AI music generator Suno, the $500 million company facing copyright lawsuits from GEMA and major record companies, has rolled out its version 4.5 update, introducing significant improvements.
The upgraded features include improvements to vocal quality and doubling maximum song length, Suno said in a recent blog post.
The v4.5 update enhances the range and emotional depth of AI-generated vocals, allowing users to “create everything from delicate, intimate performances to powerful deliveries with vibrato,” said Suno.
Users will be able to create mashups combining different styles like midwest emo with neosoul or EDM with folk.
Suno added that v4.5 “better understands and translates your descriptions: capturing the details, moods, and instruments you specify… Now, both emotional nuances and technical music elements are better reflected in your song.”
Another notable addition is a prompt-enhancement helper, which guides users in crafting more descriptive prompts to help them transform their ideas into detailed instructions.
The maximum song length has been increased to eight minutes from four minutes, potentially opening the platform up for longer-form content creation. Suno also claims improvements to generation speed, though specific metrics weren’t provided.
The update also brings expanded functionality to the platform’s Covers and Personas features, allowing users to “genre switch” existing songs, for instance turning a rock song into a house remix.
The new version also promises improved audio quality with more balanced mixes, addressing “audio degradation and shimmer effects.”
“Your songs better maintain consistent sound quality from beginning to end, even in longer compositions,” said Suno.
The v4.5 model is available exclusively to paid subscribers, with plans starting at $8 monthly for the Pro tier. Free users remain limited to the previous v4.0 model with a cap of 20 total songs, plus 10 daily creations using the older v3.5 model.
Suno’s update arrives amid growing competition in AI music generation. Last week, Splice — valued in 2021 at nearly USD $500 million after securing $55 million in funding — announced that it has acquired UK-based virtual instrument library Spitfire Audio as it bets on AI music creation.
However, the use of existing content, including copyrighted material, in training AI models has prompted several players in the music industry to criticize and even take legal action against AI companies like Suno.
In January, Suno was sued for copyright infringement by GEMA, the German collection society and licensing body.
In June, Suno was sued by the major record companies, along with fellow AI firm Udio, for allegedly training their systems using the majors’ recordings without permission – an accusation they pretty much admitted to in court filings in August.
However, Suno’s controversial reputation in the music industry didn’t seem to stop Amazon from partnering with it. In February, Amazon unveiled an AI-powered version of its Alexa voice assistant, and among the capabilities of the “next-generation” Alexa+ is an integration with Suno.
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