How I made 200+ tracks (and how you can start tonight in 5 minutes)
Today I have for you:
- 🎵 How I finally started making music (with AI’s help)
- ⚡ Create your first song in 5 minutes
- 🌱 Lessons from 200+ song experiments
It’s past midnight on a February night in Bangkok.
I should definitely be sleeping by now, since I have an early morning tomorrow.
Instead, I’m sitting in my 30th floor apartment staring at the night skyline.
Headphones on, listening to something that feels surreal—music I created myself.
Part of me feels like Ross from Friends with his synthesizer “sound” (if you know, you know 😂). Another part feels like an actual composer.
I can’t stop hitting ‘create’ on Suno.com. Press a button, wait a few seconds, and boom—there’s a new song. And (to my surprise) it’s actually pretty good.
This is how my experiment began. Since that night, I’ve created 200+ tracks.
Today, I want to show you exactly how to do this yourself.
Spoiler alert: It’s surprisingly easy. And way more fun than expected.
My Dusty Musical Dreams (Finally) Come True
I’ve been dreaming of creating music since my 20s. I wanted to create hip-hop beats—drawn to Gang Starr style jazz and electronic music like Daft Punk.
That dream just sat there, gathering dust in the corner of my mind labeled “maybe someday.”
Well, “someday” finally arrived – just not in the way I expected.
Let me be clear – the songs I’ve created aren’t your “normal songs” – they’re experiments with lyrics, genres, styles, and approaches. Some are based on podcast transcripts, others on newsletter content, and a few even use historical speeches.
For example, I created:
- A track based on Neil Armstrong’s moon landing transcript
- A song using Rick Rubin’s words from the a16z podcast
- Ambient music with lyrics from my own newsletter
- Music inspired by a Polish astronaut’s speech during a rocket launch.
Here you can listen to all of them:
1. All Art Is Sampling and Remixing
I was listening to Rick Rubin on the a16z podcast talking about AI. His words stuck with me, so I took them and created a song.
“All art is sampling and remixing. It’s always been that.”
Suno turned these words into this hypnotic ambient electronic track.
2. New Tech Always Mimic the Old
For some time I’d been listening to Akira The Don (he’s known for creating music out of Naval Ravikant’s tweets).
So I thought – maybe I can create music out of my newsletter?
That’s exactly what I did. This one’s based on point #2 from my AI perspectives issue, about how new tech always mimics the old.
I was kind of amazed by how that song turned out, so I created a few other versions.
3. One Small Step for Man
I’ve been fascinated by how music shapes our culture and how cultural moments shape our reality.
I took the full transcript of the first moon landing (Apollo 11 mission) and created this track, transforming Neil Armstrong’s words into music.
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.””
4. Space for Everyone
I was playing around with this concept around the time when Polish astronaut @astro_slawosz was going to space. His speech during the rocket launch really moved me. This track is based on his speech. I mixed the lyrics slightly to create an ambient version about space being for everyone. (only in polish)
5. Caveman Rap
This one started as a joke. What if cavemen invented rap? I asked Claude to help me write prehistoric rap lyrics.
Here are the intro and first verse.
UNGA! BUNGA! Yeah!Fire Gang Records!
It’s ya boy MC Mammoth, uh!Stone Age Drillers, baby!
Let’s eat! RAHHH![Chorus]Ooga-booga, me make fire (HOT!)
Sharp rock on stick, my new buyer (STAB!)Hunt mammoth with the tribe (TRIBE!)
Teeth on neck, that’s my ice (SHINE!)Unga-bunga, me cave king (YEAH!)
Rock paintings, that’s my bling (WOW!)Do what you want ’cause a caveman free
Unga-bunga-RAHHHH![Verse 1]Me got sharpest stone in all the land (CHOP!)\
Other cavemen tools look like sand (WEAK!)Me club bigger than your whole cave (FACTS!)
Knock mammoth out with one wave (BOOM!)Face paint made from berry juice (DRIP!)
Other tribes say it look too loose (HATERS!)Me invented fire with these hands (GENIUS!)
Now whole tribe think me the man (RESPECT!)Me got three caves, all with paintings (RICH!)
Other cavemen living with no ceilings (BROKE!)Traded two rocks for a new fur (DEALS!)
Now me warmer than the sun, for sure (COZY!)
6. Click Follow – Techno Version
Another joke track. I was thinking about how often we see “follow” everywhere online. So I turned it into a repetitive techno song.
✨ Simplest way to start creating music with Suno (You only need 5 minutes)
If you’ve never used Suno before, here’s the easiest way to get started:
1. Sign up for a free Suno account
You’ll get 50 credits (each song costs around 10 credits), and they are renewed daily.
2. Go to “Create” and click “Custom”
This is where the magic happens.
3. Add your lyrics
This isn’t necessary for the first time – since you can use Simple Mode as well, but I found the default lyrics are often cheesy. When you think about lyrics – be creative – this can be absolutely anything – a poem, a story, random thoughts. You can also ask Claude or ChatGPT to help you craft lyrics.
4. Choose your music style
Select the genre or vibe you want for your track. It’s best when you choose 2-3 styles max.
5. Click “Create”
After a few seconds, you’ll hear your first creation! Suno generates 2 songs each time (up to 2 minutes).
That’s it – you’ve just made your first song.
Yes, it’s that simple.
🌱 7 Practical Tips From My 200+ Song Experiment
After creating hundreds of tracks, here are the key insights I’ve gathered:
1. Remix existing tracks.
Start by exploring the homepage, browse music, find styles you like, and remix them.
2. The lyrics impact the tempo.
The way you write lyrics influences how they’re sung. In my experience, spacing in your text actually affects the tempo of the song – a simple but useful trick.
3. Add structure to your lyrics .
From my experience, adding structure helps. Try including elements like [Verse], [Chorus], [Bridge], and [Outro] in your lyrics to bring more organization to your creation.
4. Prompt special effects.
You can control and add special effects like mic drops, audience laughing, or microphone stretches – so be creative and include these in your instructions.
5. Try multiple iterations.
Suno’s results vary significantly between generations. Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts aren’t great – sometimes it creates amazing tracks and sometimes really bad ones. Make multiple versions of the same concept.
6. Be specific about musical style.
Whether you’re remixing existing tracks or creating something new, being specific about the musical style makes a huge difference. Based on my experiments, the best approach is to mix 2-3 genres maximum.
7. Embrace the collaborative nature.
I truly believe in AI as a creative partner – what Ethan Mollick calls “co-intelligence.” We’re limited now (just prompts and hoping for good results). But imagine having real control – adjusting individual instruments, tweaking the bass line, controlling the tempo.
That’s what I’m hoping Suno’s new editor will bring (waitlist is open). A true collaboration where we shape every detail together.
The Joy of Creating
What strikes me most about this experience is the pure joy of creation. There’s something deeply satisfying about expressing yourself through music, especially when the technical barriers have been removed.
For twenty years, I had a dream gathering dust. Now I have 200 tracks. The difference between “someday” and “today”? Five minutes and the decision to start.
So here’s my little challenge to you: Tonight, before you sleep, create one song. Just one.
Turn your shopping list into a ballad. Make your morning routine into techno. Transform your favorite quote into an anthem. It doesn’t matter what.
What matters is crossing that line from consuming to creating. Because once you cross it, something cool happens. You realize nobody’s stopping you but yourself. You start playing with possibility.
So play.
Matt
Originally published on Substack 👉 https://readwhitespace.substack.com/p/the-beginners-guide-to-ai-music-with
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