I spent 15 years learning piano. Classical training. Scales, arpeggios, Chopin, Debussy—the whole deal. Then another 20 years playing guitar, from jazz to metal, mastering techniques that took thousands of hours to develop.
And now? I use AI to create music for my YouTube channels.
If you just gasped or felt your blood pressure rise, you're not alone. I get it constantly. The comments. The debates. The accusations.
"You're not a real musician anymore."
"AI is stealing from real artists."
"This is the death of creativity."
Let me tell you why they're wrong. And why, as a trained musician, I'm more excited about AI music than I've been about anything in decades.
The Confession (That Shouldn't Be Controversial)
Here's the reality of running music channels like Deep Focus Sphere, Chillout Sphere, and JazzSphere Radio:
Each video needs 50 songs. FIFTY.
I publish multiple videos per week. That's 200+ unique tracks per week. Over 10,000 songs per year.
Let's do the math: If I composed each song myself, spending just 2 hours per track (which is insanely fast for quality music), that's 20,000+ hours per year. That's working 55 hours a day. Which, last time I checked, is physically impossible.
Oh, and I also run a media company. And have a family. And occasionally sleep.
Without AI, my channels literally cannot exist.
Not "would be harder." Not "would be less profitable." They. Cannot. Exist.
The Royalty-Free Music Trap
"But wait," you might say, "why not use royalty-free music?"
I tried. For months. Here's what I found:
Problem #1: It all sounds the same. Generic. Soulless. The musical equivalent of stock photos. You can feel that it was made to be inoffensive background noise.
Problem #2: Everyone uses the same tracks. Your "unique" ambient video sounds exactly like 47 other channels because you're all pulling from the same libraries.
Problem #3: It's expensive. Quality royalty-free music isn't cheap. For 200 tracks per week (800+ per month), you're looking at tens of thousands of dollars. Every month. Forever.
Problem #4: It's still not original. You're still using someone else's music. You're just paying for the privilege.
So what's the alternative? AI.
Enter AI Music: The Tool I Didn't Know I Needed
I started with Suno AI about a year ago. Skeptical. Expecting garbage.
What I got blew my mind.
The first track I generated—a smooth jazz piece for my morning coffee videos—was indistinguishable from something a human would compose. Warm. Harmonious. Musical.
I'm not exaggerating. As a trained pianist who's played jazz for decades, I couldn't tell it was AI-generated. Neither could my audience.
That's when I realized: This isn't a toy. This is a revolution.
Suno vs. Udio vs. TopMedi AI: The Real Comparison
Let me save you months of trial and error. Here's what I've learned from generating thousands of AI tracks.
Suno AI: The Harmonic Master
What it does well:
- Incredibly musical and harmonious
- Warm, natural sound that feels "human"
- Consistent quality across genres
- Easy to get good results
What I use it for:
- Jazz compositions
- Ambient soundscapes
- Chillout music
- Anything that needs emotional depth
The catch: The recent Warner Music deal means restrictions are coming. I don't know exactly what that means yet, but I'm preparing alternatives.
Udio: The Frustrating Genius
What it does well:
- Technically impressive
- Can handle complex arrangements
- Good for experimental sounds
What drives me crazy:
- Inconsistent results
- Harmonically... weird? I can't explain it better than that
- Takes forever to get something usable
- Feels like fighting the tool instead of working with it
My honest take: I've tried. Really tried. But I can't get the same warm, harmonious results I get from Suno. It's technically capable but musically frustrating.
TopMedi AI: The New Contender
I've been testing this for about a week now, and I'm impressed.
What surprised me:
- Quality is genuinely good
- Different "feel" than Suno, but equally musical
- Faster generation times
- Less restrictive (for now)
My verdict so far: This is a serious alternative. If Suno becomes too restricted, TopMedi AI might be my new go-to. Every creator should test this.
But Here's What Nobody Talks About: AI Music Is WORK
This is the part that drives me crazy about the "AI is just pushing a button" narrative.
Creating good AI music is a skill. A real skill that requires:
1. Musical Knowledge
You need to understand:
- Chord progressions
- Tempo and rhythm
- Instrumentation
- Genre conventions
- Harmonic theory
Without this knowledge, your prompts will be vague and your results will be mediocre.
My 15 years of piano training? They matter. Every. Single. Day.
2. Prompt Engineering
Writing effective prompts is an art form:
- Too vague → generic results
- Too specific → AI gets confused
- Wrong terminology → completely wrong output
I spend hours refining prompts. Testing variations. Learning what works.
3. Quality Control
For every track I use, I generate 5-10 alternatives. Sometimes more.
I listen critically. Does the harmony work? Is the tempo right? Does it fit the mood? Is it too repetitive?
This is where my musical training is essential. I can hear when something is "off" even if I can't explain why.
4. Post-Processing
AI-generated tracks aren't always perfect. I often:
- Adjust EQ and mastering
- Trim awkward endings
- Layer multiple AI tracks
- Add subtle effects
This isn't "cheating." It's a new way of making music.
Just like:
- Synthesizers didn't replace musicians
- Drum machines didn't kill drummers
- DAWs didn't make producers obsolete
AI is a tool. A powerful one. But it still requires skill, taste, and musical knowledge to use well.
The "AI Stole From Artists" Argument (And Why It's Flawed)
I hear this constantly. "AI learned from copyrighted music without permission. It's theft."
Let me ask you something:
How did YOU learn music?
I learned piano by:
- Listening to other pianists
- Copying their techniques
- Learning pieces they composed
- Studying their style
- Incorporating what I learned into my own playing
I learned guitar by:
- Listening to my favorite guitarists
- Learning their riffs
- Studying their techniques
- Absorbing their influences
- Developing my own style based on what I learned
Every single musician learns this way.
You don't create music in a vacuum. You:
- Learn notes that someone else invented
- Play instruments that someone else designed
- Use scales and theory that were developed over centuries
- Get influenced by music you've heard
All knowledge is passed down. All creativity builds on what came before.
AI does the same thing. It learns patterns, structures, and techniques from existing music. Just like every human musician does.
The difference? AI does it faster and at scale.
But the fundamental process—learning from existing work to create something new—is identical.
The Controversy I Experience Every Day
I'm not naive. I know this is controversial.
I see the comments:
- "Real musicians don't need AI"
- "You're putting human artists out of work"
- "This is the end of authentic music"
And I get it. Change is scary. New technology always threatens the status quo.
But here's my honest response:
I'm not trying to replace human musicians. I'm trying to create content that wouldn't exist otherwise.
My ambient videos aren't competing with concert pianists. They're filling a niche that traditional music production can't economically serve.
Without AI, these videos don't exist. Period.
And judging by the comments, the thousands of subscribers, and the messages I get from people saying my music helps them focus, relax, or sleep better—there's real value in what I'm creating.
Why I'm Excited (Not Scared)
As a trained musician, I should be threatened by AI, right?
Wrong.
I'm more excited about music creation than I've been in years.
Because AI doesn't replace musicianship. It amplifies it.
My musical training makes me better at:
- Writing effective prompts
- Recognizing quality
- Understanding what works
- Curating the best results
- Creating cohesive soundscapes
AI is a tool that lets me create at a scale I never could before.
It's like giving a painter access to new colors, new brushes, new canvases. They're still a painter. They still need skill and taste. But now they can create things that were previously impossible.
The Future (And Why You Should Pay Attention)
Here's what I think is coming:
1. More restrictions on existing tools The Warner Music + Suno deal is just the beginning. Expect more licensing agreements, more limitations, more legal frameworks.
2. New tools will emerge TopMedi AI is just one example. As restrictions increase on established platforms, new alternatives will appear.
3. Hybrid workflows will become standard AI generation + human curation + traditional production techniques. The best results will come from combining approaches.
4. The skill gap will widen People who learn to use AI music tools effectively will have a massive advantage. Those who dismiss them will fall behind.
My Advice for Creators
If you're creating content that needs music:
1. Don't be dogmatic Test AI tools. See what they can do. You might be surprised.
2. Invest time in learning Good AI music generation is a skill. Treat it like one.
3. Test multiple platforms Suno, Udio, TopMedi AI—they all have different strengths. Find what works for your needs.
4. Combine with traditional skills Your musical knowledge, production skills, and creative taste are still essential.
5. Be transparent I tell my audience I use AI-generated music. Most don't care. They care about the experience, not the tool.
The Bottom Line
I'm a trained pianist. A guitarist. A musician with decades of experience.
And I use AI to create music.
Not because I'm lazy. Not because I lack skill. Not because I don't respect traditional musicianship.
Because AI lets me create things that would be literally impossible otherwise.
My channels exist because of AI. The 10,000+ songs I create each year exist because of AI. The value I provide to thousands of people exists because of AI.
Is it controversial? Yes.
Do I care? Not really.
Because at the end of the day, I'm creating music that helps people focus, relax, and find peace. And if AI is the tool that makes that possible, then I'm going to use it.
The future of music isn't human OR AI. It's human AND AI.
And honestly? I can't wait to see what we create together.
Want to hear what AI-generated music can sound like? Check out my channels: Deep Focus Sphere for ambient focus music, Chillout Sphere for relaxing soundscapes, and JazzSphere Radio for smooth jazz vibes. Every track is AI-generated, curated by a trained musician.
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