ElevenLabs Music vs Melody Genie (2026): Music Model or Songwriting Studio?

Quick answer

ElevenLabs Music is a music model (Music v2) sold inside the ElevenLabs credit plans, with section inpainting, 2 to 6 stems depending on plan, consistent Vocals and Styles, an API and a Music Marketplace. Melody Genie is a songwriting studio that runs ElevenLabs Music v2.5 as one of seven selectable models alongside Suno V6, and adds a dedicated lyric engine (100+ artist-inspired Style DNA profiles, rewrites, beat matching), singing in your own recorded voice, a guided Genie chat and a per-user style profile. Choose ElevenLabs directly for licensed brand and ad music at scale or API access; choose Melody Genie to write the song and switch models per track in one workflow.

Where ElevenLabs Music is stronger

ElevenLabs offers an API, a Music Marketplace where creators can publish and earn, enterprise licensing for ads, games and film, custom finetunes on higher tiers, and a model trained in partnership with artists, labels and publishers. For brands and developers those are decisive.

Where Melody Genie is different

Melody Genie starts at the song, not the audio. You write or generate the lyric in an artist-inspired style, fix weak lines, match it to a beat, then render it on the model that fits — ElevenLabs Music v2.5, Suno V6 or others — and sing it in your own voice. One subscription covers all seven models.

How should someone choose?

Licensed music for ads, brands or video at scale: evaluate ElevenLabs Music, because ElevenCreative, the Music Marketplace and enterprise licensing are built for that. Generate music from your own product via API: evaluate ElevenLabs Music, because ElevenLabs documents a Music API; Melody Genie does not offer one. Write the lyric first, in a specific style, then produce it: evaluate Melody Genie, because Dedicated lyric tools and Style DNA come before the audio. Try the same song on ElevenLabs and Suno without two subscriptions: evaluate Melody Genie, because Both run inside one workflow and one credit wallet. Release songs on Spotify from an entry-level plan: evaluate Melody Genie, because Starter includes commercial use; ElevenLabs lists its music Starter tier as "Commercial, no streaming".

How was this comparison checked?

Every ElevenLabs cell was taken from ElevenLabs' own music and pricing pages on October 3, 2026 (monthly billing, before promotions). Track counts are ElevenLabs' own estimates per plan. We do not claim better audio quality for either product without a controlled listening test. We build Melody Genie. Sources checked 2026-10-03: ElevenLabs AI Music Generator (Music v2) and music pricing table: https://elevenlabs.io/music ElevenLabs pricing: https://elevenlabs.io/pricing ElevenLabs music terms: https://elevenlabs.io/music-terms Introducing Music v2.5: https://elevenlabs.io/blog/music-v2-5-model Melody Genie pricing: https://melodygenie.app/pricing Melody Genie music models: https://melodygenie.app/ai-music-models Melody Genie commercial rights: https://melodygenie.app/commercial-rights

Frequently asked questions

Does Melody Genie use ElevenLabs Music?

Yes. ElevenLabs Music v2.5 is one of seven music models you can select per song in Melody Genie, next to Suno V6, Lyria 3.5, MiniMax, ACE-Step and Stable Audio 3.

Can I use ElevenLabs Music commercially?

According to ElevenLabs' music pricing table, the Free tier is personal use only, Starter is "Commercial, no streaming" and Creator and Pro are "Commercial, not enterprise"; enterprise terms cover the rest. Read ElevenLabs' music terms for the exact scope. Melody Genie grants commercial use, including streaming release, on all paid plans.

Which one has stems?

Both. ElevenLabs lists 2 and 4 stems on Starter and Creator and up to 6 on Pro. Melody Genie offers vocal/instrumental, advanced and full multi-track splits on eligible songs on paid plans.

Which is better for songwriters?

For writing the words, Melody Genie: it has a dedicated lyric engine with artist-inspired Style DNA, rewrites and beat matching, and lets you sing the result in your own voice. ElevenLabs is the stronger choice when you need licensed production music or an API.