Which tool to choose
It depends on the kind of track and, above all, on how you'll use it.
- You want a complete song, with vocals and lyrics: Suno or Udio. You generate whole tracks from a description or from your own lyrics. The free plan is for personal use; to publish you need the subscription that gives you commercial rights.
- You only need instrumental background music for a video: a tool geared toward royalty-free (rights-free) instrumental tracks like Loudly, where you adjust tempo, energy, and instruments.
- You want to generate a lot, for free, even for commercial use: check the tools that offer a free commercial license (they exist, but they change: always read the up-to-date terms before publishing).
- You're looking for specific sound effects (a bell, a rustle): dedicated sound-generation tools, distinct from music generators.
The difference that matters isn't the sound quality, it's the license. Two tools can sound the same: one lets you use the track in a monetized video, the other doesn't.
How to do it
From a browser or an app, the path is the same.
Define what the music is for. Background that doesn't distract? A lead track? The mood (calm, energetic, melancholic) drives everything. The right music supports the video; the wrong one sinks it.
Describe the track. Open the tool and write style, mood, instruments, rhythm. The more concrete you are, the more on-target the result.
The operational syntax:
Instrumental background music, relaxed acoustic style, guitar and piano, slow tempo, warm and positive mood, no vocals. Suited to a video presenting a handcrafted product. Length about one minute.Generate several versions. Create two or three variants and listen to them on the device where you'll use the video. A track that sounds fine on headphones may drown out the voice on phone speakers.
Check the license before downloading. This is the step everyone skips and that causes problems later. Verify whether the plan you're using permits the use you'll make of it.
Download and edit. Import the track into your editor, lower its volume below the spoken voice, and trim or loop it to match the video's length.
A concrete example
Paolo runs a gardening tutorial channel. He wants a recognizable jingle. He opens Suno and describes "cheerful acoustic music with ukulele, whistled, ten seconds, summery mood." He generates four versions and keeps one. Since the channel earns money, he activates the paid plan to hold commercial rights to the track. He uses that jingle at the start of every video: within a few episodes it becomes the sound the audience associates with the channel. Cost: a monthly subscription, versus a composer.
When it does NOT work (and how to fix it)
If you find out afterward that you couldn't use that music
It's the costliest mistake: publishing a video with music from a free plan that forbids commercial use. Fix: check the license before publishing, not after. If you've already published, regenerate the track under a plan with commercial rights and swap it into the video, or switch to a royalty-free track declared free to use.
If the music drowns out the voice
A track that's too prominent makes the speech unintelligible. Fix: when editing, keep the music well below the voice, and choose instrumental tracks without vocals for spoken videos. Music that's too noticeable is almost always too loud.
If the track doesn't match the length you asked for
The AI doesn't always nail the exact length. Fix: generate a track longer than needed and trim it in the editor, or use a section that loops to cover the duration. For short jingles, explicitly ask for a few seconds.
If every version sounds generic
A vague description gives anonymous music. Fix: add concrete references (the instruments, the tempo, a precise mood, the intended use) instead of generic adjectives like "nice" or "modern." State what you do NOT want (no electronic drums, no vocals) if needed.
A tip from someone who actually uses it
The right music is the one you don't notice. In a video, the background should support the emotion without stealing the scene: if at the end people remember the song and not the content, you picked the wrong track. Generate discreet music, keep it low, and use it like stage lighting, not like the lead. The exception is the jingle, where you actually do want it to stick in people's heads.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use AI music on YouTube or Instagram without copyright problems?
Only if the license allows it. The risk isn't the platform's anti-copyright system, it's the tool's license: some free plans forbid commercial use. With a paid plan that grants you the rights, or with tracks declared royalty-free, you're fine.
Is AI music really copyright-free?
Royalty-free doesn't mean rule-free: it means you don't pay recurring royalties, but the tool's license dictates what you can do with it. Read it. "Free to download" and "free to use commercially" are two different things.
Can I have it sing my own lyrics?
Yes, Suno and Udio generate tracks with the lyrics you provide. Write the verses, choose the style, and the AI sings your words. The point about the license for public use still holds.
Will AI music put musicians out of work?
For the anonymous background music of videos, AI already covers most of the need. But a soundtrack that converses with the images, a track that says something, a voice with an unrepeatable timbre remain human ground. AI fills the void of utility music; it doesn't write the song that changes your day. The value shifts from producing sound to choosing what's worth saying with music.