---
name: audiocraft-audio-generation
description: PyTorch library for audio generation including text-to-music (MusicGen) and text-to-sound (AudioGen). Use when you need to generate music from text descriptions, create sound effects, or perform melody-conditioned music generation.
license: MIT
metadata:
  version: 1.0.0
  category: multimodal-and-emerging
  maintainer: Kalaris Labs
  tags: Multimodal, Audio Generation, Text-to-Music, Text-to-Audio, MusicGen
  dependencies: audiocraft, torch>=2.0.0, transformers>=4.30.0
---

# AudioCraft: Audio Generation

Comprehensive guide to using Meta's AudioCraft for text-to-music and text-to-audio generation with MusicGen, AudioGen, and EnCodec.

## When to use AudioCraft

**Use AudioCraft when:**
- Need to generate music from text descriptions
- Creating sound effects and environmental audio
- Building music generation applications
- Need melody-conditioned music generation
- Want stereo audio output
- Require controllable music generation with style transfer

**Key features:**
- **MusicGen**: Text-to-music generation with melody conditioning
- **AudioGen**: Text-to-sound effects generation
- **EnCodec**: High-fidelity neural audio codec
- **Multiple model sizes**: Small (300M) to Large (3.3B)
- **Stereo support**: Full stereo audio generation
- **Style conditioning**: MusicGen-Style for reference-based generation

**Use alternatives instead:**
- **Stable Audio**: For longer commercial music generation
- **Bark**: For text-to-speech with music/sound effects
- **Riffusion**: For spectogram-based music generation
- **OpenAI Jukebox**: For raw audio generation with lyrics

## Quick start

### Installation

```bash
# From PyPI
pip install audiocraft

# From GitHub (latest)
pip install git+https://github.com/facebookresearch/audiocraft.git

# Or use HuggingFace Transformers
pip install transformers torch torchaudio
```

### Basic text-to-music (AudioCraft)

```python
import torchaudio
from audiocraft.models import MusicGen

# Load model
model = MusicGen.get_pretrained('facebook/musicgen-small')

# Set generation parameters
model.set_generation_params(
    duration=8,  # seconds
    top_k=250,
    temperature=1.0
)

# Generate from text
descriptions = ["happy upbeat electronic dance music with synths"]
wav = model.generate(descriptions)

# Save audio
torchaudio.save("output.wav", wav[0].cpu(), sample_rate=32000)
```

### Using HuggingFace Transformers

```python
from transformers import AutoProcessor, MusicgenForConditionalGeneration
import scipy

# Load model and processor
processor = AutoProcessor.from_pretrained("facebook/musicgen-small")
model = MusicgenForConditionalGeneration.from_pretrained("facebook/musicgen-small")
model.to("cuda")

# Generate music
inputs = processor(
    text=["80s pop track with bassy drums and synth"],
    padding=True,
    return_tensors="pt"
).to("cuda")

audio_values = model.generate(
    **inputs,
    do_sample=True,
    guidance_scale=3,
    max_new_tokens=256
)

# Save
sampling_rate = model.config.audio_encoder.sampling_rate
scipy.io.wavfile.write("output.wav", rate=sampling_rate, data=audio_values[0, 0].cpu().numpy())
```

### Text-to-sound with AudioGen

```python
from audiocraft.models import AudioGen

# Load AudioGen
model = AudioGen.get_pretrained('facebook/audiogen-medium')

model.set_generation_params(duration=5)

# Generate sound effects
descriptions = ["dog barking in a park with birds chirping"]
wav = model.generate(descriptions)

torchaudio.save("sound.wav", wav[0].cpu(), sample_rate=16000)
```

## Core concepts

### Architecture overview

```
AudioCraft Architecture:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Text Encoder (T5)                          │
│                         │                                     │
│                    Text Embeddings                            │
└────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┘
                         │
┌────────────────────────▼─────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Transformer Decoder (LM)                         │
│     Auto-regressively generates audio tokens                  │
│     Using efficient token interleaving patterns               │
└────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┘
                         │
┌────────────────────────▼─────────────────────────────────────┐
│                EnCodec Audio Decoder                          │
│        Converts tokens back to audio waveform                 │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

### Model variants

| Model | Size | Description | Use Case |
|-------|------|-------------|----------|
| `musicgen-small` | 300M | Text-to-music | Quick generation |
| `musicgen-medium` | 1.5B | Text-to-music | Balanced |
| `musicgen-large` | 3.3B | Text-to-music | Best quality |
| `musicgen-melody` | 1.5B | Text + melody | Melody conditioning |
| `musicgen-melody-large` | 3.3B | Text + melody | Best melody |
| `musicgen-stereo-*` | Varies | Stereo output | Stereo generation |
| `musicgen-style` | 1.5B | Style transfer | Reference-based |
| `audiogen-medium` | 1.5B | Text-to-sound | Sound effects |

### Generation parameters

| Parameter | Default | Description |
|-----------|---------|-------------|
| `duration` | 8.0 | Length in seconds (1-120) |
| `top_k` | 250 | Top-k sampling |
| `top_p` | 0.0 | Nucleus sampling (0 = disabled) |
| `temperature` | 1.0 | Sampling temperature |
| `cfg_coef` | 3.0 | Classifier-free guidance |

## MusicGen usage

Details, code examples and parameter tables: [references/musicgen-usage.md](references/musicgen-usage.md). Read it when this step applies.

## MusicGen-Style usage

Details, code examples and parameter tables: [references/musicgen-style-usage.md](references/musicgen-style-usage.md). Read it when this step applies.

## AudioGen usage

### Sound effect generation

```python
from audiocraft.models import AudioGen
import torchaudio

model = AudioGen.get_pretrained('facebook/audiogen-medium')
model.set_generation_params(duration=10)

# Generate various sounds
descriptions = [
    "thunderstorm with heavy rain and lightning",
    "busy city traffic with car horns",
    "ocean waves crashing on rocks",
    "crackling campfire in forest"
]

wav = model.generate(descriptions)

for i, audio in enumerate(wav):
    torchaudio.save(f"sound_{i}.wav", audio.cpu(), sample_rate=16000)
```

## EnCodec usage

### Audio compression

```python
from audiocraft.models import CompressionModel
import torch
import torchaudio

# Load EnCodec
model = CompressionModel.get_pretrained('facebook/encodec_32khz')

# Load audio
wav, sr = torchaudio.load("audio.wav")

# Ensure correct sample rate
if sr != 32000:
    resampler = torchaudio.transforms.Resample(sr, 32000)
    wav = resampler(wav)

# Encode to tokens
with torch.no_grad():
    encoded = model.encode(wav.unsqueeze(0))
    codes = encoded[0]  # Audio codes

# Decode back to audio
with torch.no_grad():
    decoded = model.decode(codes)

torchaudio.save("reconstructed.wav", decoded[0].cpu(), sample_rate=32000)
```

## Common workflows

### Workflow 1: Music generation pipeline

```python
import torch
import torchaudio
from audiocraft.models import MusicGen

class MusicGenerator:
    def __init__(self, model_name="facebook/musicgen-medium"):
        self.model = MusicGen.get_pretrained(model_name)
        self.sample_rate = 32000

    def generate(self, prompt, duration=30, temperature=1.0, cfg=3.0):
        self.model.set_generation_params(
            duration=duration,
            top_k=250,
            temperature=temperature,
            cfg_coef=cfg
        )

        with torch.no_grad():
            wav = self.model.generate([prompt])

        return wav[0].cpu()

    def generate_batch(self, prompts, duration=30):
        self.model.set_generation_params(duration=duration)

        with torch.no_grad():
            wav = self.model.generate(prompts)

        return wav.cpu()

    def save(self, audio, path):
        torchaudio.save(path, audio, sample_rate=self.sample_rate)

# Usage
generator = MusicGenerator()
audio = generator.generate(
    "epic cinematic orchestral music",
    duration=30,
    temperature=1.0
)
generator.save(audio, "epic_music.wav")
```

### Workflow 2: Sound design batch processing

```python
import json
from pathlib import Path
from audiocraft.models import AudioGen
import torchaudio

def batch_generate_sounds(sound_specs, output_dir):
    """
    Generate multiple sounds from specifications.

    Args:
        sound_specs: list of {"name": str, "description": str, "duration": float}
        output_dir: output directory path
    """
    model = AudioGen.get_pretrained('facebook/audiogen-medium')
    output_dir = Path(output_dir)
    output_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

    results = []

    for spec in sound_specs:
        model.set_generation_params(duration=spec.get("duration", 5))

        wav = model.generate([spec["description"]])

        output_path = output_dir / f"{spec['name']}.wav"
        torchaudio.save(str(output_path), wav[0].cpu(), sample_rate=16000)

        results.append({
            "name": spec["name"],
            "path": str(output_path),
            "description": spec["description"]
        })

    return results

# Usage
sounds = [
    {"name": "explosion", "description": "massive explosion with debris", "duration": 3},
    {"name": "footsteps", "description": "footsteps on wooden floor", "duration": 5},
    {"name": "door", "description": "wooden door creaking and closing", "duration": 2}
]

results = batch_generate_sounds(sounds, "sound_effects/")
```

### Workflow 3: Gradio demo

```python
import gradio as gr
import torch
import torchaudio
from audiocraft.models import MusicGen

model = MusicGen.get_pretrained('facebook/musicgen-small')

def generate_music(prompt, duration, temperature, cfg_coef):
    model.set_generation_params(
        duration=duration,
        temperature=temperature,
        cfg_coef=cfg_coef
    )

    with torch.no_grad():
        wav = model.generate([prompt])

    # Save to temp file
    path = "temp_output.wav"
    torchaudio.save(path, wav[0].cpu(), sample_rate=32000)
    return path

demo = gr.Interface(
    fn=generate_music,
    inputs=[
        gr.Textbox(label="Music Description", placeholder="upbeat electronic dance music"),
        gr.Slider(1, 30, value=8, label="Duration (seconds)"),
        gr.Slider(0.5, 2.0, value=1.0, label="Temperature"),
        gr.Slider(1.0, 10.0, value=3.0, label="CFG Coefficient")
    ],
    outputs=gr.Audio(label="Generated Music"),
    title="MusicGen Demo"
)

demo.launch()
```

## Performance optimization

### Memory optimization

```python
# Use smaller model
model = MusicGen.get_pretrained('facebook/musicgen-small')

# Clear cache between generations
torch.cuda.empty_cache()

# Generate shorter durations
model.set_generation_params(duration=10)  # Instead of 30

# Use half precision
model = model.half()
```

### Batch processing efficiency

```python
# Process multiple prompts at once (more efficient)
descriptions = ["prompt1", "prompt2", "prompt3", "prompt4"]
wav = model.generate(descriptions)  # Single batch

# Instead of
for desc in descriptions:
    wav = model.generate([desc])  # Multiple batches (slower)
```

### GPU memory requirements

| Model | FP32 VRAM | FP16 VRAM |
|-------|-----------|-----------|
| musicgen-small | ~4GB | ~2GB |
| musicgen-medium | ~8GB | ~4GB |
| musicgen-large | ~16GB | ~8GB |

## Common issues

| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| CUDA OOM | Use smaller model, reduce duration |
| Poor quality | Increase cfg_coef, better prompts |
| Generation too short | Check max duration setting |
| Audio artifacts | Try different temperature |
| Stereo not working | Use stereo model variant |

## References

- **[Advanced Usage](references/advanced-usage.md)** - Training, fine-tuning, deployment
- **[Troubleshooting](references/troubleshooting.md)** - Common issues and solutions

## Resources

- **GitHub**: https://github.com/facebookresearch/audiocraft
- **Paper (MusicGen)**: https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.05284
- **Paper (AudioGen)**: https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.15352
- **HuggingFace**: https://huggingface.co/facebook/musicgen-small
- **Demo**: https://huggingface.co/spaces/facebook/MusicGen

## Agent operating procedure

1. **Check the environment.** Confirm GPU memory, model checkpoint and licence, framework versions and input formats.
2. **Pin down the inputs.** Confirm formats, identifiers and parameters from the data or the user. Ask rather than guess any value that changes the result.
3. **Run a small version first.** Run inference on a single sample at low resolution or short length first.
4. **Execute the full task** using the instructions and references above.
5. **Validate the result.** Inspect outputs qualitatively and with task metrics; check licence restrictions for generated content.
6. **Report.** State what was run (versions, commands, parameters), what was checked, and what is still uncertain.

| If this happens | Do this |
|---|---|
| Out-of-memory on large inputs | Reduce resolution or sequence length, use half precision, or tile the input. |
| A function, flag or endpoint in these instructions is missing in the installed version | Check the installed version's own documentation (`help()`, `--help`, official docs), adapt, and tell the user. Never invent an API. |
| A required input, identifier or parameter is ambiguous | Ask the user, or state the assumption explicitly before running. |

**Integrity rules**

- Never fabricate results, parameters, identifiers, citations or statistics. If something cannot be run or verified, say so plainly.
- Check model and dataset licences before commercial or published use.
- Treat version-specific details here as possibly outdated: confirm them against the official documentation for the installed version.
- Ask before actions that cost money, consume shared GPUs or cloud quota, touch personal or patient data, or cannot be undone.

## Related skills

- `transformers`: Hugging Face Transformers for loading Hub models, running pipeline inference, text generation, and Trainer fine-tuning on NLP, vision, audi…