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The Song Node is where music comes from. Either generate a score with AI — describing mood, genre, and instrumentation — or upload an audio file you already have. Approved music syncs into the Timeline’s Music track, underneath your dialogue.

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Two ways to get music

Generate with AI

Describe the music you want — mood, genre, instruments, tempo — and Ozu generates a track. Iterate on the description until the feel is right.

Upload a file

Drop in a music file you own or have licensed. The Song Node handles it the same as a generated track — waveform display, trimming, volume control.
Most creators use both: generate a scratch track to time the scene, then replace with a licensed track for the final export.

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Generating music with AI

The Song Node’s generation input is a prompt describing the music you want. You have three dimensions to specify:
  • Mood — tense, hopeful, menacing, elegiac, playful, triumphant
  • Genre — orchestral, electronic, ambient, jazz, folk, hybrid
  • Instruments — piano, strings, synths, percussion, specific instruments like cello or 808
Example prompts:
“Slow, tense orchestral score. Low strings, distant piano, minimal percussion. Feels like the moment before a reveal.”
“Upbeat indie rock with acoustic guitar, tambourine, and driving drums. Warm and nostalgic.”
“Ambient synth drone with occasional bell tones. Weightless and uncertain.”
  1. Write a prompt. Be specific — vague prompts generate generic music.
  2. Set target duration. The Song Node will try to match it, usually within a few seconds.
  3. Click Generate. A track renders with a visible waveform.
  4. Play it back. If the vibe is right, approve it. If not, adjust the prompt and regenerate.
Describe the feeling, not the scene. Prompts like “sad” and “creepy” produce generic results. Prompts like “weightless grief, distant piano, no percussion” produce music with specific emotional shape.

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Uploading a file

If you already have music — licensed, original, or a placeholder — drag the audio file into the Song Node. It loads with the same waveform display and trimming tools as a generated track.
Licensing is your responsibilityOzu does not verify that uploaded music is licensed for your use. Make sure any track you upload and export is legally yours to use for the project’s intended distribution.

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The waveform visualizer

Every track — generated or uploaded — displays as a waveform: a horizontal graph of audio amplitude over time. You use the waveform for three things:
  • Spotting peaks and lulls — where the music climaxes or drops out
  • Trimming — dragging the edges in to start later or end earlier
  • Syncing to picture — lining up a musical hit with a cut on the Timeline

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Trimming and volume

Two adjustments live on the Song Node itself (before the track reaches the Timeline):
  • Trim — drag the waveform’s left edge to cut silence or a slow intro; drag the right edge to cut a long outro.
  • Volume — set the overall track volume. Music usually sits below dialogue; a default of around 60–70% is a reasonable starting point.
For finer moves (fades, ducking, cross-fades), use the Timeline after the track syncs.

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Pan

For stereo placement, the Song Node has a pan control — center is default, hard left or right places the track in one speaker. Most scores stay centered; pan is useful for specific effects.

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Syncing to the Timeline

The Song Node connects to the Timeline the same way other nodes do: draw a line from the Song Node’s output to the Timeline’s input. The Timeline’s Music track picks up the approved song automatically.
  1. Approve the song in the Song Node.
  2. Connect to the Timeline.
  3. Open the Timeline editor. The music appears on the Music track, usually at timecode zero.
  4. Drag to retime if the music should start later. Use the Timeline’s clip controls for fades.

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Multiple songs per project

One Song Node holds one track. For scenes with multiple pieces of music — an opening theme, a chase cue, a closing track — use multiple Song Nodes, each connected to the same Timeline. They stack on the Music track in the order you place them.

Audio Node

The other audio node — dialogue and voiceover, not music.

Tracks

Where approved music lands — the Timeline’s Music track.

Color and Effects

The editorial layer that shapes the visual side of what the music scores.

Export Formats

How music mixes into the final MP4.

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FAQ

Can I generate music in a specific tempo (BPM)? Include the tempo in your prompt — for example, “80 BPM ambient synth.” The Song Node will aim for it but isn’t frame-accurate to an exact BPM. Do generated tracks have vocals? Not by default. Ozu’s generation is oriented toward score and instrumental music. Vocal generation is a separate flow planned as a future feature. What audio formats can I upload? Standard music formats: MP3, WAV, AAC, M4A, FLAC, OGG. If you have a file in an unusual format, convert it to MP3 or WAV before uploading. Can I loop a short music clip to cover a long scene? The Song Node doesn’t auto-loop. Either generate a track at the full scene length, or place multiple copies of the same Song Node’s output on the Timeline to approximate a loop. Is the generated music cleared for commercial use? Generation rights depend on the underlying AI model’s terms. Check the Ozu terms of service for specifics — in general, generated music is yours to use for the project you created it in. For commercial release, verify the current policy. Can I edit the generated music outside Ozu? Yes. Export the Timeline as MP4 and the music is baked in. If you need the music as a standalone stem, download the track from the Song Node’s playback controls.