What is it?
Aiva is an AI music composition platform that launched in 2016 — making it one of the original AI music tools and significantly older than most of its current competitors. It specialises in instrumental and orchestral music: think film scores, game soundtracks, and classical-adjacent composition. You can generate tracks by selecting a style and mood, or upload a musical influence for it to draw from. On paid plans, you own the copyright to what you create.
Who is it for?
- Indie game developers who need a soundtrack without a composer budget
- YouTubers and filmmakers who need original instrumental background music
- Educators and presenters who want original music under their content
- Composers who want a quick sketching tool for cinematic ideas
- Beginners — the style-based interface doesn't require music theory knowledge
The magic moment
Select the "Epic Orchestral" style, choose a minor key and a mid-tempo pace, and hit generate. Within a minute you have a two-minute track that sounds like it belongs under a cinematic trailer. The strings swell, the timpani comes in — it's structurally coherent in a way that pure prompt-based tools don't always achieve. For film-style music, it's hard to beat.
Step-by-step setup
- Go to aiva.ai and create a free account
- Click Create Track from the dashboard
- Choose a Style from the presets (Epic Orchestral, Piano Solo, Electronic, Jazz, etc.)
- Set the duration, tempo, and key if you have preferences — or leave them on auto
- Click Generate — Aiva will produce a full track in about 30–60 seconds
- Listen back and use the Influences feature if you want to nudge the style toward a specific sound
- Download your track — on the free plan it will be licensed for non-commercial use; on paid plans you own it
Tip: if you need music for a commercial project, the Standard plan ($11/month) gives you copyright ownership and is well worth it compared to stock music licensing fees.
Compare with similar tools
- Suno — much stronger for vocal pop and genre music; Aiva wins for instrumental and orchestral work
- Udio — better production quality for songs with vocals; Aiva wins when you need structured, score-like instrumental composition
