How to Compose Your First Track With AIVA
AIVA is an AI music composition tool that generates MIDI or audio tracks from ~250 style presets across classical, cinematic, electronic and pop. You pick a style, a duration and a key, hit generate, and get a multi-track MIDI arrangement you can edit. The free tier gives 3 downloads a month; paid plans start at €11/month for 15 downloads.
Free downloads were reduced over the years, so the plan you find may differ from what older reviews claim. Check the pricing page before subscribing.
What determines whether the output is usable?
Style choice, almost entirely. AIVA’s models are trained per style and the difference between “Cinematic” and “Epic Orchestral” is not cosmetic — tempo range, instrumentation and harmonic vocabulary change.
Second factor is duration. Short generations (30-60 seconds) hold together. Long ones (3+ minutes) tend to loop ideas rather than develop them.
How do you generate and edit a first track?
- Create an account and pick the free plan. You get generation attempts but only a few downloadable files.
- Choose a style close to your reference. If you have a reference track in mind, pick the nearest style rather than the nearest genre name.
- Set key and mode deliberately. Minor for tension, major for lift. AIVA’s default may not match your project; a track in the wrong mode is unusable for a film cut.
- Generate six to eight variants. The first output is rarely the one. Regenerating with the same settings produces genuinely different results.
- Download as MIDI, not audio. This is the step that determines whether the track is a demo or a working asset.
- Open the MIDI in your DAW and replace the drums. AIVA’s percussion is the weakest part of the output — swap in your own samples and the whole thing improves.
- Re-voice one instrument. Changing the strings patch to a different library removes most of the model’s sonic fingerprint.
Is the free tier enough?
For testing the tool, yes. For finishing a project, no.
The 3-download monthly cap means you cannot iterate freely. Generation and listening are unlimited-ish, but you can only export three times — so you must decide which three before you start. That is a strange pressure to design into a creative tool.
What are the licence terms on outputs?
AIVA’s terms differ by plan. Free and Standard tier output generally requires attribution; the Pro and ownership options let you claim full rights. For commercial placements — ads, games, monetized video — check the current licence page, because it changed in recent years and older blog posts are out of date.
For a YouTube video that earns revenue, the full-rights tier is the safe path.
| Plan | Price | Downloads/mo | Rights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | 3 | Attribution |
| Standard | €11/mo | 15 | Attribution |
| Pro | €33/mo | 300 | Full ownership option |
Where AIVA is weak
No vocals. Instrumental only in the core product.
Structural development. Generated pieces state a theme and repeat it. Real composers vary it. If you need a build, write the build yourself.
Style breadth in non-Western music. The library is Western-leaning.
Who should use it
Video editors who need 45 seconds of underscore that sounds composed rather than looped, and hobbyist composers who want a harmonic skeleton to develop. AIVA is genuinely useful for that.
Not for anyone needing a finished, mixed track without touching a DAW. It gives you material, not a master.
Key Takeaways
- AIVA generates MIDI or audio from roughly 250 style presets.
- Free tier allows 3 downloads per month; Standard is €11/month for 15.
- Always export MIDI — audio output is hard to edit and easy to spot.
- Short generations of 30-60 seconds hold structure better than 3-minute runs.
- Drum parts and instrumentation are the weakest elements; replace both.
