Having absolutely no knowledge of music theory, I used AI to create my first original song that could be uploaded online.
Many people have probably had the thought of writing a song. Perhaps it's a sudden surge of emotion in the dead of night, a few off-key lines floating through your mind; perhaps it's wanting to prepare a special gift for someone important, only to find that nothing quite feels right...
I believe many people have had the idea of writing a song.
Perhaps it's a sudden surge of emotions in the dead of night, a few off-key thoughts floating through my mind; perhaps it's wanting to prepare a special gift for someone important, only to find that nothing feels quite right. But most of the time, the thought just goes around in circles and is quickly put aside—after all, I don't play any instruments, I don't understand music theory, I can't even read sheet music, and songwriting seems like something only professional musicians can do.
I used to think that way too. Until I tried using AI to create my first song, starting with a sentence that came to mind, I had a complete arrangement, vocals, and mix in less than half an hour, and it was later successfully released on a music platform.
Today, let's talk about how ordinary people with no musical background can create their first original song using AI.
Let's dispel a misconception: you no longer need to learn music theory before making songs.
In the past, creating a complete song was indeed very difficult. Lyrics, composition, arrangement, recording, and mixing—each step required corresponding professional skills. For ordinary people to get started, just learning basic music theory would take up a lot of time, and most of the time they could only stay at the "thinking about it" stage.
But AI has fundamentally changed this.
It takes over all the most technically demanding aspects, such as arrangement, instrumentation, vocal performance, and audio editing and mixing. You don't need to know how to match chords, how to time drum beats, or how to clean up vocals. You just need to clearly state what you want to express and what kind of feeling you want to achieve, and a complete finished product will be generated.
To put it simply, in the past, making songs was all about technical skills. Now, for ordinary people, making songs is about whether you have the emotions and stories you want to express. With the technical barrier leveled out, everyone's feelings and experiences can be turned into songs.
For inexperienced beginners, it's easy to get confused by the various complex pages and functions. Here's a recommendation for a very user-friendly AI music tool – Yinshu AI. Not only does it have a clean and simple interface, but it also focuses on an AI music community where many AI music experts share their experiences. You can even create similar styles if you see one you like, making it perfect for beginners.
Yinshu – A leading global professional-grade Chinese AI music creation platform | Permanently free online AI songwriting
Create your first original song in five steps from scratch.
No special knowledge or advanced software skills are required. Just follow these five steps and you can have your first song in half an hour.
1. First, define a very small theme.
There's no need to start by writing about grand themes like life or ideals; the smaller the task, the easier it is to do well.
It could be the evening breeze on your way home from get off work, an old friend you haven't seen in a long time, the moment your cat spills a glass of water, or an unspoken emotion. Choose one small thing that has touched you recently and use it as the core of this song.
Don't be afraid that the theme is too small. Songs that can truly move people often grow from specific little things.
2. Write down the sentence you most want to express.
You don't need to write complete lyrics, nor do you need to force rhymes and parallelisms. Just write down what you most want to say, as naturally as you would when you speak.
For example, if you miss a friend, write about the road you walked with me last summer, which you still often walk now; if you enjoy being alone, write about how you can eat peacefully even when you're eating alone.
This sentence is the anchor point of the entire song; all the melodies, lyrics, and emotions that follow will revolve around it.
If you have a scene or idea in mind but can't express it, you can use this AI-powered inspiration feature to refine the emotions and specific visual scenes with the help of AI suggestions.
3. Tell the AI your requirements and it will directly generate a complete work.
Enter your chosen theme and core sentences, along with the style and feel you want, into the AI tool.
Let's skip the technical jargon and use plain language. For example, you can write directly:
A gentle pop song about the feeling of walking home alone after get off work. The core line is "The evening breeze brushes my shoulder, as if it doesn't matter if no one is talking." It is sung by a female vocalist with guitar accompaniment. The overall atmosphere is quiet, and the song lasts about two minutes.
Yinshu AI's improvisation feature is especially user-friendly for beginners. No complex operations are needed; simply input your words, and within minutes a song with vocals, a complete arrangement, and a pre-mixed track will be generated. The tool includes many ready-made style templates, so even if you only enter a core phrase, you can still produce a decent finished product, completely eliminating the need to worry about professional aspects like arrangement and instrumentation.
4. Spend ten minutes fine-tuning the details.
The first version will likely not be 100% satisfactory, but don't panic, and don't scrap it all and start over. Just change the parts that you feel uncomfortable with.
For example, if you think the intro is too long, you can suggest shortening it to under 8 seconds and getting straight to the vocals; if you think a certain lyric is inappropriate, you can simply replace that lyric; if you think the singing speed is too slow, you can suggest speeding up the overall tempo.
As before, there's no need to use technical jargon; just clearly state your feelings and requirements. The AI will adjust according to your needs, and after two or three revisions, it will be very close to the feeling you want.
5. Export the finished product and it's ready to go online on the platform.
Once you're satisfied with the adjustments, you can directly export the audio file. Major music platforms now allow individual musicians to join; you can apply using your personal information, upload your work, fill in the relevant details, and once approved, your song will be searchable and listenable by everyone.
The whole process can be completed in an afternoon if things go smoothly. Turning a vague idea into a formal piece that can be heard by others was something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
Three common pitfalls for beginners creating their first song
When I first did it, I made a lot of mistakes. I've summarized the three most common pitfalls, and avoiding them in advance can save you a lot of trouble.
1. The first pitfall: Trying to cram everything into one song.
When making a song for the first time, many people try to cram in all their emotions and stories, wanting to write about meeting and parting, adding piano and electronic music. As a result, the song is full and messy, and you can't remember any of the key points after listening to it.
Actually, for the first song, it's enough to tell a small story or express a particular emotion. The more focused the content, the easier it is to move people.
2. The second pitfall: Randomly choosing styles, trying whatever is popular.
One minute I think traditional Chinese style sounds good, the next I think rap is cool, and then I want to try electronic music. I generate every style, but in the end none of them feel right.
Beginners shouldn't blindly follow trends. Just choose the style you listen to most often and feel most connected to. If you often listen to pop, start with pop; if you often listen to folk, start with folk. The more familiar you are with a style, the easier it will be to judge the quality of the generated sound.
3. The third pitfall: The intro is too long, making it feel like the atmosphere needs to be built up first.
Many people believe that songs need a long intro to slowly build atmosphere and create a sense of quality. However, people's patience for listening to music is very limited nowadays, especially on short video platforms. If the intro is more than ten seconds long without vocals, most people will just swipe away.
The first song doesn't need to overemphasize atmosphere. Keep the intro under 10 seconds and get the vocals and core content in as quickly as possible. That's more important than anything else.
For an average person's first song, achieving these points is enough to make it sound good.
There's no need to strive for perfection, nor to hold yourself to the standards of professional songs. For an ordinary person's first original work, achieving these points already makes it a very good piece.
First, the emotions must be genuine. Don't force fancy words or rhymes; your true feelings are more important than any technique. Even if the lyrics are simple and straightforward, as long as the emotions are real, people will empathize.
Secondly, there should be a memorable line. That is the core line you initially decided on, put it in the chorus, repeat it twice, and after listening, people can recall that line, then the song will stand out.
Third, keep the length to a minimum. Keep it between two and two and a half minutes, with a simple structure: verse, chorus, and another chorus to conclude. Avoid adding unnecessary embellishments or lengthy outros; a clean and concise style is more listenable.
Finally, I want to say that many people are afraid to start making songs not because they lack the ability, but because they are stopped by the preconceived notion that "you need to understand music theory to write songs".
But things are very different now. The purpose of tools is to enable more people to express their thoughts. You don't need to wait to learn the guitar, understand chords, or develop a good voice. As long as you have emotions you want to express or moments you want to record, you can start now.
If you also want to create your first song, why not try using the AudioSpeech AI? Enter the words in your heart, and maybe in ten minutes you'll have your first original work.