Why are AI-generated songs failing to become hits? The problem isn't inspiration, it's that you lack a producer's mindset.

Many people who use AI to create songs have probably experienced a similar sense of disappointment: the songs they generate have smooth melodies and clever lyrics, and they listen to them on repeat, finding them increasingly appealing. However, once uploaded to TikTok or other music platforms, the data is dismal, with low play counts and very few favorites or shares.

At this point, it's easy to fall into self-doubt: Are the lyrics not touching enough? Is the melody not catchy enough? Or is it just bad luck, not having met anyone who appreciates the song?

These factors may have some influence, but most of the time, the problem isn't whether the song itself is good or not, but the order in which you created it.

Most people start making songs by thinking, "What kind of song do I want to write?" But those who can create widely popular works first think clearly about who will listen, when they will listen, and why they will stop to listen to the song.

This is the core topic I want to discuss with you today – the producer's mindset.

It helps you think clearly about who your audience is, what they are going through, and why they should stop to listen to the song before you even start creating it. Then you decide which line in the chorus to keep, how to keep the listener engaged in the first 30 seconds, and how to build up the overall mood of the song.

Let's talk about how hit song studios create their songs.

Many people think that songwriting starts with writing complete lyrics and then gradually adding melody and arrangement. In fact, a mature studio doesn't follow this order at all; the entire logic revolves around the audience and dissemination.

The first step is usually to select the right questions.

This time, I'm going to write about heartbreak, ambiguity, graduation, and friendship—common emotions that many people are experiencing. Once the topic is decided, I need to clarify who this song is for and in what situations the listeners will encounter it.

For example, it's written for a girl who has just broken up, who sees a short video of a rainy night street scene late at night and wants to find a song to express the emotions she hasn't said.

For example, when writing to old friends who have gone their separate ways, flipping through old photos, one might suddenly recall a regret from a certain summer.

Once the people and the setting are determined, the whole song will have a clear direction, rather than simply pursuing "good sound".

Next, the team will focus on mastering the most crucial line in the chorus. This could be a catchy melody, or a lyric that makes you want to share it immediately, for example:

Later I learned that even if I miss you, I shouldn't look back.

Once this line is set, the composition, lyrics, and arrangement will all revolve around it. The verses will clearly tell the story, the pre-chorus will build up the emotion, and the chorus will fully express this most important line. The arrangement will add more instrumentation to the chorus, making the vocals more powerful and the melody easier to remember.

The final product needs further adjustments regarding its dissemination, focusing on four key aspects:

• Is the opening fast enough? A long intro can easily turn people off.
• Can the first 30 seconds hold your attention? Do they make you want to keep listening?
• Did the chorus come out too late? Did it miss the time when everyone's attention was most focused?
• Is there any particular segment or line that's naturally perfect for use as background music in short videos?

This approach, which starts with the audience and ends with dissemination, is the producer's mindset.

When using AI to create songs, you need to have this mindset first. AI can help you generate melodies, vocals, and arrangements, but you need to figure out who this song is for, at what moment it should touch people's hearts, and where the most important line should be placed.

Master these 7 principles, and you can create hit songs using AI.

1. First, determine the target audience and the setting; don't just say you're writing a sad love song.

Simply telling AI to "write a catchy pop love song" is tantamount to handing over all creative control. The broader the description, the more likely the generated result will be mediocre.

Specifying the audience and the context will improve the effect significantly. For example:

Write a popular Chinese love song for young people who are pretending to be over a breakup. The scene is a rainy night after get off work, sitting alone in the back of a taxi, passing a familiar street corner. The verses are like a soliloquy, and the chorus builds up the emotion. It's sung by a female vocalist, with a piano opening, and drums and harmonies added in the second half. The whole song is kept to around two minutes long.

The more specific the information the AI receives, the closer its output will be to the desired effect. The audience, the scene, the emotional changes, and the orchestration should all be clearly written down.

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.

2. First, think of the core line of the chorus, then lay out the complete lyrics.

Whether a song can be remembered often depends on that one line in the chorus.

This sentence should be simple, like something a person would actually say at some point. Don't rush to let the AI fill the entire song with lyrics; first, think of three or five lines yourself, read them aloud to get a feel for them, and keep the one that resonates with you the most.

for example:

Later I learned that even if I miss you, I shouldn't look back.

I deleted the chat history, but I didn't delete the rain that night.

Only after you left did I learn to go home alone.

Once you've made your selection, give the AI clear and specific requirements:

The first line of the chorus is fixed as "Later I learned, even if I miss you, I shouldn't look back," and this line is repeated twice in the chorus. The first time, sing it with a little restraint, and the second time, the melody rises, harmony is added, and the emotions are fully released.

With a core sentence, the whole song has its focus. After listening, listeners can also remember a sentence that belongs to this song.

3. Capture the attention of the first 30 seconds; don't let the intro turn people off.

When a song is posted on short video and music platforms, no one will patiently listen to the entire song before deciding whether they like it or not. The vast majority of people will decide whether to continue listening within the first few dozen seconds.

In the first 30 seconds, you need to do at least two things: make people understand what the song is about, and make them willing to wait for the chorus.

Many songs have an intro that lasts for over twenty seconds without any vocals, by which time the singers have already swiped away. Others have verses that are too long, with the chorus dragging on for over a minute, meaning the best parts are never heard.

You can arrange it according to this time rhythm:

5 to 10 seconds: Go straight to the melody, or start with a line of lyrics. An intro is fine, but don't hide the main point for too long.

10 to 30 seconds: The verses set out specific scenes. For example, "the seventh rainy day after you left" is much more likely to make people stop and listen than the vague "I'm sad all by myself".

From 40 seconds to about 1 minute: Get the chorus out. The line you most want people to remember should be shown as early as possible.

After generating the song, you can listen to the first 30 seconds on a loop three times. If you still can't understand what the song is about after listening, the verses need to be rewritten; if you don't feel like listening to the chorus, move the chorus forward or change the beginning.

4. Develop a gradual build-up of emotions, using these fluctuations to support the entire song.

Most songs that are easy to listen to are not straightforward; they start by building up and gradually rise before finally unleashing their full potential in the chorus.

You can refer to this classic structure:

• Opening: Use simple instrumentation and light vocals to create a visual and basic mood; piano or guitar are both suitable.
• Verse: It's enough to tell a specific little story. There's no need to cram everything from meeting, falling in love, arguing, and breaking up into one song. The more specific the story, the easier it is to empathize with the listener.
• Prelude to the chorus: Push the melody upwards, gradually adding drumbeats and instruments to make people feel that the chorus is coming soon.
• Chorus: Release the most core line of the entire song, where the song title, emotions, and memorable points are all concentrated.
• The second chorus: You can raise the melody, add harmony, or change the singing style. The first time is for people to understand, the second time is for people to remember.
• Ending: Stop when the emotions have subsided; a long outro can easily make people give up prematurely.

5. Generate multiple versions for filtering, and keep the version with the best chorus.

The probability of the first version being a perfect result is very low.

For the same lyrics and style, at least three to five versions can be generated. You don't need to listen to the whole song; focus on the chorus. What you're looking for is a version where, as soon as the chorus starts, you think, "This line is right."

Some versions have a good melody, but the vocals lack emotion; some have the emotion, but the chorus isn't particularly impressive; some are average at the beginning, but the chorus carries the whole song.

If you find repeatedly generating versions too troublesome, you can use AudioSpeech AI, which automatically generates two versions each time, making it highly efficient for comparison and filtering.

Once the direction is found, provide the audio AI with more specific modification requirements, such as:

Keep the chorus melody of this version, but shorten the intro to under 8 seconds. Make the vocals in the verses softer, as if someone is speaking while suppressing their emotions. Add harmonies to the second chorus, and elongate the final note of the last phrase.

The clearer you are about what's wrong and what needs to be changed, the closer the next version will be to the effect you want.

6. Plan the distribution scenarios in advance, don't wait until the song is finished to consider them.

Many people think that once a song is finished, the production process is complete. But for songs intended for widespread distribution, release and adaptation to different scenarios are also part of the production process.

Besides being catchy, a song also needs to be easy to use – it should be convenient for others to cut into videos, add captions, and use for secondary creation.

You can figure out what kind of visuals this song is best paired with from the very beginning of the creative process.

Examples include driving in the rain, graduation ceremonies, breakup captions, city nightscapes, travel vlogs, fitness videos, and wedding scenes.

If the intended use case is clearly defined during the creation process, the probability of the song being used as background music by users and bloggers after its release will be much higher.

For example, if you want to create a song suitable for driving on a rainy night, you can leave some space at the beginning, avoid overly loud vocals, and then build up the emotion in the chorus. This will also make it easier to maintain a consistent style when releasing the song later, including the video visuals, text, and cover art.

It's best to include suitable use cases in your requirements from the very beginning of the creation process.

If you're too lazy to create your own music covers, you can also use Yinshu AI's free AI cover generator, which is very convenient.

Treat AI as your production team

Don't treat AI as just a button that's only responsible for "generating songs".

Treat it like a production team where you need to clearly define roles; this will make it easier to achieve the desired effect.

You are the producer.

You are responsible for determining the topic, audience, usage scenario, core emotion, chorus hook, and the direction of each round of modifications.

AI can perform different tasks:

• LyricistWrite multiple versions of lyrics based on your direction.
• ComposerTry different melodies for the same lyrics.
• arrangerTry different listening experiences, such as the piano version, the band version, the Lo-fi version, and the electronic version.
• Recording ProductionAdjust the vocal emotions, harmony, rhythm, and overall atmosphere of the song.

When you're making a song, you don't need to keep waiting for the AI to give you an answer.

You need to continuously provide it with clear feedback:

Keep this chorus, but shorten the intro to under 8 seconds. Make the verses more restrained, like holding back something. The second chorus should be more explosive, with added harmonies, and the last line should be lengthened.

First, provide direction; after hearing the results, point out the specific areas that need improvement. This is how producers work.

Finally, here's a creative template you can use directly.

Before opening the audio AI each time, please write down the following information clearly.

1. Target Audience

Urban young people aged 22 to 30 who have just broken up.

2. Usage Scenarios

I heard this song while scrolling through short videos on a rainy night after get off work, sitting in the back of a taxi.

3. Core Emotions

Even though I say I've let go, I still can't truly let go.

4. A Hook

Later I learned that even if I miss you, I shouldn't look back.

5. Song Structure

The verses tell a story, build up momentum for the chorus, and release emotions in the chorus.

6. Music Style

Piano and pop drum kit, female vocals, with harmonies added to the chorus.

7. Communication Objectives

The first 10 seconds introduce the main theme, and the chorus appears around 40 seconds, making it suitable to extract 15 to 30 seconds as background music for short videos.

Giving all this information to the audio AI will generate a much more specific result than simply saying "write a sad love song".

You can start with this template for every song you write.