Background music has different needs from song generation: an instrumental that sits under a voice, a license that covers monetized videos, and a file you can actually download. Several popular music AIs miss one of those three.
Soundraw is built for exactly this: Creator ($12.99/mo) gives unlimited MP3 downloads with commercial use as background music in videos and podcasts. Suno Pro ($8/mo) is the pick for full songs with vocals. Skip Udio for video work: creations can no longer leave Udio.com.
| App | Free tier | Paid from | Top plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundraw | Yes | $12.99/mo | $64.99/mo | YouTubers, podcasters and beatmakers who want royalty-free instrumentals instead of stock music |
| Suno | Yes | $8/mo | $24/mo | Hobbyists, songwriters and content creators who want full original songs fast |
| ElevenLabs | Yes | $6/mo | $990/mo | Developers and studios needing voice cloning, dubbing and TTS, with music as a bonus feature |
| Wondershare Filmora | Yes | $4.17/mo | $8.33/mo | Hobbyists and YouTubers who want a classic timeline editor with optional generative AI on a cheap annual plan |
Monthly prices in US dollars before tax, from each vendor's official pricing (US list price; weekly-billed plans converted to a monthly figure). Updated November 2, 2026
Generates royalty-free instrumentals and beats you can customize. Creator includes unlimited MP3 downloads and commercial use as background music in videos, podcasts and more, for individuals and companies under 10 employees.
Pick it if: you need fresh background tracks for YouTube videos or podcasts every week.
Where it falls short: Downloads need a paid plan, Creator downloads are MP3 only, and WAV and stems start at Artist Pro.
Full Soundraw pricing →Turns a text prompt into a full song with vocals in under a minute. Pro adds commercial use, 2,500 credits a month and 2 stem separation types.
Pick it if: your video needs a song with vocals, or stems to remix.
Where it falls short: Free bars commercial use, and major-label lawsuits (Sony, UMG) cloud the legal picture.
Full Suno pricing →Generates music and sound effects alongside its voice tools, so narration, music and SFX come from one credit balance. Starter ($6/mo) adds the commercial license.
Pick it if: the same videos also need a voiceover or sound effects.
Where it falls short: Music is secondary to voice, with fewer song-specific controls than dedicated music apps, and Free has no commercial use.
Full ElevenLabs pricing →AI music is one of 20+ credit-based AI tools in a desktop timeline editor, so you generate a track and cut to it in the same project. Advanced ($5/mo) includes 1,000 AI credits a month, billed annually.
Pick it if: you want the editor and the soundtrack in one cheap annual plan.
Where it falls short: No monthly option for individuals, Basic has no AI credits, and unused credits are reclaimed every 30 days.
Full Wondershare Filmora pricing →For monetized videos the plan matters more than the model. Soundraw's Creator plan names commercial background use explicitly; Suno and ElevenLabs allow commercial use only on paid plans. Udio's settlements with Universal and Warner turned it into a walled garden where creations can't leave Udio.com, so it doesn't work as a source of video soundtracks.
It depends on the plan. Soundraw is built for royalty-free background tracks and allows commercial use as background music on Creator. Suno's free tier bars commercial use and Pro allows it; ElevenLabs' free tier is non-commercial and Starter adds a commercial license.
Use a paid plan: Suno Pro and Premier include commercial use, Free does not. Keep in mind the major-label lawsuits around Suno.
How we choose: prices come from each vendor's official pricing page and are re-checked every week. We take no affiliate fees, so rankings aren't for sale.