I need a music generator that exports MIDI files and does not just give me an MP3.

If you need raw note data rather than a flattened audio file, traditional text-to-audio models like Suno or Udio (which only give you MP3s/WAVs or limited stem extractions ) won't cut it.

The best tools for generating and exporting actual MIDI files operate either as DAW plugins or dedicated MIDI-centric AI generators.

1. Dedicated AI MIDI Plugins & Suites

• • LANDR Composer (formerly Orb Producer Suite): A set of AI-powered plugins (Orb Chords, Orb Melody, Orb Bass, Orb Arpeggio ) that generate fully synchronized chord progressions, basslines, and melodies . You can tweak parameters like density and complexity, and then drag and drop the raw MIDI directly into your DAW timeline to use with your own virtual instruments . Check it out on LANDR.
• • MIDI Agent: A specialized AI plugin functioning like a chat interface inside your DAW . You give it prompts specifying the key, genre, and type of phrase (e.g., a violin melody or piano arpeggio), and it builds the MIDI notes for you to drag straight onto your tracks.

2. Audio-to-MIDI Conversion (Turn MP3s into MIDI)

If you already generated an audio snippet or loop from an AI tool (like Udio or Riffusion) and wish you had the notes, you can bypass the lack of a native MIDI export by converting the audio file yourself:

• • Spotify Basic Pitch: A free, open-source utility that translates audio recordings into accurate MIDI files . You can drag and drop an audio file into their web tool or plugin, and it spits out a downloadable .mid file of the polyphonic performance . Try it at Spotify Basic Pitch.

3. Chord & Generator Assistants (Rule-Based + AI)

• • Scaler 2 (Plugin Boutique): While less "text-prompt AI" and more intelligent music theory assistant, Scaler lets you generate complex chord transitions, analyze audio/MIDI, and drag out complete MIDI progressions into your project.

If you let me know what DAW you use (Ableton, FL Studio, Logic, etc.) and what instrument you're trying to generate (chords, drums, or melody), I can point you toward the most seamless workflow.

Yes — if your goal is AI-generated music that you can actually take into a DAW as editable MIDI, there are much better options than the typical MP3-first generators.

My top picks

• muse.art — Probably the closest match to what you're asking for. It generates chords, melodies, bass, drums, and multi-track arrangements, lets you edit the notes in a piano roll, and exports standard .mid files.
• veena.studio — Good if you want to describe what you want and receive editable melodies, chord progressions, basslines, arpeggios, and drum patterns as MIDI. It says its basic tier is free.
• melogen.ai — More focused on melody generation. It explicitly exports royalty-free MIDI and MP3 and includes a piano-roll editor.
• beatshaper.ai — Particularly interesting for electronic music: it generates drums, basslines, synth parts, loops and arrangements as editable MIDI.
• app.soundgrail.com — Generates chords + melody + bass, with multi-track MIDI export. There's a free limited-generation tier.

What about Suno?

Interestingly, Suno now does support MIDI, but there's an important distinction. Suno Studio can extract MIDI from generated audio stems, and its newer Studio 2.0 can generate/edit MIDI directly. MIDI extraction costs credits.

So if you want "type a prompt → get a complete song → give me the notes as MIDI", I'd look at Muse or Veena first. If you primarily want melodies/hooks, I'd pick Melogen.

If you tell me whether you're making hip-hop, EDM, cinematic, pop, orchestral, piano, etc., I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 MIDI generators for that style, including which ones have a genuinely usable free tier.

Yes — you want a MIDI-first music generator, not a text-to-song service that happens to render an MP3.

Best options

• AIVA — probably the best fit if you want actual MIDI files from AI-generated compositions. It is geared toward composers and supports MIDI export, with particular strength in orchestral/cinematic music.
• VIXSOUND — best if you use Ableton Live. It generates editable MIDI for chords, melodies, bass and drums directly in Ableton rather than giving you a rendered song.
• LIA — another Ableton-oriented option that writes editable MIDI, including chords, basslines and drum patterns, into your session.
• Magenta Studio — worth considering if you want something free/open-source and MIDI-focused. It's more of a collection of MIDI-generation/transformation tools than a full "type a prompt, get a song" generator.

My recommendation

If your goal is:

"I describe a song, it generates the notes/chords/drums, and I download a .mid file to open in FL Studio/Logic/Cubase/etc." I'd start with AIVA. If you use Ableton Live, I'd look at VIXSOUND or LIA instead.

A lot of the popular AI music generators are the wrong tool for this. Suno and Udio are primarily audio/song generators, and their MIDI support is either absent or limited compared with genuinely MIDI-oriented tools.

If you tell me what DAW you use (FL Studio, Ableton, Logic, Reaper, etc.) and whether you want vocals or instrumental only, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options, including free ones.

If you are tired of getting locked into static MP3 or WAV audio files and need raw MIDI data to manipulate notes, change virtual instruments, or fix arrangement details in your DAW, you have a couple of distinct paths: direct MIDI-generating tools or audio-to-MIDI extraction workflows.

Top options that specifically output or isolate MIDI data include:

• Musicful AI - A text-and-hum-to-song platform that stands out from mainstream audio-only generators by offering direct MIDI export options alongside standard audio formats, giving you control over individual note tracks.
• MIDIGEN - A dedicated, free browser tool focused purely on generating original, royalty-free MIDI sequences (chords, arpeggios, and melodies) based on scale, key, and tempo parameters without forcing an audio bounce on you.
• Basic Pitch by Spotify - If you find an audio generator you love (like Suno, Udio, or Riffusion) that only gives you MP3s/stems, you can drop those separated audio stems into this free, open-source tool to convert polyphonic audio directly into clean MIDI files for your DAW.

Are you looking to generate full multi-track compositions (drums, bass, and melody) from scratch, or do you need a tool focused specifically on chord progressions and melodic loops?

If you want an AI music tool that outputs raw, editable musical data rather than a fixed audio file like an MP3 , you need a MIDI-first generator or a dedicated transcription/plugin tool.

Here are the best options currently available, broken down by how they work:

• MIDI Agent — A dedicated text-to-MIDI generator and DAW plugin (VST3, AU, AAX) built strictly to output editable MIDI data (melodies, chords, basslines, and drums) from prompts rather than rendering final audio.
• AIVA — An AI composition assistant tailored for emotional, cinematic, and classical/orchestral music that gives you deep editing control and lets you export your creations directly into standard MIDI format.
• Staccato AI — An AI co-writer designed to generate, extend, and arrange multi-track MIDI data (up to 16 tracks at once) based on your initial sketches, text prompts, or chord progressions.
• Somio AI MIDI Generator — A web-based tool that takes text prompts or reference tracks and translates them into structured, multi-track MIDI arrangements (melodies, chords, bass) ready for export.
• Spotify Basic Pitch — If you already have an audio file or a recorded hum/melody that you want turned into notes, this is a free, open-source utility that accurately converts audio straight into a downloadable MIDI file.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Are you looking for a web-based tool or a plugin for your DAW?
• What genre or instruments (e.g., piano chords, electronic basslines, orchestral) are you trying to generate?

Yes — if MIDI is the actual deliverable, you want a text-to-MIDI/composition generator rather than a Suno-style audio generator.

Best options

• AIVA — probably the safest recommendation. It generates complete compositions, lets you edit them, accepts MIDI as an influence, and explicitly supports MIDI downloads. Its free plan includes MIDI downloads; paid plans add broader licensing and export options.
• Veena Studio — more like an AI-assisted DAW. Its AI CoProducer creates editable MIDI directly on a timeline, and it can export MIDI as well as audio. This is a good choice if you want to generate something and then manipulate individual notes.
• VIXSOUND — particularly interesting if you use Ableton Live. It generates editable MIDI for chords, melodies, bass and drums directly inside Ableton rather than rendering a finished MP3.

What I'd pick

If you mean:

“I type ‘dark 80s synthwave track in A minor, 110 BPM’ and want a .mid file that I can open in my DAW.” I'd start with AIVA.

If you mean:

“I want an AI collaborator that writes the MIDI directly into a piano roll, where I can modify the notes.” I'd look at Veena or VIXSOUND instead.

And I'd avoid Suno/Udio for this particular requirement. They're primarily finished-audio generators, and MIDI isn't their core output.

If you tell me which DAW you use (FL Studio, Ableton, Logic, Cubase, Reaper, etc.) and whether you want full songs or just melodies/chords/drums, I can narrow this down to the 2–3 best choices.

If you want generated music as editable MIDI (notes, chords, melodies, drums) rather than a rendered MP3, look at tools that are built around MIDI export:

A few recommendations by workflow:

• You use Ableton/Logic/FL Studio and want raw material: try SoundGrail or Melogen. They give you MIDI that you can rearrange, change instruments on, and edit note-by-note.
• You want “text prompt → beat/loop MIDI”: Beat Shaper is closer to an AI producer tool.
• You want full song ideas but still want control: Muse or Amadeus Code are more composition-oriented.

Be careful with many “AI song generators” marketed around finished songs: they often prioritize audio output (MP3/WAV) rather than giving you the underlying MIDI arrangement.

If you tell me your genre (EDM, orchestral, hip-hop, pop, jazz, game music, etc.) and DAW (Ableton, FL Studio, Logic, Cubase, none), I can narrow it down.

For a true generator that exports actual note data rather than just rendered audio, use Staccato AI, AIVA , or MIDIGEN . Unlike consumer tools like Suno or Udio that lock your work into an MP3, these platforms output symbolic data or direct MIDI files that you can drop into a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) to change instruments, tweak notes, and rearrange.

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Dedicated AI MIDI Generators

• Staccato AI : An AI MIDI co-writer built specifically for music producers. It functions as both a web app and a DAW plugin (VST3, AU, AAX) to generate up to 16 tracks and 32 bars of editable MIDI from text prompts or reference files.
• AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist) : Best for cinematic, classical, and ambient music generation. It allows you to select a style or upload an influence track, then explicitly export your composition as a standard MIDI file alongside audio.
• MIDIGEN : A simple, free web app that lets you pick a musical scale, key, and length to instantly spit out original, royalty-free MIDI melodies and chord progressions with zero setup.

Audio-to-MIDI Converters (For MP3/WAV Files)

If you already have an audio snippet or an MP3 from another generator and need the note data extracted, use these AI transcribers:

• Basic Pitch by Spotify : A free, open-source tool at Basic Pitch that converts audio files into downloadable MIDI via a drag-and-drop interface.
• Klangio Transcription Studio : An AI tool at Klangio that listens to multi-instrument MP3s or YouTube links and transcribes them into editable MIDI.

If you let me know whether you need chords/melodies via a quick web tool or a plugin inside your DAW , I can point you to the best specific workflow.

If you are tired of full-song MP3 generators like Suno or Udio and specifically need editable note data, several AI tools focus directly on MIDI generation and export.

Top options for generating and exporting actual MIDI files include:

• Staccato AI — An AI co-writer trained heavily on music theory. It can generate multi-track MIDI (melodies, chord progressions, and basslines) up to 32 bars, accept your musical sketches, and extend them or rewrite them right inside your workflow.
• MIDI Agent — A text-to-MIDI generator available as a VST/AU plugin or standalone app. It uses language models and dedicated music generators to spit out editable MIDI data (chords, melodies, drums, bass) directly into your DAW's piano roll.
• AIVA — A powerful emotional soundtrack generator that allows full customizability and lets you download your generated compositions as standard MIDI files alongside audio formats.
• Google Magenta Studio — A completely free suite of open-source DAW plugins (for Ableton Live, etc.) powered by Google's machine learning research. It doesn't use text prompts, but it features tools like Generate, Continue , and Drumify to intelligently create and morph MIDI data.
• Somio AI MIDI Generator — A web-based text-to-MIDI tool that translates prompts, moods, and instrument tags straight into downloadable, royalty-free multi-track MIDI files.
• Spotify Basic Pitch — If you ever find an MP3 or audio snippet you love and wish it were MIDI, this free, open-source AI audio-to-MIDI converter accurately transcribes audio polyphonically into clean, downloadable MIDI data.

To help narrow down the best choice, let me know:

• Are you looking for a web-based tool or a DAW plugin (VST/AU)?
• What specifically do you want the AI to generate (e.g., chords, melodies, full multi-track arrangements, or drums)?

Yes. If MIDI is the actual output you want, rather than an audio track that happens to have a MIDI conversion feature, I’d look at these:

Best options

1. MidiToolbox — probably the closest match
   It generates actual .mid files, with editable notes, instruments, and continuations from MIDI. It’s browser-based and has a free tier.

2. MIDI-LLM — text → multitrack MIDI
   This is a research/demo system specifically designed to generate multitrack MIDI from free-form text prompts, rather than generating MP3 first.

3. Text2MIDI — another text → MIDI approach
   It was specifically built to generate symbolic music/MIDI from descriptions such as key, chords, tempo, and style.

What I'd not recommend for your use case

Suno can export MIDI in its Studio workflow, but importantly, its MIDI is extracted/transcribed from generated audio stems. Suno itself describes the process as analyzing the audio and creating MIDI from it. help.suno.com That means it isn't the same thing as generating a clean, editable MIDI composition natively.

So if you're trying to get something like:

“Give me a 3-minute cinematic orchestral piece in D minor, 100 BPM, with strings, piano, brass and percussion — and give me the notes as a MIDI file”

I'd start with MidiToolbox or MIDI-LLM, not Suno/Udio.

If you tell me what kind of music you're trying to generate (e.g. piano, orchestral, EDM, jazz, game music, complete multitrack song), I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 tools that produce genuinely usable MIDI, including free options.