Elevenlabs Music Generator Ai Pricing & Features 2025

ElevenLabs Music Generator Review: I Made AI Music and It Didn't Totally Suck

I've been testing ElevenLabs Music Generator recently, and honestly? I went in expecting another overhyped AI tool that produces generic elevator music.

Look, I'm a content creator who's been stuck using the same royalty-free tracks everyone else uses. You know the ones – that ukulele track that's in every YouTube vlog, or those corporate background loops that make your videos sound like a PowerPoint presentation. I needed something different, but I'm not about to hire a composer or learn music theory at this stage of my life.

But here's the thing – ElevenLabs actually surprised me. Not gonna lie, the music it generates isn't going to win any Grammys, but it's way more usable than I expected. The tracks have actual personality, which is more than I can say for most stock music libraries.

What is ElevenLabs Music Generator?

ElevenLabs Music Generator (they call it Eleven Music) is basically an AI tool that creates custom music tracks from text prompts. The whole pitch is that you describe what you want – like "upbeat electronic track with synth pads" or "melancholic piano piece" – and it spits out a music file.

The main hook is that it's supposed to understand musical concepts and styles without you needing any actual music knowledge. Just type what vibe you're going for, and boom, you've got original music that won't get you copyright strikes.

Does it deliver? Mostly, yeah. But there's definitely a learning curve to writing prompts that actually give you what you want.

My Real Experience

Alright, let's get into the actual testing. When I first tried ElevenLabs Music Generator, my impression was... confusion. The interface is pretty minimal, which I usually appreciate, but there's not much guidance on how to write good prompts. I typed in "cool background music" like an idiot and got something that sounded like a MIDI file from 2003.

But once I got more specific with my prompts? Pretty impressive. I tested it with YouTube video backgrounds, and the results were actually usable. The tracks weren't perfect – sometimes the transitions felt abrupt, and the mixing could be weird – but they had character. Real instruments, actual chord progressions, stuff that didn't sound like it came from a generic stock library.

Here's what I learned pretty quick: you gotta be specific about instrumentation and mood. "Chill lofi beat with vinyl crackle and soft piano" works way better than "relaxing music." The AI seems to understand genre conventions too – when I asked for synthwave, it actually gave me those retro 80s vibes with the right kind of synths and drums.

One thing that caught me off guard was the generation time. It's not instant – you're waiting maybe 30-60 seconds per track, sometimes longer if the servers are busy. Not a dealbreaker, but definitely not the "real-time" experience some AI tools promise.

I also tried making background music for a podcast intro, and this is where things got interesting. The AI can do shorter loops pretty well, but when you need something with a clear structure (intro, build, drop, outro), you're gonna need to generate multiple clips and edit them together. It doesn't really do full song arrangements on its own.

The quality varies a lot depending on what you ask for. Electronic and ambient stuff? Usually pretty solid. Orchestral music? Hit or miss. Sometimes you get something cinematic, other times it sounds like a video game soundtrack from 2005. Not terrible, just... not quite there.

Key Features

Text-to-Music Generation

This is probably the main reason anyone's using this thing. You type a description, and it generates music. Simple concept, execution is decent.

The prompts can be pretty flexible. You can specify instruments, tempo, mood, genre – basically anything you'd use to describe music to another person. I found that being overly descriptive actually helps. "Dark ambient track with deep bass, atmospheric pads, and occasional glitch effects" gave me way better results than "dark music."

Honestly? It's fun to experiment with. Sometimes you get exactly what you want, sometimes you get something completely different but still usable. It's like working with a musician who's talented but doesn't always listen carefully.

Multiple Genre Support

The AI seems to have been trained on a pretty wide range of music styles. I've generated everything from lo-fi hip hop to cinematic orchestral to synthwave to acoustic folk. Some genres work better than others.

Electronic music is definitely the strong suit. Anything with synths, pads, beats – it nails that pretty consistently. Acoustic and organic instruments are more hit or miss. The guitar tracks sometimes sound a bit synthetic, and don't even get me started on the vocal synthesis attempts (spoiler: just don't).

Customization Options

You can adjust the length of tracks, which is helpful. Need a 15-second intro? You can do that. Want a 2-minute loop? Also possible. Though honestly, I found that longer tracks sometimes lose coherence – they start strong and then just kind of meander.

There's also some control over intensity and mood, though it's not as precise as I'd like. You can't really fine-tune individual elements after generation, which is frustrating. If the bass is too loud or the melody is off, you're basically regenerating from scratch.

Commercial Use Rights

This is actually huge – the music you generate is yours to use commercially. No royalty payments, no attribution required (though check their current terms because AI licensing is still evolving). For content creators, this is the whole point.

I've used tracks in client videos without any issues. No copyright claims, no strikes, no angry emails from rights holders. That peace of mind is worth a lot, honestly.

Integration with ElevenLabs Ecosystem

If you're already using ElevenLabs for voice synthesis, having music generation in the same platform is convenient. You can create voiceovers and background music without switching tools.

Though to be fair, this only matters if you're already in their ecosystem. If you're just here for music, the voice stuff is kinda irrelevant.

Pricing

Here's where I get annoyed. The pricing structure isn't super clear on their website, and it seems to be bundled with their other services in ways that don't make sense if you only want music generation.

Based on what I could find, ElevenLabs Music Generator is part of their broader subscription plans. There's supposedly a free tier with limited generations, then paid plans that give you more credits per month. The exact limits? Good luck finding that clearly stated anywhere.

For creators like me who need consistent output, the credit system is frustrating. You don't know exactly how many tracks you can generate until you're already subscribed. And if you run out mid-month? You're either waiting or upgrading.

I wish they'd just offer a standalone music plan with clear limits. "X tracks per month for Y dollars" – is that so hard? Check out ElevenLabs Music Generator if you want to decipher their current pricing yourself, because it changes enough that whatever I write here will probably be outdated in a month.

Pros

• Actually usable output. Like, I've put these tracks in real projects without cringing. That's saying something for AI-generated music.

• No copyright headaches. This alone makes it worth considering. The peace of mind of not worrying about strikes or takedowns is huge.

• Wide genre range. You can generate electronic, ambient, cinematic, lo-fi, and more. Not all of them are perfect, but the variety is there.

• Pretty intuitive once you get the hang of prompts. There's a learning curve, but it's not steep. You'll figure out what works after a few tries.

• Faster than hiring a composer. Obviously. If you need something quick and don't have budget for custom music, this gets the job done.

• Decent quality for background use. The tracks work great when they're not the main focus. Video backgrounds, podcast intros, that kind of thing.

• Can generate variations. If you like a track but want something slightly different, you can iterate on prompts pretty easily.

• No music theory required. You don't need to know what a diminished seventh chord is. Just describe what you want in plain English.

Cons

• Inconsistent quality. Some generations are great, others are... not. You'll probably need to generate a few options before you find something you like.

• Limited control over specific elements. Can't adjust individual instruments or mix levels after generation. It's all or nothing.

• Longer tracks lose coherence. Anything over 2 minutes tends to feel aimless. The AI doesn't really understand song structure.

• Prompt writing takes practice. Your first few attempts will probably suck. Just being honest. You need to learn what descriptions work.

• Generation time adds up. If you're iterating through multiple options, you're sitting there waiting. Not ideal when you're on a deadline.

• Some genres sound more synthetic than others. Orchestral and acoustic instruments especially. They're usable but not convincing if someone's really listening.

• Pricing and limits are unclear. The credit system is annoying, and the subscription structure doesn't make sense for casual users.

• No fine-tuning after generation. If the kick drum is too loud or the melody is slightly off-key, you can't fix it. Gotta regenerate and hope for better.

• Limited to instrumental. Don't expect lyrics or vocals. It's background music only.

Who Should Use It?

Honestly? This is best for content creators who need background music regularly. If you're making YouTube videos, podcasts, social media content, or client videos, ElevenLabs Music Generator could save you hours of searching through stock libraries.

It's also solid for indie game developers who need placeholder music or simple background tracks. Not gonna work for a AAA game soundtrack, but for small projects? Totally fine.

Filmmakers working on indie projects might find it useful too, especially for ambient scenes or montages where the music isn't front and center.

Who shouldn't use it? If you're working on anything where music is the main event – like a music video, a dance performance, or a film where the score is critical – this won't cut it. The AI just doesn't have the nuance for that level of work.

If you're a perfectionist who wants full control over every instrument and mix decision, you'll probably be frustrated. At that point, you might as well work with a real composer or learn to produce music yourself.

Also, if you need music with lyrics or vocal performances, look elsewhere. This is instrumental only.

Alternatives

The closest competitors are probably Soundraw and Aiva. Soundraw has a more user-friendly interface with visual controls for adjusting tracks after generation, which is nice. Aiva is more focused on cinematic and orchestral music, so if that's your thing, it might be worth comparing.

There's also Mubert, which does real-time generative music but with less control over specific outputs. And of course, traditional stock music libraries like Epidemic Sound or Artlist, though those aren't AI-generated – you're just browsing existing tracks.

Each has trade-offs. ElevenLabs is newer to the music space but benefits from their experience with other AI audio tools. The tech feels solid, even if the implementation isn't perfect yet.

Final Verdict

Look, I'm not saying ElevenLabs Music Generator will revolutionize your creative process, but it has its place. If you're tired of generic stock music and need custom tracks without the budget for a composer, it's worth trying.

The text-to-music generation is legitimately helpful for quick background tracks, but the lack of post-generation editing holds it back. Being able to adjust individual elements would make this so much more useful.

I'll probably keep using it because it's faster than searching through stock libraries, even though the inconsistent quality means I'm generating multiple options for every project. Sometimes "good enough and fast" beats "perfect and time-consuming."

The real question is whether it fits your workflow and budget. For me, it's become a regular tool – not my only option, but a solid addition to the toolkit.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

It does what it promises but needs refinement. The output quality is good enough for most content creation needs, but it's not replacing professional composers anytime soon.

Bottom line: If you've got regular content needs and don't mind spending some time learning how to write effective prompts, ElevenLabs Music Generator is worth checking out. Just be prepared for some trial and error, and don't expect every generation to be perfect.

To be fair, most AI music tools are still evolving. But for what it does – generating original background music quickly – it gets the job done. Just don't expect miracles, and you'll probably be pleasantly surprised more often than disappointed.