AIVA
An AI composer that has been writing orchestral and cinematic music since 2016 — MIDI export a built-in score editor and the only AI music tool where you can actually own the copyright.
Many AI music tools sound like they were hastily assembled last year. But AIVA has been in this game since 2016, and that’s evident in one critical way: this tool actually gets classical and cinematic music theory rather than just spitting out whatever sounds plausible after training. You can hear that in its work on orchestral and video game tracks, as the harmonies and layering feel deliberate instead of just generated. The score editor – the one feature that distinguishes it from every other AI tool on this list – actually lets you view and edit the music notation of generated output. You can modify individual notes, swap instruments, stretch out phrases and pretty much treat it like an actual songwriting app in that sense. MIDI output is compatible with Logic Pro, Ableton, and other DAWs with standard MIDI support. AIVA is also one of the few platforms where you can secure full copyright on anything generated (on its $49/mo Pro plan), as most give you a mere licence to use the music. The main caveat? You really can’t generate convincing 808 bass beats on AIVA. But if your wheelhouse is more film scores, game soundtracks or anything lengthy with cinematic ambitions, and you actually own the copyright, AIVA is in its own class.
- Category: Music Generation
- Pricing: Freemium
- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (0 reviews)
- Platforms: Web
Key features
- Score editor — View and edit generated compositions as standard musical notation for fine-tuning individual notes phrases and instrumentation
- MIDI export — Export compositions as MIDI files compatible with Logic Pro Ableton and all standard DAW environments
- Full copyright ownership — Pro plan grants full copyright on all generated compositions not just a usage licence
- Orchestral style mastery — Trained specifically on classical and cinematic music theory producing harmonic movement that other generators cannot replicate
- Influence tracks — Upload reference audio to guide the style mood and instrumentation direction of generated compositions
- Multi-genre profiles — Generation presets across orchestral pop rock ambient and other styles beyond the cinematic core
- Long-form composition — Generate extended compositions with proper structure development and resolution rather than short loops
- Stem export — Export individual instrument parts for mixing and production in a DAW
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Score editor for viewing and editing musical notation is unique in the AI music category and essential for composers who work in traditional notation
- Full copyright ownership on Pro plan is genuinely rare — most AI music tools only grant a licence while AIVA transfers the copyright
- Established since 2016 with the deepest training on classical and cinematic music theory in the category
- MIDI export compatibility with all major DAWs makes it the most production-workflow-friendly AI music tool available
- Free tier with 3 downloads per month allows meaningful evaluation of the compositional quality before any payment
Cons
- Cinematic and orchestral style focus means it is a poor fit for modern genres like hip-hop trap EDM and contemporary pop production
- Pro plan at €49 per month is the most expensive in the category and only justified for professional composers with regular high-value project work
- Interface and workflow are more complex than Suno or Boomy with a steeper learning curve for users without a music theory background
- Generation speed is slower than newer models and the output requires more manual refinement for production-ready results