Suno debuts Speech, which generates spoken voices from scripts or prompts, with optional background music, in public beta, as its music generator faces lawsuits

The ability to generate custom voiceovers with accompanying music means creators can now produce more complex audio content without hiring voice actors or licensing music.

Suno, a company known for its AI music generation, has launched "Speech," a new feature in public beta that generates spoken voices from text scripts or descriptive prompts. The tool also offers the option to simultaneously create background music to accompany the voiceovers, aiming to produce cohesive audio tracks. This expansion into AI-generated speech, which can be used with or without music, comes as Suno faces legal challenges related to its music generation technology. Speech offers two modes: a simple mode for prompt-based generation and an advanced mode allowing custom scripts and adjustments to voice gender, style, and variety. The feature has a maximum output duration of approximately eight minutes, and Suno acknowledges it is a beta product with ongoing development based on user feedback, citing potential quirks in accent consistency and dramatic pauses.

Suno's expansion into AI-powered speech generation, alongside its existing music capabilities, signals a broader trend towards integrated AI audio creation platforms. By combining voice and music generation into a single workflow, Suno aims to streamline content production for creators and potentially capture a larger share of the AI-driven media market, even as it navigates legal hurdles.

This move challenges established text-to-speech providers by offering a more holistic solution that directly integrates with music generation, a key differentiator. The public beta allows Suno to gather user data and refine its speech models, potentially setting new standards for natural-sounding AI voices paired with dynamic musical backdrops, thereby impacting how podcasts, audiobooks, and other spoken-word content are produced.