AIVA

Our hands-on review of AIVA

AIVA takes a somewhat different approach to AI music generation. Instead of focusing primarily on generating vocal-heavy songs from conversational prompts, its core identity is closer to an AI composer and soundtrack-generation system.

The platform can generate music in more than 250 styles and is designed to work for both beginners and experienced music creators. AIVA also emphasizes customization, allowing users to upload an audio or MIDI influence, edit generated tracks, and create their own style models.

That makes AIVA particularly interesting for filmmakers, game developers, YouTubers, and producers who need instrumental music rather than simply another AI-generated pop song.

The MIDI workflow is another useful advantage. Instead of treating the generated composition only as a finished audio file, creators can work with MIDI output and continue developing the musical idea in other production software.

AIVA's licensing structure is also clearer than many AI music platforms. The free plan is non-commercial, while Standard provides limited monetization on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram. Pro provides full copyright ownership and unrestricted monetization under AIVA's current plan structure.

The main limitation is that users need to choose their subscription based on how they intend to use the music. Free and Standard plans do not provide the same ownership and commercial rights as Pro.

Overall, AIVA feels particularly useful for soundtrack creation, instrumental composition, and AI-assisted music production rather than purely entertainment-focused song generation.

How AIVA actually works

AIVA starts with a musical direction rather than requiring traditional music-production skills.

Users can select from more than 250 musical styles and generate new compositions within seconds. The platform then produces a musical arrangement based on the selected creative direction.

After generating a track, users can edit the composition rather than simply accepting the first result. AIVA supports customization workflows that allow creators to modify generated music and develop the composition further.

One of the platform's more advanced features is the ability to create custom style models. Users can also upload an audio or MIDI influence, allowing AIVA to generate new music influenced by the uploaded material.

For creators who work with traditional music-production software, MIDI export can be particularly useful because it provides a more editable representation of the composition instead of only a finished audio recording.

AIVA also supports downloading generated compositions in multiple formats. The exact download formats and limits depend on the subscription plan. The Free plan provides MP3 and MIDI downloads, while Pro adds all available file formats and high-quality WAV export.

Licensing is connected directly to the subscription. AIVA's terms state that downloaded compositions receive either a non-commercial license, limited commercial license, or full copyright depending on the user's plan.

This makes the workflow relatively straightforward: choose a style, generate a composition, customize it, export the required format, and use it according to the rights provided by the subscription.

Pricing: is it worth the money?

AIVA currently offers three main individual plans: Free, Standard, and Pro. The Free plan costs €0, while Standard Annual is currently €11/month + VAT and Pro Annual is €33/month + VAT when billed annually.

The Free plan is designed for beginners and non-commercial use. It includes three downloads per month, supports tracks up to three minutes, and allows MP3 and MIDI downloads. AIVA retains copyright ownership and users must credit AIVA.

Standard is aimed at content creators who want to monetize compositions on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram. It provides 15 downloads per month, tracks up to five minutes, MP3 and MIDI downloads, and removes the requirement to credit AIVA. However, AIVA still owns the copyright under this plan and monetization is limited to the specified platforms.

Pro costs €33/month when billed annually and is intended for creators who want full copyright ownership and unrestricted monetization. It provides 300 downloads per month, tracks up to five minutes and thirty seconds, all available file formats, and high-quality WAV exports.

The important distinction is therefore not simply the number of downloads. Licensing is the major difference between the plans. AIVA's legal agreement confirms that Pro can transfer full copyright of generated compositions to the user, while other plans provide more limited rights.

For casual experimentation, Free can be enough. For social creators, Standard provides a middle ground. For commercial production and ownership, Pro is the relevant plan.

AIVA vs. the alternatives

• 1. Suno

  AI music platform focused on generating complete songs with vocals, lyrics, instrumentation, editing, and broader song-production workflows.

• 2. Udio

  AI music generation platform designed for creating songs, vocals, instrumental arrangements, remixes, extensions, and creative music experiments.

• 3. Stable Audio

  Generative audio platform from Stability AI for creating music and sound effects from text prompts.

• 4. Soundraw

  AI music generator focused on customizable background music for videos, creators, brands, and commercial content.

• 5. Beatoven.ai

  AI background-music platform designed for videos, podcasts, games, advertisements, and other content projects.

• 6. Mubert

  AI music platform for generating background music and audio experiences for creators, brands, applications, and digital products.

• 7. Loudly

  AI music creation platform providing generated music, customization, remixing, and creator-focused music workflows.

• 8. Boomy

  AI music creation platform designed for quickly generating songs and experimenting with music without traditional production skills.

• 9. Soundful

  AI music generator focused on customizable tracks for creators, artists, brands, and commercial projects.

• 10. ElevenLabs Music

  AI audio platform combining generative music with voice generation, text-to-speech, dubbing, and other AI audio capabilities.

Our verdict

AIVA is best understood as an AI-assisted music composer rather than simply another text-to-song generator.

Its strongest area is instrumental music and soundtrack creation. The ability to generate compositions across more than 250 styles, work with MIDI, upload musical influences, create custom style models, edit generated tracks, and export different file formats gives creators considerable control over the composition process.

This makes it particularly relevant for filmmakers, game developers, YouTubers, podcasters, agencies, and businesses that need original background music or soundtracks.

AIVA also has a clear subscription-based licensing structure. The Free plan is explicitly non-commercial, Standard provides limited monetization for selected social platforms, and Pro provides full copyright ownership and unrestricted monetization under AIVA's current licensing terms.

The biggest consideration is therefore choosing the correct plan before using music commercially. Users should not assume that music generated under the Free or Standard plan automatically provides the same rights as Pro.

AIVA may also require more musical iteration than users initially expect. AI-generated compositions can provide strong starting points, but creators may still need to edit, rearrange, or refine the results.

For creators looking for AI-generated instrumental music with MIDI support, customization, soundtrack workflows, and a clearly defined commercial licensing structure, AIVA provides a focused music-composition workflow.

AIVA FAQ