On-demand blind box music
Part of AI Era Collection
AI isn't magic—it's a tool. What matters is how you use it.
Last year I wrote a post called Vibe coding is a slot machine.
In it, I confidently declared: AI output is like pulling a blind box. The process matters more than the result. Real creators should own every decision.
Today I’m here to eat my words.
Suno v5 is really good
Here’s what happened. I’ve been making YouTube videos lately (in Chinese), and I needed background music. So I opened Suno again.
Last year I was using v2 and v3. My verdict back then: quality wasn’t good enough. The blind boxes I pulled left me feeling nothing. Instead of waiting for AI to conjure something, I’d rather tweak things slowly in a DAW.
Two versions later, I’ve changed my mind.
What v5 generates is good enough to put on repeat.
Turns out the blind box mechanic wasn’t the problem. The stuff that came out just wasn’t good enough before.
Made to order
I cancelled my Spotify subscription six months ago. Was kind of bored for a while. But now I listen to music every day. Music I generate myself.
Want bossa nova? Generate a bossa nova track.
Want math rock? Here’s a math rock track.
YOASOBI-style J-pop? Sure.
K-indie I like? No problem.
Need a jazz loop for work? Coming right up.
This is what I call on-demand blind box music. And it sings whatever you tell it to.
Like having a private chef. Tell it what flavor you want, and it makes it on the spot.
The thrill of mining
But the most addictive part isn’t the convenience of “ordering.” It’s the feeling of mining.
Same prompt, but every time the melody, arrangement, and vocals come out different. Pick your favorite out of ten, and someone else might not pick the same one you did.
Taste is personal.
The song you mined might be one that only you in the entire world think is a gem.
And right now, Suno’s vocals can’t be precisely controlled. But I think that’s actually a feature. The voice you’re hearing, this melody, this particular arrangement. It might never be generated again.
One of a kind.
After eating my words
Last year I said the process matters more than the result. I still agree with that.
But I realized something: mining itself is a process.
When I hear a stunning generated track, I don’t think “AI made this, it has nothing to do with me.” I chose the prompt. My taste filtered and selected this song. Maybe the definition of creation is broader than I used to think.
And this hasn’t reduced my love for music at all. If anything, it makes me want to learn music production even more. If I could write my own melodies and then let AI help with arrangement and production, wouldn’t that be even better?
Maybe once my music production skills improve, I’ll find all this generated music bland, the same way I’ve grown tired of AI writing’s sentence patterns.
But for now, I’m having a blast.
”What are you so proud of?”
Lately I’ve been deep in the mining zone.
I often sit in the living room, blissfully listening to my discoveries through the soundbar. One time my wife was next to me, glanced over, and laughed:
“What are you so proud of? AI made that. It’s got nothing to do with you.”
Fair point. But I’m the one who mined it.
It’s like pulling an SSR in a gacha game. You know it’s just probability, but the moment you pull it, that feeling is real.
The funny thing is, six months ago I cancelled my Spotify subscription. To publish and listen to my own blind box music, I recently resubscribed.
I’ll keep uploading the songs I mine. Come have a listen.
Indie developer, AI music miner, and aspiring writer.
Documenting my journey of personal growth and the pursuit of simplicity.