Suno and My Birthday Songs

Suno AI is a generative music platform that allows users to create full songs from simple text prompts. It’s part of the wave of generative AI tools that are making creative processes more accessible to everyone. For my 26th birthday, I decided to try out Suno by making two songs (song 1, song 2) to celebrate. It was indeed a really fun experience—almost like I could skip years of music training and still produce something that felt personal.

This reminded me of how platforms like YouTube opened up new ways to approach video creation. Suno does the same for music. But beyond just being a cool tool for fun, it plays into much larger trends which are transforming how we create and consume today.

The Long Tail Theory

The Long Tail Theory, popularized by Chris Anderson, explains how the internet has shifted markets from a focus on mass appeal to embracing niche products. In the past, businesses were centered on selling "hits"—whether movies, albums, or books—to large audiences. But now, with platforms like Amazon, Spotify, and Netflix, it’s easier to find niche content that fits individual preferences. This creates a longer "tail" of demand, where smaller, more fragmented interests flourish alongside the mainstream hits.

Tools like Suno enable this trend. With the right talent and effort, creators can now produce high-quality music that used to require big budgets and studio access. What’s even better is that today’s mature distribution channels make it easy for niche creators to find their audience. You don’t need to be a major label artist to get your music heard anymore; you just need the right tools and the right platform.

As demand becomes more fragmented, it’s almost like an upside-down version of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Once people’s basic entertainment needs are satisfied by mainstream content, more niche and personalized needs begin to emerge. Generative AI tools like Suno cater to these emerging preferences, giving creators and consumers alike more ways to explore unique interests.

Prosumerism

The rise of Prosumerism—where consumers actively create content—takes this idea even further. With AI tools like Suno, people don’t just passively consume; they become creators themselves. Whether it’s designing custom clothes or making YouTube videos, this trend reflects the growing desire for personalization and active participation.

From my own experience, I see the value of this shift. When I made my birthday songs, it wasn’t about creating a hit for others—it was about the satisfaction of the creative process. In a way, that act of creation becomes its own form of consumption. Prosumerism isn’t just about making something for the masses, but enjoying the act of making something for yourself. Even if you’re not producing a chart-topping song, you’re still fulfilling a personal creative need, and that has value too.

Raising the Bar for Top Creators

However, while tools like Suno democratize creation, they also raise the bar for what actually becomes a hit. Let’s be real: not everyone is going to create the next big thing. Most people are still consumers of content, not creators for a mass audience. We’re actually quite good at recognizing great content, and only the top 1% of content will ever truly break through. The brilliance of human creativity, especially at the highest levels, is hard to replace. What AI tools do, though, is open the door for another group of top creators to emerge. Just like YouTube did for video creators, Suno allows those with the right talent and vision to produce high-quality work on a lower budget. But ultimately, it’s still the best creators who will stand out.

That being said, creation itself doesn’t always need to result in a commercial hit. The act of creating, even just for personal enjoyment, is becoming a new form of entertainment. People are finding value in the creative process itself, much like how learning piano doesn’t mean you’ll become a concert pianist—but it’s still fun and fulfilling. In this way, tools like Suno are making creativity more accessible as a form of self-expression, even if it’s not about hitting the top 1%.