Suno v6: more control over your AI music, and a free version to start with

Suno has shipped v6, a new generation of its AI music tool, developed together with the record labels Warner Music Group, BMG and Believe.

The big new thing is control. You can now edit individual sections of a song in plain language, change specific lyrics without rebuilding the whole track, and make mashups of several songs. There's also the option to isolate and sample individual instruments.

You can start creating from text, audio, images or video, depending on where your idea comes from.

There are three versions: v6 for precise control, v6-wild for those who want to be surprised, and v6-mini, which is free and an obvious choice if you just want to try your hand at it.

The partnership with the record labels isn't just a name on paper. Suno has built in checks of uploaded audio and lyrics for unauthorized use, and promises more transparency about where AI has actually been used in a song.

The old models are being phased out as v6 rolls out, so everything will move over to the new generation in time, meaning there's nothing to wait for.

Suno also points ahead to new "opt-in" products, where artists themselves choose to take part and get paid, while fans get new ways to follow the artists they love.

If you use Suno privately, you can dive into v6 right away: even the free version has been upgraded. If you're in the music industry, it's worth keeping an eye on the upcoming artist products, but there's no reason to act on anything yet.

What it means for you

If you make music with AI yourself, you can get started with v6 now: the free v6-mini is an obvious choice if you want to test editing lyrics and audio without paying. If you have an idea in the form of an image or a video, you can use it as a starting point instead of writing everything from scratch. If you work in the music industry, you should keep an eye on the upcoming opt-in products for artists, but you don't need to do anything yet.