· By Will Harken
The Ultimate Guide to Making Electronic Music with AI
Artificial intelligence has come a long way in crafting electronic music. It's impressive, but it also leads to a big question: How much should you let AI do the writing for you?
This guide will show you how to use AI in creating electronic music, whether you’re just starting out or you've got tons of experience, but want to add some AI flair to your tracks.
Oh, and if you want to dive into isolating vocals or instrumentals, check out Lalal.ai. If spoken dialog is more your speed, you can create it with AI over at ElevenLabs.io.
And before we jump in, my thoughts on AI music-making tools are that you should try Udio and Suno. They really stand out! For more details, check out my comparison article.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- The Importance of Listening
- Learning to Describe Music
- Reverse Prompting
- Creating Electronic Music with AI Only
- Combining AI and Human Effort
- Generating Stems with AI
- Using Templates as a Starting Point
- Mastering Your AI-Generated Music
- Embracing the AI Aesthetic
The Importance of Listening
To create music, you need to soak up sounds. If you want to make cyberpunk or dark synth, listen to lots of tracks in those styles. It’ll inspire you.
Learning to Describe Music
Here’s the trick: learn to express what you want! You’ll need to describe your vision—not to a person, but to a computer. It’s like teaching a toddler your favorite game rules.
Familiarize yourself with concepts like beats per minute (BPM) and instrument types (like percussion and synth). This knowledge grows with practice.
Background note: My song "Basilisk" was created without any AI:
Reverse Prompting
Reverse prompting is a game-changer. You can take a song you like and get suggestions to create something similar. It's a nifty trick!
Check out this Reddit post for more on reverse prompting.
You can also find a custom GPT tool mentioned in that discussion.
It won’t be long before tools like Udio and Suno include reverse prompting too.
Creating Electronic Music with AI Only
If you’re a beginner, know you can whip up a full song with just your prompts. Try using Udio and Suno together. See which one resonates with you!
If speed is what you need, Udio has a longer generation option if you're up for the premium plan.
Suno also offers a longer generation time, so you’ll get close to a whole song quickly.
For example, I created "Fight For Your Life" with a track generated by Suno. I added a few extra elements, but it could’ve stood alone. Check it out! "Nuclear Blood" was generated with Udio along with some extra layers.
Looking for personal music and audio? Visit this page to get started!
Extending Human-Produced Ideas
For the pros out there, AI can be your brainstorming buddy. Share your unfinished ideas on Udio or Suno and see what magic they craft.
You can use those AI suggestions to finish your tracks or even be satisfied with the AI results if they’re solid. 🎧
Take my song "Derma Drive 9k," for instance. I laid the groundwork with Udio and let it generate the rest. Only the first drop was human-created!
Just remember, AI can ramble a bit. Your goal is to focus the sound and keep listeners intrigued. Use a tool like Ultimate Vocal Remover to cut out unnecessary bits and gain control over distinct layers.
Generating Stems with AI
Create unique stems using Stable Audio. Input specific BPM and info about the stem you want. It’s especially helpful for adding percussion or quirky sound effects.
The bridge in my track "Kill the Strogg" (around 2:12) features a stem I generated with Stable Audio. I layered more elements to fit it all together.
You might also try Udio or Suno for generating stems, but they’re often better for full tracks. If that's your route, a stem-separation tool like Ultimate Vocal Remover might come in handy.
Using Templates as a Starting Point
Don’t underestimate templates! Sites like Abletunes offer song templates that can kickstart your production. If one matches your style, dive in!
This can be challenging if you need to customize in your DAW, but it’s a great way to hone your skills.
Mastering Your AI-Generated Music
For fine-tuning, try tools like Ozone or Landr for automatic mastering. True, they won’t replace a human engineer, but if AI quality is iffy, it's likely no big deal.
If you need help pushing your AI music further, reach out to us!
Embracing the AI Aesthetic
Right now, AI-generated audio can feel rough around the edges. The punch may be missing, and it's not always crisp. 🎼
But that lower quality can also lend itself to unique styles, like Lo-Fi music. Sometimes the imperfections add charm. Just remember, the key factor is how well it resonates with the genre's audience.
Your final track doesn’t have to sound like a radio hit to be valuable. It's a balancing act.
Conclusion
Keep this in mind: even if you craft a perfect song, it might get lost among the countless releases each week. So, focus on making music, not on chasing fame. We’re here for creativity! 😎
For more tips on using AI in music production, explore these resources: