Aaron Preece
Suno AI has gained recognition as the first AI music generator to draw significant public attention to the possibilities of music-generating AI. To be clear, it was not the first AI of its kind, but much like ChatGPT, it served as the spark that captured widespread interest in what might be possible for AI in the music space. Over the past couple of years, Suno has grown massively, significantly improving its AI capabilities from version two, which initially caught the public's eye, to the greatly enhanced version four, released recently.
In the intervening time, other music AI services, such as Udio and Riffusion, have also appeared, showcasing their own unique strengths. Since most music AI services use web applications for their interfaces, they serve as excellent tests for the accessibility of more complex web-based applications.
This article is the first in a series focused on the accessibility of music-generating AI services for screen reader users. These articles will specifically examine how accessible and usable these services' interfaces are, rather than evaluating the quality or capabilities of the AI itself. For this article, we will focus exclusively on the web application for Suno AI.
Suno does have mobile apps, with its Android app recently released and an iOS app available for several months. However, at least in the case of the iOS app, significant accessibility issues persist, including the use of file names as labels and overlapping windows that cause focus order problems.
For this review, Suno was tested using the NVDA screen reader and the Firefox web browser on a Windows computer.
Account Creation and Homepage Experience
When visiting Suno's website, you will quickly be prompted to create an account. The account creation process is fully accessible. However, during the genre selection step, it is unclear whether the buttons for selecting preferred genres have been activated. Additionally, as the screen changes, your screen reader’s focus may be moved away from the dialogue, requiring you to re-enter it to continue.
Once signed in, Suno’s homepage is generally accessible. When opening options that trigger a dialogue, the screen reader’s focus moves to the correct location. Similarly, when opening submenus, such as the profile menu, the focus shifts appropriately.
However, there are some drawbacks. For example, when navigating to new screens, the entire page reloads without any indication that changes have occurred. The homepage mainly consists of various sections showcasing songs, including:
- Curated songs from the latest Suno version (version four)
- Trending songs
- Popular "personas"—collections of specific artists that let users create songs using the same instrumentation and vocalists
- Newly published songs
All these sections are separated by headings and can be navigated using specific shortcuts. For example, navigating through songs is easiest by using the graphic shortcut, which moves between song titles and the avatar of the user who posted the song. This approach allows users to skip past all song data and options in just two key presses.
One accessibility concern that recurs throughout the platform is the presence of unlabeled buttons without an understandable purpose. One such button appears above the "Play button with Play Count" (the label for the "Play" button for a given song). However, other options associated with songs on the homepage are accessible.
Playback and Navigation
At the bottom of the screen, once a song starts playing, you will find details about the song and various controls, including play, pause, and next. While these buttons are accessible (all beginning with the text "Playbar:"), the volume control is not accessible.
Filtering and Label Styling
Changing filters, such as switching between trending timeframes (All Time, Monthly, Weekly, Now), requires clicking plain text options instead of proper buttons or links. These options are identifiable and actionable but are styled purely as text without proper semantic roles. This lack of proper labeling means that screen reader users have no clear indication that these are interactive elements.
Moreover, there is no accessible feedback indicating the currently selected filter. Only a visual highlight shows the active selection, which is inaccessible to non-visual users. The user must rely on trial and error or context clues to determine which filter is active. Implementing ARIA roles or using semantic HTML for these controls would significantly improve this experience.
Scrolling through songs within a section is also inconsistent. The "scroll left" and "scroll right" buttons move songs slowly by unclear increments, and there are no visual or auditory indicators of this movement. If the screen reader is placed in focus mode, the user can scroll manually through songs, though without any feedback until they return to browse mode and locate the newly visible songs.
Individual Song Pages
On individual song pages, the only heading is for the comment section. The quickest way to find the song details is to navigate by images and locate the cover image. Several unlabeled or poorly labeled buttons appear here. For example, below the "play button count" are two buttons labeled only with numbers—the first typically represents the number of comments, and the second represents likes. Although these buttons are not properly labeled, pressing the like button increments the count, making it reasonably usable.
However, several other unlabeled buttons in this section do not have a discernible purpose. These buttons are not the sort one would experiment with lightly, as they may include functions like "report" or "dislike."
The Create Tab
The Create tab is where many users will spend most of their time. While usable, this section has numerous minor accessibility issues. For instance, the first item, labeled "Custom," appears twice to screen readers, and there is no indication if the option is selected. The best way to check is to press the first "Custom" label and see if the subsequent edit field appears, confirming that custom mode is active.
In custom mode, users can enter their own lyrics in a properly labeled edit field. In non-custom mode, users will see a prompt field for entering song summaries and specifying genres. While most buttons, such as "Upload Audio," are properly labeled and trigger dialogues that correctly reroute screen reader focus, a significant accessibility issue exists in the "Write with Suno" dialogue.
Selecting Lyrics Models
When choosing between the classic lyrics model and the newer REMI lyrics model, these options are not accessible without using NVDA’s OCR feature and manual mouse routing. While this workaround is effective for advanced users, it may pose a barrier for those unfamiliar with OCR tools.
Additionally, while generating lyrics, the screen reader focus may shift away from the dialogue, requiring users to tap back into it. Most edit fields and buttons are properly labeled, though a few unlabeled buttons remain, albeit without any noticeable function when activated.
Song Management and Editing
Generated songs are presented in a well-labeled table, providing a convenient landmark for screen reader users. However, in focus mode, navigating between songs can lead to overly verbose readings, as all items in a row are announced together when certain cells of the table are focused.
It is possible to select multiple songs at once—though this feature seems intended for mouse users. To avoid accidentally selecting multiple tracks, pressing the Escape key will deselect all selections.
The More Actions menu found at the end of each song in the table is highly accessible and reads correctly with a screen reader.
Song Creation Feedback and Editing Tools
When songs are being created, there is no indication when new songs appear in the table, so users must periodically check for new entries. You’ll know a song has finished processing when a play button appears between the song's title and image.
Editing Features
Certain features, such as cropping or extending songs, add fields to the main page rather than triggering traditional dialogues. While these fields are accessible, there are no non-visual cues to indicate their appearance.
It’s worth noting that mini editing functions like cropping are screen reader-friendly due to the use of edit fields and labeled buttons. However, replacing song sections remains challenging, as the lack of structural guidance makes it difficult to align new lyrics with existing ones.
Library and Search Tabs
The Library screen uses similar controls to the Create tab. Fields like the search bar and page switcher are labeled, although "Next Page" is oddly unlabeled. Multiple tabs (e.g., Your Songs, Playlists, Liked Songs) are appropriately labeled with their proper element names and clearly indicate which tab is currently selected.
The Search tab follows a comparable structure, with filtering options displayed as selectable tags, such as Most Relevant, Recent, and Popular. As with the filters on the homepage, these options appear as text labels that can be activated but provide no feedback when selected. This lack of non-visual confirmation remains a consistent accessibility gap.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Suno AI’s web application is highly usable for screen reader users, particularly after some exploration and familiarization with its structure. While most accessibility issues are minor—such as labeling errors, inconsistent dialogues, and new controls appearing without proper identification—the service remains navigable.
The primary accessibility obstacle is switching between the classic and REMI lyrics models, which currently requires advanced techniques like OCR and mouse routing. However, Suno also demonstrates several accessibility achievements, such as:
- Custom keyboard navigation for song tables in focus mode.
- Accessible fields for visual editing tasks like cropping and extending.
- Steady improvements to accessibility, such as properly labeling previously inaccessible buttons.
- Consistent use of headings and identifiable landmarks for easier navigation.
While there are still areas for improvement, Suno AI’s web app is largely accessible and offers a positive user experience for those relying on screen readers, provided they are willing to explore and adapt to some of the service’s quirks.
