence original music, but it does allow for the AI workflow described in the post? Modern DAWs are incredibly accessible. You don't have to put out this horrible tuneless samey music; you can just work on honing your craft.
Shortcuts are incredibly appealing because it can be so difficult and unrewarding to build up our musical skills. But then what you make is uniquely yours and reflects every minute spent on it. If you use something like Suno, the results (especially based on what I heard) are not unique to you. You could never have existed, and those musical tracks easily could have come out of the cold weights of a neural network sounding about the same.
nostrebored
If you could distill what you were trying to make and describe each piece, making it uniquely yours, is the fact that it went from an f(intent) -> output a reason to treat it as derivative?
I'm not claiming that Suno is there yet, but assuming that it cannot get there seems strange to me, given that the anthology of music is pretty well represented digitally.
greygoo222
The history of music, and indeed art in general, is that of every new genre being panned as "fake music."
You can have your opinions, man. The rest of us will keep making and listening to awesome art.
bebb
I've not used Suno Studio but I did put some of my own piano improv recordings into Suno and asked it to apply different styles. Fascinating results, hearing my work translated into disco, funk, acid jazz, marching brass band, film scores, 8-bit chiptunes, cor anglais solos, and more. It's given me a deeper appreciation for the broader musical landscape and has somewhat helped me out of a creative rut.
That said, I don't like the idea of generating entire songs and/or lyrics from scratch with AI. That's a step too far, as it diminishes creativity rather than supplements it. So I have mixed feelings overall about products like Suno.
rhetocj23
Well said man. Not surprising to hear this take from someone whos been involved in music production for many years.
I just listened to it myself and WTF - its awful. There is a reason why quality of music has diminished sharply since the Record Labels lost control.
fortranfiend
Most of the music I make on Suno is stuff that would never ever be made, a love ballad that only uses the word lizard, an anime intro to the "Lord of all Milk"
null
standardly
AI slop, yadda yadda, I get it... But I just want to say, as a former failed bedroom producer who just doesn't have the time (and skill) to make the kind of music I want... I had a BLAST using Suno. I was able to "remaster" some of my old tracks, add in new sections, etc, and isolate/download/edit the stems.
I understand it's not fully my creative output... but hearing one of my old, shitty, ableton live projects remastered and extended to sound like something that might actually get listens was really exciting and kind of mind-blowing.
bebb
I did the same to some old tracks, feeding them into Suno with different style requests, and it was fascinating. It didn't quite hit the mark on a whole-song scale but I enjoyed the exploration of ideas and genres.
If I could compare Suno to anything it'd be like having a studio full of rather disobedient and unpredictable session musicians available 24/7.
Even that's not quite what one gets as if you listen closely enough it doesn't really sound like a recording. Like the reverb is all over the place and there are certain other artefacts that are hard to describe but gratingly noticeable once you've spotted them.
HDThoreaun
Suno is one of the most stunning products Ive used. Theres going to be an explosion of people making comedy/meme music with it no doubt. End of the day I think music is about enjoying yourself(even the catharsis in sad songs)and its clear to me that suno only helps people do that.
aprilthird2021
Tracks very well with something I saw recently, that the biggest fans of and users of generative AI for writing (and in your case music) are people who want to write a book but never got around to doing it, not people who want to read and pay for books
standardly
Yes, I have no commercial interest when it comes to music, it's just something I find joy in. Using Suno did not detract from that joy. If music is a hobby, Suno is an incredibly fun tool.
DJ's and producers have been getting hate for years. "It's just a guy with a laptop on stage", "he isn't really playing those instruments", etc. Or think of a band leader, someone who composes but doesn't actually play the indiviudual part. I tried thinking of Suno this way and it helped ease whatever "guilt" I had about my own creative integrity.
spencerflem
So long as the music is just for you and never published, I wish you well
embedding-shape
> that the biggest fans of and users of generative AI for writing (and in your case music) are people who want to write a book but never got around to doing it, not people who want to read and pay for books
That makes sense right? At the advent of computer DAWs, the biggest fans and users wasn't people listening to music, but people who want to make music. Production tools are indeed meant for people producing things, not the consumers, as it should be :)
null
shermantanktop
“I never got around to it” is a useful filter. Actual artists are able to pass through it because they are driven to do the work.
If some retired lawyer wants to “write” a novel, good for them I guess. But AI is not the only reason it won’t be worth reading. The other problem is that the “writer” is actually just a reader. Consuming and producing are totally different.
rza1725a
Advertising AI for medical purposes seems to be the new trend. That sells easier than "45,000 job losses".
The result is still unbearable. YouTube videos with AI slop background are an instant no-watch.
doug_durham
Did you read the article? There was no mention of medical treatments. There are arguments to be made. This isn't one of them.
absolutely_rght
The comment you reply to does not mention medical treatments. Stephen Hawking's voice synthesizer was not a treatment, but a technological solution for a medical issue.
varispeed
This is a nice toy and for sure great entertainment, but even with user aid it came out with generic slop. I can't see artistic value in this.
roywiggins
The vocals from Suno almost always come out sounding sort of strangled or strained to my ear, you can really hear it on "tortured." Cool he's having fun with it, but it's not what I like listening to.
cactusplant7374
Some in the companion community have suggested that this is because we aren't treating the AI with dignity.
gdulli
I've seen dislike of AI called racism. There's no end to how stupid this gets.
BolexNOLA
LLM’s are currently not people, they are tools/toys. One day that could change. But today they are not people/sentient/whatever we want to call it.
roywiggins
They are delusional or misinformed: suno's model cannot possibly be aware of how AI is being treated. It is not informed of this information, it's not even informed about previous times it was invoked, it's wholly amnesiac.
dingnuts
if you think a next token predictor that has no internal world and stops executing when you stop giving it input and stops using the first person forever if instructed has dignity I strongly suggest you get professional health, and I'm serious, because that is medically significant psychosis.
the fact that you refer to a "companion community" is deeply concerning. this is like telling children their imaginary friends are actually real. or NPCs in a video game.
encouraging people to grow parasocial relationships with these sycophantic machines is actively harmful and dangerous. they are not conscious. they are mirrors.
if you consider yourself a part of this community please, and I mean this very seriously, get help
null
muglug
Yeah I was expecting to hear something decent at the top of the article, but the vocals sound like they suffer from severe mp3 compression.
NewsaHackO
Most modern music us generic slop, especially pop music. If he likes making it and others like listening to it, isn't that the point of a hobby?
bigyabai
Most != all. Modern music also gave us some of the most forward-thinking sounds yet to reach the mainstream. When people get comfortable listening to slop, making something genuine or transgressive becomes attractive again.
I think there's merit in worrying that AI-based music will cause artists to lose touch with the creative process, because I agree; a lot of modern music is pointless slop. Lowering the barrier to entry isn't going to fix it, so rationally "human music" hobbyists are coming into contention with "AI music" proponents. I don't think blogs like this one will bridge the divide.
NewsaHackO
But different people have different parts of the creative process that they find appealing. For instance, in this blog, he said he had multiple stems but felt as though AI helped him flesh them out. By using AI assistance, he was able to create the music he always wanted to create, and therefore have fun with his hobby. If people like listening to it, then there is an added benefit. The people who think that things other than AI are more conducive to their creative process are still allowed to use them, so AI assisted music doesn't really change anything for them. The only people I can think of who face negative side effects from AI are those attempting to commercialize or sell their music.
mplewis
Nah fuck this. Suno is slop.
null
jstummbillig
I have come to understand the usage of "slop" as possibly the sloppiest thing of all: Something that looks like critique, if it were not so entirely devoid of content.
ottah
You know someone doesn't have anything critical to say when they use that word.
doug_durham
It is the absolute "sloppiest". It's just become a lazy ill-considered critique worth nothing.
NewsaHackO
Yeah, arguments about “slop” have definitely devolved lately. Maybe it’s strange (or just typical human behavior), but using “AI = slop” as the only reason to dismiss something and refuse to engage in a discussion clearly parallels the way some people use AI to spam feeds.
viccis
I think part of the point of it, as a thought terminating cliche, is that it's usually used to critique something that is commensurately fatuous.
viccis
Wait until you find where the modern use of "slop" (as opposed to its original meaning before a few years ago) came from
cactusplant7374
People were listening to slop long before Suno.
ares623
So let’s encourage more slop at an accelerated pace? That’s our answer to everything huh. We’ve been doing “arguably bad thing” X, so let’s amplify it.
cactusplant7374
Sometimes culture gets a little sloppy.
doug_durham
Let people have fun.
aeon_ai
Nah.
Categorizing all AI as slop lacks nuance and demonstrates a shallow understanding of art
nxpnsv
Not AI, suno.
standardly
What is the difference between
1.) Sampling a real snare sound 2.) Suno generating a couple random snare hits for you to choose from
? There are ways to use it that aren't far-removed from how real producers work.
It's different to say "Generate me top-40 Sounding pop song"... But Suno has more uses than that.
aeon_ai
One-shot generations? Multi-track stem generation? Use of Suno at all in the process of composition?
Is slop a function defined by the tool or the users level of effort in using it?
ukFxqnLa2sBSBf6
Categorizing AI generated media as anything but slop demonstrates a shallow understanding of art.
doug_durham
So you must really hate collage artists. All they are doing is cutting out images and pasting them into new images. Picasso really produced some slot I guess. You seem to have a very rigid definition of "art".
aeon_ai
Define art for me then.
Because if you can’t do that, and effectively articulate why AI media can’t be art when used as a tool by an artist to achieve their creative intent, I would claim the win on this. one.
null
I think as an artist, you need to make art that has value to you, not to your audience, because you are a representative of your own perspective on the world, not someone else's.
If the artist finds the output to be something that has meaning to them, and helps them categorize their feelings towards the world, then I think that's valuable art. It doesn't mean I'm going to go buy that album, but I'm glad it was made.