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5/15/2026

Suno and the Myth-Making of Making Music

Intro

CEO of Suno Mikey Shulman went on Training Data hosted by Sonya Huang, the podcasting arm of Sequoia Capital (which manages $56B in assets). They talk about how everyone can make music now thanks to Suno, which sent drove me temporarily insane, what you see is the culmination of that work. I'll discuss in this article how Silicon Valley doesn't understand music or artistic creation and how framing music in this way destroys any actual novelty or joy. Sorry for the length.

Suno, Scourge of Singers and Songsters

Suno, for anyone unaware, is an "AI" music generation platform. However according to them, they're "a music company built to amplify imagination", which is so obtuse it borders on a lie. Firstly, music companies don't exist. There's labels which pay for and manage music, there's artist compounds and communes where people work and create together, and there's instrument makers that craft the thing we can use to make specific and interesting sounds. There's concert venues that host music, companies that make speakers, headphones, and microphones, even schools where you can learn how to make music and refine talents. There are not music companies though, as music is a thing created and experienced.

Instead, Suno resembles a music factory, pumping out whatever is prompted. It's unlike other factories however, as much of its material was stolen, there's no quality control, and lacks any of the process and refining that makes music music. Put another way, it's a 3D printer that you can prompt for music, but it has no concept of what "music" is, and none of the refinement that goes into making music beyond "well, I can technically hear this with my ears." Also, all the filament for it is stolen, somehow.

One key part of understanding where Suno, and Mikey by extension, comes from is to take a look at their company values. They are as follows:

Music is our company focus. We're a music company built around a single purpose: transforming how people create and experience music. AI is our tool, not our identity.

Impatience is a virtue. We always strive to improve our bar. Extreme speed helps us achieve that.

Aesthetics matter. Great taste isn't subjective—it's a skill. We trust our instincts, value beauty in every detail, and have the courage to follow good judgment even when the data disagrees.

Fun is underrated. We take joy seriously. Creativity thrives when we're playful, open, and having fun—because making music should feel as good as it sounds.

Music being their focus comes as no surprise. If you're going to run a company that shits out "music", I would hope you're at least focused on it. I can even see the argument for them changing how people create music, even if I think it's detrimental to art as a whole. However, I can't see how this changes how people experience music. It's a buzzword that plays nice with the idea that they're revolutionizing all of music. As I'll come back to many times, sounds nice but doesn't really mean anything.

Impatience as a virtue really irks me. Silicon Valley already has its notorious slogan of "move fast and break things". To value constant change is a loser's perspective to begin with, but being impatient about that change speaks to a deeply sick culture in the company. Ideas and projects are honed through time spent sitting with it, reflecting and considering why and what we're doing. Speed is not an indicator of something being good - and it never has been. I can't see a world in which this mindset creates anything other than a sprawling, mismanaged project, and I hate to think that that is what the "future of music" is supposed to be according to them.

Aesthetics matter only insofar as this product allows a user to create something with the veneer of skill and craft without any of the knowledge or effort required to do so. Taste is a skill, yes! Suno hones it in the same way an infinite amount of monkeys bashing at typewriters eventually improve their writing skills though. Applying even a marginal amount of effort to actually creating something with your hands is infinitely more valuable in developing a sense of personal style and taste. The output from Suno can be as polished as you want¹ and you'll never have to think about nor work for the end product. Simply push the music button and music comes out! No, it won't mean anything to anyone, nor will it have any thought behind it, but you'll be able to listen to it! Isn't that fun?

Fun in this context feels like it speaks to a person that I can't understand and don't want to. This is a person who either a.) doesn't respect the artists they like enough to try and understand and see the time and effort that went into making their art, or b.) doesn't respect themselves enough to try and express their own genuine perspective or experience. There is fun to be had in both parts there. Instead, Suno tries to manufacture a...