Suno launches AI-powered DAW to put humans artists back in the driver’s seat
Suno Studio blends AI generation with human creativity, offering a new tool that could shake up the way musicians create, edit, and produce music.
Suno’s leap from AI model to full studio
Suno has been at the centre of headlines in the music industry over the past year, and it’s just launched something bigger: its own generative Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Called Suno Studio, the platform is pitched as the “world’s first” generative DAW. Whether you’re a pro producer, an aspiring musician, or just getting started, Suno Studio is designed to open the door for everyone.
The launch comes hot on the heels of Suno’s v5 model, which the company claims is its most powerful yet. Expect “clearer, more immersive audio” with more natural sounding-vocals, better genre understanding, and better mixing tools. In other words, it’s an AI upgrade that could make generating ideas quicker and easier than ever.
What can you do with Suno Studio
At its core, Suno Studio fuses AI music generation with pro-level editing features that lets you put your music together lay-by-layer. You can generate unlimited AI-generated stems, from drums, vocals, synths, bass, and more.
You’re not just limited to AI-only content though. You can also pull in your own audio samples or even other tracks from the Suno library. Once generated, stems can be exported as both audio and MIDI files, meaning you can keep working in any other DAW if you prefer.
Users also get hands-on control over elements like BPM, pitch, and volume. It’s not just a tool that generates each stem for you, it’s designed to feel like a real DAW, with flexibility to tweak every detail.
Humans still in control
One of the biggest talking points around AI in music is the fear that tech might replace human artistry. So far, Suno’s generative AI model is the pinnacle of this, but Suno Studio leans in the opposite direction. In fact, Suno’s CEO Mikey Shulman stressed that the Studio aims to ensure artists stay in the driver’s seat.
“Studio was built to expand the toolkit for musicians; it intentionally does not prescribe workflows so that human talent can remain front and center.”
Mikey Shulman, Suno’s CEO
To prove the point, Suno has been testing the DAW with artists in recent weeks, according to MBW. Grammy-winning producer Om’Mas Keith joined a three-day session at Shangri-La studios, describing the process as one that unlocked “immunerable possibilities” while keeping human touch and quality control intact.
The bigger picture
Of course, this launch doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Suno is still facing legal pressure across the music industry. Major labels recently amended their lawsuit against Suno, alleging the company trained its AI models using copyrighted recordings ‘stream ripped’ from YouTube.
Beyond lawsuits, there’s the bigger controversy over fully AI-generated music. While AI-generated band The Velvet Sundown racked up Spotify streams, many of those listeners were short-lived and fueled by curiosity.
Suno Studio seems to acknowledge the general consensus against wholly AI-generated music. Instead, they’re trying to hit the sweet spot with AI as a collaborator, not a replacement. The platform gives artists the option to combine human-made samples with AI-generated elements, or even just use AI as a springboard for new ideas before building them out authentically.
Why it matters
For artists, producers, and the wider industry, Suno Studio could represent a shift. So far, Suno has mainly been focused on fully AI-generated music. With the launch of Suno Studio, it’s less about AI generating your next hit for you, but more about streamlining the creative process.
Whether you’re looking to experiment, move faster, or just spark inspiration, Suno’s DAW could be for you. For now, it’s rolling out on desktop to help Premier users boost their creativity.
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