# Daydream

> Daydream is a music research lab developing models and real-time systems for human musical expression: real-time audio models that follow chords, melodies, grooves and the parts already on a track, and the previews that put them in musicians' hands (DreamSampler, Studio and Songbird).

## About Daydream

Daydream is developing models and real-time systems for human musical expression. We research how generative models can follow musical intention, respond to changing direction, and give creators precise control over sound as it unfolds. More: https://daydream.live/#about

Building the foundations of interactive music. Our research asks how generative audio models can reliably follow chords, melodies, rhythms, and performance cues while the music is playing. We develop specialized control models and the real-time systems that make this interaction possible. We evaluate how accurately models follow musical direction, how independently different controls operate, and how quickly the sound responds.

How the control works: our real-time engine updates output sound within 100ms of a parameter change. Each model is a small, modular add-on designed to steer any foundation model. We've taught hallucination-prone models the language of music: chords, grooves, melodies, and more.

## Research: control benchmarks

We benchmark our models on six musical tasks using independent tools: chord detectors, pitch tracker, onset and transient detection, and more. Every score is a percentage. The control is a leading open-source model.

Control latency, from a parameter change to changed sound: Daydream 81ms. The closest known competitor is 200ms.

| Task | Metric | Control | Daydream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chords | Root accuracy | 9% | 69% |
| Melody | Pitch-class accuracy | 15% | 53% |
| Groove | Accent F1 | 59% | 80% |
| Accompaniment | Onset match | 11% | 33% |
| Mix | Win rate vs. rough mix | — | 79% |
| Note Density | Direction accuracy | — | 100% |

Source: https://daydream.live/#research

## Possibilities

What if making music were as universal as listening to it? When people can shape music in real time with precise, intuitive control, musical expression becomes part of everyday life.

- **Musical instruments**: direct and perform with generative sound.
- **Creative tools**: develop musical ideas through continuous experimentation.
- **Interactive entertainment**: shape music through play, movement, and exploration.

## Previews

- [Studio](https://labs.daydream.live/studio/): Research Preview. A browser studio where session players follow your chart and play along live. Free, no invite needed.
- [Songbird](https://labs.daydream.live/songbird/): Research Preview. A game in the browser: fly a bird through the clouds on the beat, and where it flies decides what the band plays. Free, no invite needed.
- [DreamSampler](https://daydream.live/downloads): Research Preview. An instrument that runs in most major DAWs (VST3, AU, AAX and standalone; macOS and Windows) and reshapes sound while you play. Free to try.
- [Discord](https://discord.gg/g7F2HCa9VB): The Daydream community.

## Music for games and video

[Daydream Music Generator](https://gen.daydream.live/): describe a song in words and get it back as an instrumental MP3 and WAV with its stems, up to two minutes. The stems are made with the song, not split from the mix, so they add up to it exactly. Royalty-free for commercial games, videos and streams. 10 free songs a month with a Daydream account; the Songs plan is $4 a month for 500 songs and unlimited downloads of mixes and stems, with an API. Every page below is the full generator, set up for one kind of music. Details for agents: https://gen.daydream.live/llms.txt

- [Music generator](https://gen.daydream.live/): Any kind of instrumental music, from a description: tempo, key, length and seamless loops.
- [Game music](https://gen.daydream.live/game-music-generator): Battle themes, towns, menus and boss fights, with seamless loops for levels.
- [Background music](https://gen.daydream.live/background-music-generator): For YouTube videos, streams, podcasts and apps, made to sit under a voice.
- [Royalty-free music](https://gen.daydream.live/royalty-free-music-generator): Tracks for commercial games, videos and streams, described instead of searched for in a stock library.
- [Loops](https://gen.daydream.live/loop-generator): Seamless loops that repeat without a click, for game levels, menus and stream screens.
- [Lo-fi music](https://gen.daydream.live/lofi-music-generator): Lo-fi hip hop and chill beats for streams, study playlists and videos.
- [8-bit music](https://gen.daydream.live/8-bit-music-generator): 8-bit and 16-bit style chiptune for retro and pixel-art games.
- [Free music generator](https://gen.daydream.live/free-ai-music-generator): What's free: 10 songs a month with a Daydream account, MP3 and WAV, one song without signing in.
- [Stems made with the song](https://gen.daydream.live/ai-music-generator-with-stems): Every song made as five parts (drums, bass, guitar, keys, other) that add up to the mix exactly; make one part again with the other four unchanged.
- [Podcast intros](https://gen.daydream.live/podcast-intro-music): Intros, outros and talk beds for podcasts, with stems to pull a part down under the voice.
- [YouTube background music](https://gen.daydream.live/youtube-background-music): For vlogs, tutorials and reviews, made to sit under a voice.
- [Stream music](https://gen.daydream.live/twitch-stream-music): Starting soon, be right back and background loops for streams.
- [TikTok and Reels music](https://gen.daydream.live/tiktok-background-music): Short tracks for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, royalty-free for brand and creator posts.
- [Wedding video music](https://gen.daydream.live/wedding-video-music): Scores for wedding films and highlight reels, royalty-free for films delivered to clients.
- [Travel video music](https://gen.daydream.live/travel-video-music): Tracks for travel videos and vlogs, one per place, at one tempo and key so they cut together.
- [Corporate music](https://gen.daydream.live/corporate-background-music): For product demos, explainers, ads and presentations, clear for commercial use.
- [Horror game music](https://gen.daydream.live/horror-game-music): Dread ambiences, chases and boss themes, with stems to layer by tension.
- [RPG music](https://gen.daydream.live/rpg-game-music): Fantasy towns, taverns, dungeons, overworlds and battles, made to loop.
- [Study music](https://gen.daydream.live/study-music): Focus beats and soft piano, with seamless loops for long sessions.
- [Meditation music](https://gen.daydream.live/meditation-music-generator): Meditation, yoga and sleep music for apps and classes, made to loop.
- [Cinematic music](https://gen.daydream.live/cinematic-music-generator): Trailer builds, emotional strings and tense underscore for films, trailers and games.
- [Hip hop beats](https://gen.daydream.live/hip-hop-beat-generator): Boom bap, trap, lo-fi and drill instrumentals with their stems, to write and rap over.
- [Synthwave](https://gen.daydream.live/synthwave-music-generator): Retro 80s tracks for videos, streams and games.
- [Ambient music](https://gen.daydream.live/ambient-music-generator): Soundscapes for apps, games and installations, made to loop.
- [API docs](https://gen.daydream.live/docs): send a description, get an MP3 and a WAV; examples for curl, JavaScript, Python, Unity and Godot.
- [In Claude and ChatGPT](https://gen.daydream.live/docs#mcp): the MCP server, https://gen.daydream.live/mcp. Add it as a custom connector in Claude (or with `claude mcp add` in Claude Code) or as a custom MCP server in ChatGPT, and a song described in the chat plays there with its stems.
- [Pricing](https://daydream.live/pricing): every plan, the Songs plan included
- [Comparisons](https://daydream.live/vs): Daydream beside Suno, Udio, ElevenLabs Music, Stable Audio, AIVA and Soundraw; every competitor fact from its own pages, dated. As of October 2026.
- [Daydream vs Suno](https://daydream.live/vs/suno): which to use when. Suno for songs with sung vocals; Daydream for instrumentals with unlimited downloads ($4 a month for 500 songs, mixes and stems; Suno Pro is $10 a month with 20 downloads), and commercial use on the free plan. As of October 2026.
- [Daydream vs Udio](https://daydream.live/vs/udio): Udio sings, but its terms allow no downloads and no commercial use on any plan; every Daydream plan has both. As of October 2026.
- [Daydream vs ElevenLabs Music](https://daydream.live/vs/elevenlabs): ElevenLabs for vocals in many languages and an API; Daydream for unlimited downloads ($4 a month) where ElevenLabs Starter ($6) has 30 minutes and no streaming release. As of October 2026.
- [Daydream vs Stable Audio](https://daydream.live/vs/stable-audio): both instrumental. Stable Audio for a DAW plugin and sound effects; Daydream for $4 a month with unlimited downloads and commercial use on the free plan. As of October 2026.
- [Daydream vs AIVA](https://daydream.live/vs/aiva): AIVA for MIDI; on Daydream you own what you make on every plan, where AIVA owns the copyright below its €49 Pro plan. As of October 2026.
- [Daydream vs Soundraw](https://daydream.live/vs/soundraw): both instrumental. Soundraw for a bar-by-bar editor and releasing songs on its Artist plans; Daydream for $4 a month with unlimited mixes and stems, where Soundraw's stems start at $38.99, and a free plan with commercial use. As of October 2026.
- Alternatives: [Suno](https://daydream.live/alternatives/suno), [Udio](https://daydream.live/alternatives/udio), [ElevenLabs Music](https://daydream.live/alternatives/elevenlabs), [Stable Audio](https://daydream.live/alternatives/stable-audio), [AIVA](https://daydream.live/alternatives/aiva), [Soundraw](https://daydream.live/alternatives/soundraw)

## Ownership

You own what you make. Daydream claims no copyright, license, or royalty interest in your output, takes no revenue share, and requires no attribution.

Audio you upload to train a Style is used to train that Style and nothing else — not any other Style, shared model, or system, for Daydream or for anyone else. Styles are private unless the user publishes them, and uploads can be deleted on request. Non-audio signals (file metadata, quality and usage metrics, aggregate analytics) are used to improve the product.

## Engine

Two open-source engines power the suite:

- **DEMON** (Diffusion Engine for Musical Orchestrated Noise) — the real-time music and sound design engine, built on ACE-Step v1.5. 12.3 generations per second of 60-second audio on a single consumer GPU, with per-frame parametric control. The only open, real-time, locally-runnable music system with per-frame steerability.

## Statement on AI

Full text: https://daydream.live/ai-statement

Signed by Chris Muir, Hunter Hillman, and Ryan Fosdick (Daydream Leads), August 2026. The position: many models in music production have been trained on data taken without consent or compensation, and Daydream is ethically, philosophically, and morally opposed to that approach. Artists and producers — independent or signed — must have the right to refuse training on their material. Daydream does not, has not, and will never train models on unlicensed data. The statement also holds that AI is here to stay and will affect musicians' livelihoods, so artists should be prioritised in the development of AI-enabled audio technology across product design, training, ownership, and revenue.

## Products

- [Downloads](https://daydream.live/downloads): DreamSampler (VST3/AU/AAX instrument + standalone, macOS + Windows) and DreamMAX (Max for Live device for Ableton Live 12 Suite).
- [TouchDesigner Operator](https://github.com/daydreamlive/DEMONtd): DEMON inside TouchDesigner.
- [Pricing](https://daydream.live/pricing): Free (10 songs a month, free Studio minutes, unlimited MP3 downloads, 3 stem downloads a month); Songs, $4 a month (500 songs, unlimited downloads of mixes and stems, no Studio); Pro, $10 a month ($4.99 the first month; 500 credits, about 6.5 hours of Studio a month, everything in Songs, WAV, Style training); Max, $30 a month ($12.99 the first month; 1,750 credits, about 23 hours of Studio a month, everything in Songs, WAV, Style training). Stems and commercial use on every plan. Prices in US dollars, as of October 2026.

## Docs

- [Documentation](https://docs.daydream.live): Full documentation for DEMON, the API, and integrations.

## Open Source

- [DEMON on GitHub](https://github.com/daydreamlive/DEMON): Open-source real-time audio engine.
- [Scope on GitHub](https://github.com/daydreamlive/scope): Source, issues, releases.
- [DEMONtd on GitHub](https://github.com/daydreamlive/DEMONtd): TouchDesigner operator for DEMON.
- [Community Workflows](https://app.daydream.live/workflows): Browse and share community-built workflows.

## Key Capabilities

- Build new samples and stems from your own source audio, at whatever creative distance you choose
- Real-time control via DEMON: 12.3 generations/sec on a consumer GPU, per-frame parametric control at 25Hz, sub-100ms end-to-end latency
- Native plugins — DreamSampler (VST3/AU/AAX instrument + standalone) and DreamMAX (Max for Live) — automate every parameter via envelope lanes, macro knobs, and MIDI hardware
- Live remixing — load an existing track and bend it on the fly without breaking flow
- Style training — point it at songs and sounds you own and it learns your palette, so what you make comes out in your own sound. Your audio trains only your own private Style
- Style exploration and continuous genre/key trajectories without re-rendering
- Separate stem control — lock vocal elements while reshaping instrumentals beneath
- MCP server and API for programmatic workflows
- Native integrations: OSC, MIDI, Syphon, Spout, NDI
- Local-first execution; optional cloud processing
- You own your output outright: no royalties, no revenue share, no attribution, no licence back to Daydream

## Audiences

- Musicians and producers using DAWs (Ableton Live, Logic, FL Studio, Bitwig, Pro Tools)
- Sound designers for film, games, and post-production
- Live performers and VJs working in TouchDesigner, Resolume, or with MIDI hardware
- Developers integrating via MCP and API
- Open-source contributors and researchers building on DEMON

## Blog

- [Blog](https://blog.daydream.live): Product updates, builder stories, and technical guides.

## Optional

- [Careers](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/daydreamlive): Open roles.
- [X / Twitter](https://x.com/DaydreamLiveAI)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/daydreamlive)
- [Discord (Music)](https://discord.gg/g7F2HCa9VB)
- [Discord (Community)](https://discord.gg/pF2Akym5bV)
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCviyh_-8H2vkYq9ROHMBffQ)
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/daydreamlive_/)