AI music generator Udio just got a massive upgrade — here's what's new

Udio
(Image credit: Future)

Despite only being released in April of this year, the Udio AI music creator from Uncharted Labs continues to get more robust. Version 1.5 was just released, and the update introduces a host of audio improvements along with several new features. 

Udio says the generator will now create 48kHz-stereo tracks with enhanced clarity and coherence. The announcement claims you will "experience improved clarity, instrument separation, transients, coherence, and musicality across your generations."

In the examples that Udio provided, there was an improvement in the sound. I noticed a difference in the warmth of the vocals; in version 1, the lyrics sounded more tin-can, while v1.5 has a warmer, more authentic sound. 

The other noticeable improvement is how the audio sounds like it's actually in the speakers. In provided examples, it sounds like the audio mix was taken from across the room and has an echo-y sound. The 1.5 versions feel like it was mixed next to a microphone, and for lack of a better term, it sounds closer to the speakers, if that makes sense.

Outside of that, the new features include a new creator page, stem downloads, audio to audio and critical control.

The creator page wraps all your tools and library into one page to make your songs and creation features more accessible. Audio-to-audio lets users upload and remix their music.

The stem downloads enable users to split fully-mixed tracks into four stems: vocals, bass, drums and "everything else." It could allow you to take just one piece of a song for a remix or use external tools to work on the song.

Key control is interesting because it allows you to prompt the song to be in specific keys like C minor or Ab major. However, Udio warns that this feature is still a work in progress and that the results may not quite hit the intended keys.

Finally, version 1.5 brings improved global language support with new languages like Mandarin. However, Udio doesn't specify how many new languages were added with this update. u

If you're curious about testing Udio, check out our guides before you get started

More from Tom's Guide

Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. 

  • Hoofmark
    I managed to get a real cool song, used as a radio jingle, from the original Udio. Asking customer service about higher quality audio, I got a reply promising that the new and upcoming Udio would make it possible to get higher quality, also on already created tracks. So, with the release of the new version and the promise of the higher quality I became a paying customer. Only to discover the promise is not kept. No higher quality available for already created tracks. Also, trying to generate new music with the same info results in terrible songs. Prompts are ignored, quality not noticeable higher. The perfect Dutch language from earlier results now sounds butchered. I'm not happy.
    Reply