The Guide / 06 steps
How to make a song
from scratch.
A six-step path from a vague feeling at 2am to a mastered record on streaming. Read every tip — or skip to your level. Made for the ignorant, the novice and the expert AI music producer in equal measure.
Beginner-safeNovice tipsPro moves
01Idea
Find the spark
Every song starts with one tiny seed: a feeling, a phrase, a beat tapped on a steering wheel. Don't overthink it — capture the spark before it floats away.
- BeginnerOpen Notes and type one sentence about how you feel right now. That's your song.
- NovicePick a single reference track that nails the mood. You'll point the AI at it later.
- ProBlock out a 4–8 bar emotional arc: where the song starts, where it lands, what it costs to get there.
02Vibe
Sketch the vibe
Before lyrics or beats, decide what world this song lives in. Genre, tempo, mood, instruments. A clear vibe is the difference between a hit and a mess.
- BeginnerAnswer three questions: fast or slow? happy or sad? vocals or no vocals?
- NoviceWrite a style tag string: "dark trap, 90 BPM, female vocal, 808s, atmospheric".
- ProLock key, BPM and song structure (intro / verse / chorus / bridge) on paper first.
03Lyrics
Write the lyrics
Lyrics are the bones the rest of the song hangs on. Write them yourself, co-write with AI, or let the model take a first pass and you edit. There's no wrong answer.
- BeginnerUse the AI to draft a chorus from your one-sentence idea. Read it out loud. Keep what feels real.
- NoviceUse the Album planner's lyric tools — they auto-check rhyme, prosody, and syllable count before you save.
- ProStructure-check first, prettify second. Solid hook + clean prosody beats clever wordplay.
Open Album Planner →04Generate
Generate the music
Hand your vibe + lyrics to the AI. Suno and Udio do full songs with vocals. ElevenLabs handles instrumental beds and SFX. Run a few takes — first try is rarely the best.
- BeginnerOpen Studio → AI Generate → Vocals. Paste the chorus, hit Generate. Listen. Repeat.
- NoviceTry the same prompt across Music (instrumental) and Vocals (Udio). Pick the bones that excite you most.
- ProStack 3–5 generations of the same prompt with style nudges ("+ tape saturation", "+ minor key"). Comp the best moments.
Go to Studio →05Refine
Refine and layer
Now you produce. Split the generation into stems, swap the drums, clean the vocal, add an SFX riser into the drop. This is where AI output becomes your song.
- BeginnerRun Stems on your favorite take. Mute the parts you don't like — instantly better.
- NoviceUse Vocal Clean on the lead, then layer a generated harmony underneath at low volume.
- ProCut to grid, comp vocals across takes, automate filters into the chorus. Treat AI clips like any other source.
06Ship
Mix, master, release
A great mix makes a good song great. Master to commercial loudness, export, drop it into the world. Done is better than perfect — ship it.
- BeginnerRun Master with the "Streaming Balanced" preset. Export. Send to one friend today.
- NoviceA/B against a reference track on the same speakers. Adjust low-end, re-master.
- ProRender -14 LUFS for streaming, -9 LUFS for club. Tag with ISRC, schedule the release, prep the artwork.
Master a Track →Now go make something
The best first song is the one you actually finish.
Open the Studio, run the six steps end to end, and ship a draft today. You can always remix tomorrow.
