AIVA — Complete Guide to AI Music Composition

What AIVA does

AIVA composes original instrumental music. Select a style, set parameters, and AIVA generates a scored composition. Unlike Suno or Udio, there are typically no AI vocals — AIVA is a composition tool for scored, instrumental music.

The output is not just an audio file. AIVA also produces MIDI (on Pro plan) — the actual musical notation importable into any DAW (Logic Pro, Ableton, FL Studio) for further editing or live instrument recording. This makes AIVA useful as a starting point for human composers, not just an end-to-end generation tool.

Who AIVA is for: Indie game developers, filmmakers, and content creators needing original scored music. Also useful for composers as a rapid ideation tool.

Copyright ownership — important detail

On the Free plan, AIVA retains copyright. On Standard, you can monetise on streaming but AIVA retains ownership. Only on Pro do you receive full copyright ownership. This is a significant distinction from Suno/Udio where paid plans generally grant user ownership. Verify terms at aiva.ai/legal before commercial use.

Creation modes

Influence tracks — select a reference track from AIVA's library to influence composition style. Better for new users. From scratch — set key, tempo, time signature, instruments, duration manually. More powerful once you understand how AIVA interprets parameters.

The editor allows changing instrument tracks, regenerating sections, adjusting mix, and adding/removing instruments. For note-level editing, export MIDI and work in a DAW.

Generate a cinematic trailer score

I need a cinematic score for [project type — e.g. an indie game / a short film]. Duration: [length]. Emotional arc: [start mood] → [peak mood] → [end mood]. Write an AIVA generation brief covering style parameters, tempo range, key signature, instrumentation, and section structure (quiet opening, build, climax, resolution).

Create ambient game music

I need ambient background music for [game environment — e.g. an underground dungeon / a peaceful village]. It needs to loop seamlessly, not distract during gameplay, and reflect the environment's mood. Write AIVA generation briefs for 3 different game zones with distinct moods.

Score a specific scene

I need to score a [duration] scene where [describe what happens]. Emotional arc: [describe]. Pacing: [fast/slow/building]. Dialogue present: [yes/no]. Write an AIVA brief addressing tempo for hit points, appropriate instrumentation, dynamic range, and how the music should relate to the dialogue.

Use AIVA as a starting point for original composition

I want to use AIVA to generate compositional material I'll develop in [Logic Pro / Ableton / FL Studio]. Guide me: (1) AIVA parameters for the most useful raw material, (2) what to look for when selecting from multiple generations, (3) what typically needs changing when importing AIVA MIDI into my DAW, (4) how to ensure the final piece is sufficiently original.

Compositional model

AIVA was initially based on LSTM neural networks trained on classical music scores (MIDI format), learning harmonic progressions, voice leading, and formal structures. Subsequent versions incorporated larger training sets and architectural improvements. The model operates in the symbolic domain (MIDI/notation) rather than audio domain, which enables MIDI export and is architecturally distinct from audio generators like Suno and Udio.

SACEM registration — historical significance

In 2017, AIVA became the first AI registered as a composer with SACEM (Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique), France's music rights organisation — under AIVA Technologies as rights holder, not as an autonomous AI author. This established a legal framework for AI-generated music rights in France and has informed subsequent global policy discussions on music copyright and AI.

MIDI export and DAW integration

MIDI export (Pro plan) outputs standard MIDI with individual tracks per instrument, note velocities, and timing data. In a DAW this can be edited at note level, transposed, used to drive different virtual instruments, or combined with recorded audio. Using AIVA for harmonic/structural ideas and a DAW for sound design represents a genuinely complementary human-AI compositional process.

Source note: Pricing from aiva.ai/pricing (EUR). Copyright terms from aiva.ai/legal. SACEM registration from AIVA Technologies press releases. All verified April 2026.