Google Lyria 3 ProvsSuno v5
The two leading production text-to-music models in 2026, compared side-by-side across speed, quality, pricing, and operation breadth. Both are available through one MusicAPI key, so you can A/B them by use case without managing two accounts.
The 30-second answer
Lyria 3 Pro
Google DeepMind
- Fastest: ~30 second generation
- Clean dynamics: strong on orchestral and instrumental music
- 12 credits per task
- 4 operations: create, extend, replace, cover
- 1-240 seconds per task
Suno v5
Suno
- Distinctive vocals: wider range of vocal styles and lyric phrasing
- Longer clips: up to ~8 minutes via extend
- 10 credits per task (sonic-v5)
- 7 operations: create, extend, cover, persona, remaster, add_instrumental, add_vocals
- Plus: stems separation, MIDI export, BPM/vox analysis
Full side-by-side
| Dimension | Lyria 3 Pro | Suno v5 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Google DeepMind | Suno |
| Typical generation time | ~30 seconds | ~60 to 120 seconds |
| Speed advantage | 2-4x faster | Slower, but longer per-task ceiling |
| Quality positioning | Studio-grade, strong dynamics | Studio-grade, distinctive vocals |
| Vocal style range | Solid across genres | Wider: strong genre-specific phrasing |
| Instrumental output | Strong (cinematic, orchestral) | Strong (broad genre support) |
| Clip length range | 1 to 240 seconds per task | Up to ~8 minutes via extend |
| Pricing on MusicAPI | 12 credits per task | 10 credits per task |
| Effective $ per track | $0.06-0.18 | $0.05-0.15 |
| create_music | ✅ | ✅ |
| extend_music | ✅ | ✅ |
| replace_music | ✅ | ❌ |
| cover_music | ✅ (with strength 0-1) | ✅ |
| persona_music | ❌ | ✅ |
| remaster | ❌ | ✅ |
| add_instrumental | ❌ | ✅ |
| add_vocals | ❌ | ✅ |
| Stems separation | ❌ | ✅ |
| MIDI export | ❌ | ✅ |
| BPM/vox analysis | ❌ | ✅ |
| Endpoint namespace | /api/v1/producer/* | /api/v1/sonic/* |
| mv parameter | Optional (defaults to Lyria 3 Pro) | Required (sonic-v5) |
| Auto-refund on failure | ✅ | ✅ |
| Commercial rights included | ✅ | ✅ |
| Webhook support | ✅ (HMAC signed) | ✅ (HMAC signed) |
Same auth, different endpoints
Both models authenticate with one bearer token. The endpoint and field conventions differ but the polling and webhook patterns are identical.
Lyria 3 Pro
# Lyria 3 Pro via Producer API
curl -X POST https://api.musicapi.ai/api/v1/producer/create \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $MUSICAPI_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"task_type": "create_music",
"sound": "cinematic orchestral trailer, sweeping strings",
"length": 60
}'
# Poll for the finished clip (~30 seconds later):
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MUSICAPI_KEY" \
https://api.musicapi.ai/api/v1/producer/task/$TASK_IDSuno v5
# Suno v5 via Sonic API
curl -X POST https://api.musicapi.ai/api/v1/sonic/create \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $MUSICAPI_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"task_type": "create_music",
"mv": "sonic-v5",
"gpt_description_prompt": "indie pop ballad, acoustic guitar, warm vocals",
"title": "Acoustic Demo"
}'
# Poll for the finished clip (~60-120 seconds later):
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MUSICAPI_KEY" \
https://api.musicapi.ai/api/v1/sonic/task/$TASK_IDWhen to use which
Pick Lyria 3 Pro when
- • Latency matters. Interactive product flows where users iterate.
- • You need instrumental, orchestral, or cinematic output.
- • You need precise time-window replacement (replace_music with start_s/end_s).
- • Batch generation cost is the priority (12 credits flat per call).
- • You're integrating audio into an AI video tool, game, or content pipeline where speed is part of UX.
Pick Suno v5 when
- • You need full-song production with distinctive vocals.
- • You want clips longer than 240 seconds in a single chain.
- • You need stems separation, MIDI export, or BPM analysis on the output.
- • You're working with personas (persona_music) for consistent vocalists across tracks.
- • You need add_instrumental or add_vocals operations specifically.
The honest answer most production developers land on: route by use case. Run preview generations through Lyria 3 Pro for the fast feedback loop. Run final production tracks through Suno v5 for vocal range and length.
Cost at common volumes
Both models share the same MusicAPI credit pool, so the difference is just the per-task cost. At Pro-plan rates ($0.057 per credit), the per-track economics are:
| Volume | Lyria 3 Pro (12 cr) | Suno v5 (10 cr) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 tracks | 1,200 credits / ~$0.69 | 1,000 credits / ~$0.57 | +12 credits |
| 1,000 tracks | 12,000 credits / ~$6.86 | 10,000 credits / ~$5.71 | +2,000 credits |
| 10,000 tracks | 120,000 credits / ~$68.60 | 100,000 credits / ~$57.10 | +20,000 credits |
On a $999 Pro plan, the 20% cost difference at 10,000 tracks is about $11. At this scale, the model-choice decision is driven by output fit, not pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster: Google Lyria 3 Pro or Suno v5?
Google Lyria 3 Pro is roughly 2-4x faster. Typical generation latency is ~30 seconds for Lyria 3 Pro versus ~60-120 seconds for Suno v5. The speed gap is consistent across short clips (under 60 seconds) and longer clips, though both scale somewhat with requested length.
Which has better quality: Google Lyria 3 Pro or Suno v5?
Both produce studio-grade output. The difference is stylistic. Lyria 3 Pro is stronger on dynamics, instrumental coherence, and orchestral-genre output. Suno v5 has a wider range of vocal styles and distinctive lyric phrasing. Most developers A/B both and route by use case.
How does pricing compare on MusicAPI?
Lyria 3 Pro costs 12 credits per task. Suno v5 (sonic-v5 on our API) costs 10 credits per task. Both translate to roughly $0.06-0.18 per track depending on your plan. There is no separate billing: one MusicAPI key authenticates both, and credits work the same way for either.
What operations does each model support?
Lyria 3 Pro supports four operations through the Producer API: create_music, extend_music, replace_music, and cover_music. Suno v5 supports seven through the Sonic API: create_music, extend_music, cover_music, persona_music, remaster, add_instrumental, and add_vocals. Suno v5 also has stems separation, MIDI export, and a longer per-task duration ceiling.
Which clip-length range does each model support?
Lyria 3 Pro accepts 1-240 seconds per task. For longer tracks, chain extend_music calls. Suno v5 can produce clips up to ~8 minutes via extend, suiting longer-form content like full songs or podcast cues without manual concatenation.
Can I use both models in the same application?
Yes. Both are exposed under one MusicAPI key. The endpoints differ (Producer API at /api/v1/producer/* for Lyria 3 Pro and Sonic API at /api/v1/sonic/* for Suno v5), but auth, credit accounting, and webhook delivery are unified. Many production applications route by use case: fast preview generation through Lyria, full-song production through Suno.
What's the right choice for interactive product flows?
Lyria 3 Pro. The ~30-second latency makes preview-and-iterate workflows viable. Users describe a sound, see a result in under a minute, adjust, and try again. Suno v5's 1-2 minute latency turns the same workflow into a multi-cup-of-coffee experience.
What's the right choice for full-song production?
Suno v5. The wider vocal vocabulary, longer per-task duration, and supporting operations (persona, remaster, MIDI, stems) make it the more complete production tool. Used for podcast outros, full music videos, song demos.
Are both commercially licensed?
Yes. All output from either model via MusicAPI ships with commercial rights. You own the generated audio and can use it in commercial products, games, videos, ads, podcasts, and apps. No separate licensing fees, no royalties.
A/B them in your own workflow
75 free credits on signup covers 6 Lyria generations or 7 Suno v5 generations, so you can directly compare on your own prompts. No card, no account-switching, one MusicAPI key for both.