Suno v4: Revolutionizing AI Music Generation
Suno, a leading AI music generation platform, has presented its groundbreaking v4 model, marking a significant advancement in AI-generated music. The update introduces substantial improvements in audio quality, featuring cleaner sound, sharper lyrics, and more dynamic song structures. New features include a remaster function, enhanced lyrics assistance, and persona creation for consistent vocal styles. Despite facing legal challenges from major music companies, Suno continues to expand, growing its user base to 25 million and increasing its workforce. The v4 release represents a pivotal moment in AI music technology, potentially reshaping the music industry while raising important questions about copyright and fair use in the AI era.
Introduction
Suno, one of the foremost artificial intelligence music generators, has released its highly anticipated v4 model, ¹ marking a significant leap forward in AI-generated music technology. This update brings substantial improvements in audio quality and introduces a range of new features, positioning Suno at the cutting edge of AI music creation.
Audio Enhancements and New Features
The v4 model introduces remarkable enhancements in audio quality. According to Suno’s blog, “v4 delivers cleaner audio, sharper lyrics, and more dynamic song structures.” ² Users can now create longer songs with improved tone and more natural-sounding vocals across various genres. The update addresses previous issues with robotic-sounding vocals, producing songs that are often indistinguishable from human performances.
Key improvements include:
- Enhanced clarity and vocal authenticity
- Improved stereo effects
- More dynamic song structures
- Better composition skills with unexpected chord changes
- Crisper productions with more realistic singers and instrumentation
New features introduced with v4 include:
- Remaster function: Allows users to upgrade older tracks to v4 quality
- ReMi: A new lyrics assist option for more creative songwriting
- Personas: Enables consistent singing styles across tracks
- Enhanced Covers function: Reimagine existing songs with AI assistance
- Partial composition uploads: Facilitates AI collaboration on user-initiated works
- Beta feature for video/photo-inspired song creation
As noted by Christopher Wieduwilt, a Munich-based entrepreneur, Suno v4 “will shake the music industry to its core,” ³ highlighting the significant impact this update is expected to have on music creation and production.
Company Growth and Business Developments
Alongside technological advancements, Suno has experienced substantial growth as a company. The user base has expanded from 10 million in spring to an impressive 25 million users. This growth is reflected in the company’s physical expansion, with a new two-story office space near Harvard University, including a professional studio. ⁴
Suno has also made significant strides in team building and partnerships:
- Employee growth from 12 to over 50
- Jack Brody, former Head of Product at Snap, joins as Chief Product Officer
- Grammy-winning artist and producer Timbaland partners with Suno as a strategic advisor
The development process for v4 focused heavily on human preferences for model improvement. As Suno co-founder Mikey Shulman explains, “Just after a few more months of being able to do that, we have better ideas of what human preferences are.” ⁴
Industry Impact and Challenges
The release of Suno v4 has sparked mixed reactions within the music industry. While some artists are secretly using Suno, others express concerns about its impact on traditional music creation. The company faces significant legal challenges, with major music companies including Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group filing lawsuits over copyright issues.
Suno maintains that its use of copyrighted material for training falls under “fair use” according to U.S. copyright law. However, this defense has yet to be tested in court and remains a contentious issue in the AI music generation landscape.
The company acknowledges the need for industry collaboration. Shulman states, “That future of music, we actually can’t and don’t want to do by ourselves,” ⁴ indicating a desire to work with labels and artists as partners.
Availability and Platform Growth
Suno v4 is currently available in beta for Pro and Premier users on suno.com and iOS. The company offers both free and paid plans with varying features and usage limits:
- Free version: Up to 10 new tracks per day, owned by Suno for non-commercial use
- Pro plan ($10/month): Up to 500 songs per month with user ownership
- Premier plan ($30/month): Up to 2,500 songs per month with user ownership
This tiered approach allows Suno to cater to a wide range of users, from casual creators to professional musicians and producers.
User Experience and Community Engagement
Suno fosters community engagement through its Discord platform, where users can share creations and participate in discussions. This collaborative environment contributes to the platform’s ongoing development and improvement.
While the v4 model represents a significant improvement, some limitations persist. Users have reported issues with high-pitched notes and occasionally nonsensical AI-generated lyrics. These challenges highlight the ongoing need for human oversight and editing in AI-generated music.
Future Outlook
As Suno continues to innovate, the company is keenly aware of potential future challenges, particularly in AI voice imitation technologies. Shulman notes, “Somebody is going to train a model without any Neil Young in it and then figure out how to prompt a spitting image of Neil Young out of that model by describing it correctly.” ⁴
This forward-thinking approach demonstrates Suno’s commitment to staying ahead of technological trends while navigating the complex landscape of AI-generated music.
Conclusion
The release of Suno v4 marks a significant milestone in AI music generation. Suno v4 brings significant improvements in audio quality and introduces new creative features, positioning the company as an influential player in the evolving landscape of AI-generated music. However, the company must continue to navigate legal challenges and address ethical concerns as it pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in AI-generated music.
As the technology evolves and becomes more accessible, the impact on the music industry, copyright law, and creative processes will undoubtedly be profound. Suno v4 represents not just an advancement in AI technology, but a potential paradigm shift in how we conceptualize and create music in the digital age.
Sources:
- https://x.com/sunomusic/status/1858918710008049866
- https://suno.com/blog/v4
- https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/suno-after-being-sued-by-the-majors-and-hiring-timbaland-as-strategic-advisor-preps-launch-of-v4-claimed-to-be-a-new-era-of-ai-music-generation12/
- https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ai-music-generator-new-model-suno-1235172581/