Udio alternative
SoundGen vs Udio.
AI song generator for vocal and instrumental songs, now run as a closed, stream-only service while it moves to a licensed platform following label settlements. Here is how it compares with SoundGen, point by point, from each product's own pages as of October 20, 2026.
Where SoundGen has more
- Instrumentals, loops and sound effects. Tracks, loops and sound effects.
- Audio to MIDI. Any clip or stem to editable MIDI (Basic Pitch).
- Multi-track timeline / DAW. Audio + MIDI tracks, automation, busses, mixer.
- MIDI tracks with a piano roll. Piano roll with 15 built-in instruments.
- AI assistant that edits the session. Copilot with 200+ tools; plan first, per-action undo.
- Mixing and AI mastering. Effects rack, limiter, metering and AI mastering.
- Opens projects from other DAWs. Ableton Live, REAPER, DAWproject in full; Logic Pro, GarageBand, FL Studio for tempo, key and track names.
- Native desktop app. macOS (signed and notarized) and Windows (unsigned for now).
- Public developer API. REST API.
- MCP server for AI assistants. Official MCP server.
- Commercial use on the free tier. Same licence for free and purchased credits; ElevenLabs output excludes film, TV, radio and released games.
Where Udio has more
Nothing in this comparison.
Side by sideChecked October 20, 2026
| Capability | SoundGen | Udio |
|---|---|---|
| Full songs with vocals from a prompt | Yes. ElevenLabs Music, with lyrics or instrumental. | Yes. Songs with your own or generated lyrics; Voices library. |
| Instrumentals, loops and sound effects | Yes. Tracks, loops and sound effects. | Partial. Music generation only. No sound-effect product found. |
| Choice of generation model | Yes. ElevenLabs Music or Stable Audio 2.5, chosen per generation on the Generate page. | Not verified. The help center names model versions (e.g. Allegro v1.5) but does not document a current user-facing model choice. |
| Stem separation (incl. your own audio) | Yes. Up to 6 stems, on generated or uploaded audio. | Not verified. Stem downloading is disabled. Whether stems can still be split in-app was not confirmed. |
| Audio to MIDI | Yes. Any clip or stem to editable MIDI (Basic Pitch). | No. Not offered on the pricing comparison or in the help center. |
| Multi-track timeline / DAW | Yes. Audio + MIDI tracks, automation, busses, mixer. | No. 'Sessions' is a single-song timeline for extending and replacing sections, not a multitrack editor. |
| MIDI tracks with a piano roll | Yes. Piano roll with 15 built-in instruments. | No. Not offered on the pricing comparison or in the help center. |
| AI assistant that edits the session | Yes. Copilot with 200+ tools; plan first, per-action undo. | No. Not found. Editing is done through extend, replace, remix and inpaint actions. |
| Mixing and AI mastering | Yes. Effects rack, limiter, metering and AI mastering. | No. No mixing or mastering tools listed on the plan comparison. |
| Opens projects from other DAWs | Yes. Ableton Live, REAPER, DAWproject in full; Logic Pro, GarageBand, FL Studio for tempo, key and track names. | No. Not offered. Users can upload audio files only. |
| Native desktop app | Yes. macOS (signed and notarized) and Windows (unsigned for now). | No. Web app plus an iOS app (May 2025). No desktop app listed. |
| Public developer API | Yes. REST API. | No. Help center: 'we don't currently offer a public API'. |
| MCP server for AI assistants | Yes. Official MCP server. | No. None found on vendor pages. |
| Commercial use on the free tier | Yes. Same licence for free and purchased credits; ElevenLabs output excludes film, TV, radio and released games. | No. The Terms bar commercial exploitation of Output on every tier and assign Output ownership to Udio. |
| Cheapest paid option | $3.99 one-time | Standard $10/month ($96 billed annually); one-off credit packs from $3.00 for 100 credits |
Questions
- Is SoundGen a good Udio alternative?
- It depends on what you need. SoundGen has more where you need instrumentals, loops and sound effects, audio to midi, multi-track timeline / daw.
- How much do SoundGen and Udio cost?
- Udio: Standard $10/month ($96 billed annually); one-off credit packs from $3.00 for 100 credits (both). SoundGen: $3.99 one-time (500 credits), and new accounts start with free credits.
- How was this checked?
- Against Udio's own pricing, feature and help pages on October 20, 2026. Features change; the sources are listed on this page.
Downloads of audio, video and stems are disabled since the Oct 29, 2025 UMG partnership (Udio help center). The current Terms (rev. Nov 12, 2025) bar downloading Output, allow personal non-commercial use only and assign Output ownership to Udio. UMG and Warner settled and a licensed platform is due in 2026; Sony's claims reportedly remain active (MBW: musicbusinessworldwide.com).
Sources for Udio
- help.udio.com/en/articles/10716221-create-a-song-with-your-own-lyrics
- udio.com/pricing
- help.udio.com/en/articles/10756068-model-updates
- help.udio.com/en/articles/12683565-changes-associated-with-the-universal-music-group-umg-partnership
- help.udio.com/en/articles/11649525-sessions-udio-s-timeline-editing-view
- help.udio.com/en/articles/10748731-changelog-what-s-new-with-udio
- help.udio.com/en/articles/10756277-udio-public-api
- udio.com/terms-of-service
Product names and trademarks belong to their owners and are used only to identify the products compared. SoundGen is not affiliated with or endorsed by Udio. See the full comparison of 9 tools or other head-to-heads: Suno, BandLab, Soundtrap, Soundraw, AIVA, Boomy, LALAL.AI, Mozart AI.
Try it on your
own music.
New accounts start with free credits. Generate, split, arrange and mix in one project.