How To Create Custom Music With ElevenLabs AI Music API
The ElevenLabs Music API is transforming how developers and creators generate custom music from simple text descriptions. From personalised soundtracks to commercial licensing, this comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about AI-powered music creation:
- What is the ElevenLabs Music API?
- How Personalised Soundtracks Work
- Quick Uses: Game Scores, Ad Jingles, Videos and More
- Try It Now: Demos and Quickstart Tools
- Rights and Licensing — Can You Use the Music Commercially?
- What This Means for Creators and Businesses
The API was recently made available to developers after ElevenLabs launched their Eleven Music service. Unlike other AI music tools, this one is trained on licensed data and cleared for commercial use, meaning businesses can use the generated music without copyright worries.
The API works with simple text prompts and gives you control over genre, style, track length, and whether you want vocals or just instruments. It supports multiple languages and can create music for any purpose—from background tracks for videos to complete songs for streaming platforms.
According to ElevenLabs' documentation, the system understands both natural language descriptions and musical terms, so you can be as specific or general as you want with your requests. For developers, this means you can now add music generation to apps, websites, or services without needing expensive licensing agreements or music production knowledge.
The process starts when you write a prompt describing what you want. You tell the AI about the mood, genre, tempo, and style you're looking for. For example, you might write "upbeat electronic dance music with energetic vibes for a 2-minute workout video."
AI music generators use machine learning models that have been trained on thousands of songs to understand musical patterns. When you submit your prompt, the AI analyzes your description and creates melodies, rhythms, and harmonies that match what you asked for.
Most platforms like Mubert and Canva's music generator let you specify exactly how long you want your track to be - from short 5-second jingles to full 25-minute compositions. You can also choose whether you want vocals or just instrumental music.
Google's music generation guide explains that you should include genre and style, mood and emotion, and any specific instruments you want featured. Modern AI tools understand emotional prompts like "sad synthwave" or "uplifting jazz," making the process more intuitive.
Game Background Music
Streamers and game developers are using AI to create custom background tracks that fit their brand without worrying about copyright issues. Instead of searching for royalty-free music that might not match your style, you can generate something that's uniquely yours in minutes.
Business Jingles
Small businesses are discovering that AI-generated jingles can be just as catchy as expensive custom compositions. Tools like Musely's jingle generator let you create memorable musical hooks for ads, podcasts, or marketing campaigns without needing any musical skills.
YouTube Intros and Podcast Music
Content creators are using AI intro makers to generate professional video openings and custom background scores for videos. These tools help you skip the time-consuming process of finding the right music that matches your content's mood.
Social Media Videos
AI video generators can create complete videos from just a text description, including voiceover, background music, and visuals. Small businesses especially benefit because they can create professional-quality content that used to require hiring specialists, all while staying within budget.
Jingle Maker - Turn any website into a custom song in seconds. Just visit jinglemaker.ai, paste any website URL, and watch AI create a unique jingle that captures the essence of that site. Choose from different musical styles to match your brand's vibe.
ElevenLabs Music Page - Head to elevenlabs.io/music to explore the full AI music generator. Create studio-grade music from text prompts, add vocals or keep it instrumental, and generate tracks in multiple languages.
API Quickstart - Developers can dive straight into the official quickstart guide to integrate ElevenLabs' text-to-speech capabilities. The documentation walks you through creating your first API call, from getting your API key to generating lifelike speech. All plans, including the free tier, come with API access.
Free Plan Users Cannot Use Music Commercially
If you're using ElevenLabs' free plan, you're not allowed to use the AI-generated music for any commercial purposes. The company's Eleven Music v1 Terms specifically state that free plan users are "prohibited from using Outputs for" commercial use.
Paid Plans Include Commercial Rights
Users on paid subscription plans get commercial licensing included. According to ElevenLabs' help documentation, "paid plans all include a commercial license," allowing you to use generated music in business projects, advertisements, and other commercial applications.
ElevenLabs Claims Licensed Training Data
Unlike many AI music tools, ElevenLabs says their music generator was "trained on licensed data and cleared for broad commercial use." The company has secured licensing agreements with major rights holders including Merlin and Kobalt, which they claim makes the generated music legally safe for commercial use.
For large-scale commercial projects, ElevenLabs offers custom enterprise plans for "high-volume use cases or to license Eleven Music for film, television, and video games."
For businesses, this means access to 64% of consumers who make purchases based on influencer recommendations. Creators can now build real businesses beyond just ad revenue through multiple income streams like subscriptions, product sales, and direct audience relationships.
However, the creator economy is fundamentally broken for many participants, with most creators struggling to earn sustainable income. Key challenges include income instability, platform dependency, and the risk of burnout.
For creators: Build direct relationships with your audience instead of relying solely on platform algorithms. For businesses: You can't simply pick a creator at random - successful partnerships require research and strategy.
- What is the ElevenLabs Music API?
- How Personalised Soundtracks Work
- Quick Uses: Game Scores, Ad Jingles, Videos and More
- Try It Now: Demos and Quickstart Tools
- Rights and Licensing — Can You Use the Music Commercially?
- What This Means for Creators and Businesses
What is the ElevenLabs Music API?
The ElevenLabs Music API is a new tool that lets developers create complete songs from simple text descriptions. You type in what kind of music you want—like "create a happy pop song with guitar"—and the API generates a full track with vocals and instruments in seconds.The API was recently made available to developers after ElevenLabs launched their Eleven Music service. Unlike other AI music tools, this one is trained on licensed data and cleared for commercial use, meaning businesses can use the generated music without copyright worries.
The API works with simple text prompts and gives you control over genre, style, track length, and whether you want vocals or just instruments. It supports multiple languages and can create music for any purpose—from background tracks for videos to complete songs for streaming platforms.
According to ElevenLabs' documentation, the system understands both natural language descriptions and musical terms, so you can be as specific or general as you want with your requests. For developers, this means you can now add music generation to apps, websites, or services without needing expensive licensing agreements or music production knowledge.
How Personalised Soundtracks Work
Getting a custom soundtrack has become surprisingly simple with today's AI music generators. These tools work by taking your text descriptions and turning them into original music tracks within seconds.The process starts when you write a prompt describing what you want. You tell the AI about the mood, genre, tempo, and style you're looking for. For example, you might write "upbeat electronic dance music with energetic vibes for a 2-minute workout video."
AI music generators use machine learning models that have been trained on thousands of songs to understand musical patterns. When you submit your prompt, the AI analyzes your description and creates melodies, rhythms, and harmonies that match what you asked for.
Most platforms like Mubert and Canva's music generator let you specify exactly how long you want your track to be - from short 5-second jingles to full 25-minute compositions. You can also choose whether you want vocals or just instrumental music.
Google's music generation guide explains that you should include genre and style, mood and emotion, and any specific instruments you want featured. Modern AI tools understand emotional prompts like "sad synthwave" or "uplifting jazz," making the process more intuitive.
Quick Uses: Game Scores, Ad Jingles, Videos and More
Whether you're starting a small business or just want to add some polish to your content, AI makes creating professional-sounding music and videos surprisingly easy. Here are some quick ways people are using these tools today:Game Background Music
Streamers and game developers are using AI to create custom background tracks that fit their brand without worrying about copyright issues. Instead of searching for royalty-free music that might not match your style, you can generate something that's uniquely yours in minutes.
Business Jingles
Small businesses are discovering that AI-generated jingles can be just as catchy as expensive custom compositions. Tools like Musely's jingle generator let you create memorable musical hooks for ads, podcasts, or marketing campaigns without needing any musical skills.
YouTube Intros and Podcast Music
Content creators are using AI intro makers to generate professional video openings and custom background scores for videos. These tools help you skip the time-consuming process of finding the right music that matches your content's mood.
Social Media Videos
AI video generators can create complete videos from just a text description, including voiceover, background music, and visuals. Small businesses especially benefit because they can create professional-quality content that used to require hiring specialists, all while staying within budget.
Try It Now: Demos and Quickstart Tools
Ready to test ElevenLabs' AI audio tools? Here's where you can jump in and start experimenting:Jingle Maker - Turn any website into a custom song in seconds. Just visit jinglemaker.ai, paste any website URL, and watch AI create a unique jingle that captures the essence of that site. Choose from different musical styles to match your brand's vibe.
ElevenLabs Music Page - Head to elevenlabs.io/music to explore the full AI music generator. Create studio-grade music from text prompts, add vocals or keep it instrumental, and generate tracks in multiple languages.
API Quickstart - Developers can dive straight into the official quickstart guide to integrate ElevenLabs' text-to-speech capabilities. The documentation walks you through creating your first API call, from getting your API key to generating lifelike speech. All plans, including the free tier, come with API access.
Rights and Licensing — Can You Use the Music Commercially?
ElevenLabs recently launched their AI music generation service with specific rules about commercial use. Here's what you need to know about their licensing and restrictions.Free Plan Users Cannot Use Music Commercially
If you're using ElevenLabs' free plan, you're not allowed to use the AI-generated music for any commercial purposes. The company's Eleven Music v1 Terms specifically state that free plan users are "prohibited from using Outputs for" commercial use.
Paid Plans Include Commercial Rights
Users on paid subscription plans get commercial licensing included. According to ElevenLabs' help documentation, "paid plans all include a commercial license," allowing you to use generated music in business projects, advertisements, and other commercial applications.
ElevenLabs Claims Licensed Training Data
Unlike many AI music tools, ElevenLabs says their music generator was "trained on licensed data and cleared for broad commercial use." The company has secured licensing agreements with major rights holders including Merlin and Kobalt, which they claim makes the generated music legally safe for commercial use.
For large-scale commercial projects, ElevenLabs offers custom enterprise plans for "high-volume use cases or to license Eleven Music for film, television, and video games."
What This Means for Creators and Businesses
The creator economy is reaching new heights, with projections showing it could hit $480 billion by 2024. Content creators are expected to generate $184.9 billion in revenue globally, up 20% from the previous year.For businesses, this means access to 64% of consumers who make purchases based on influencer recommendations. Creators can now build real businesses beyond just ad revenue through multiple income streams like subscriptions, product sales, and direct audience relationships.
However, the creator economy is fundamentally broken for many participants, with most creators struggling to earn sustainable income. Key challenges include income instability, platform dependency, and the risk of burnout.
For creators: Build direct relationships with your audience instead of relying solely on platform algorithms. For businesses: You can't simply pick a creator at random - successful partnerships require research and strategy.