Notes on music
as code.
How songcode works, who it is for, and how it compares. Sources included.
Introducing songcode
Describe a track and get it back as code you can read, edit and play in your browser.
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From prompt to pattern
What happens between the moment you press generate and the moment you hear a kick drum.
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We trained nothing
songcode has no audio model. Here is exactly what that claim covers, and where it stops.
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How to read a track
Five stems of techno, taken apart one at a time. No Strudel experience needed.
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A track is a text file
A four minute track in two kilobytes, and what follows from that.
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The AI music map, November 2026
Six services, three ways of making music with a model, and what each company says about its training data.
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songcode and Suno
One makes finished songs. The other makes source. A fair comparison, with prices and court dates checked.
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songcode and Udio
Udio switched off downloads in a day. What that says about where your music lives.
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For people who fiddle
songcode is built for the kind of music person who cannot leave a machine alone.
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What songcode can’t do
No vocals, no live band, no mastering chain. The limits, stated up front, and what to use when you hit one.