Suno prompt guide

How to prompt Suno

1. Use Custom mode: style goes in the Styles field and words go in the Lyrics field; never mix them.
2. Order the style string: genre/subgenre, tempo/energy, key instruments, vocal type, production, mood.
3. Aim for about 4–7 comma-separated descriptors and put the most important first; earlier terms carry more weight.
4. Describe a sound instead of naming an artist ('raspy male baritone, 70s soul'); artist names are blocked or ignored.
5. Structure lyrics with bracketed section tags on their own lines: [Intro], [Verse 1], [Pre-Chorus], [Chorus], [Bridge], [Outro], [End].
6. Add performance cues inside tags, e.g. [Verse: whispered vocals, acoustic guitar only] or [Chorus: full band, soaring vocals].
7. Use [Instrumental Break] or [Guitar Solo] for non-vocal sections, or tick Instrumental for no vocals.
8. Put anything you want excluded in Exclude Styles, not as 'no drums' in the Styles field.
9. Keep lines short and singable with a consistent syllable count; repeat the chorus text word-for-word.
10. Keep lyrics to about 40–60 lines; very long lyrics get rushed or truncated.
11. Treat BPM as approximate and pair it with a tempo word (mid-tempo, upbeat).
12. Match the Style Influence slider to how precise your Styles field is.

The shape of a good prompt

STYLES: [genre + subgenre], [tempo/energy, ~BPM], [key instruments], [vocal type], [production], [mood]
EXCLUDE: [unwanted elements]
LYRICS:
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
[lines]
[Pre-Chorus]
[lines]
[Chorus]
[hook lines]
[Verse 2]
…
[Bridge]
…
[Chorus]
[Outro]
[End]

Avoid

• Artist or band names in Styles
• Negative instructions in Styles (use Exclude)
• Mixing-engineer jargon (sidechain compression, LUFS)
• More than about 7 competing descriptors
• Prose or stage directions in the Lyrics field without brackets

Example

Request a sad country song about a dog

STYLES: modern country ballad, slow tempo ~72 BPM, fingerpicked acoustic guitar, pedal steel, soft piano, warm male baritone vocals, intimate live-room production, nostalgic and bittersweet
EXCLUDE: electronic drums, autotune
LYRICS:
[Intro: pedal steel]
[Verse 1]
There's a dent in the porch where you used to lie
A red ball fading in the July sun
[Chorus]
Old friend, I still leave the gate open wide
In case you're running home tonight
[Verse 2]
Your collar hangs on the truck mirror still
It rattles every time I drive past the hill
[Bridge: whispered vocals, guitar only]
Good boy… good boy
[Chorus: full band]
Old friend, I still leave the gate open wide
In case you're running home tonight
[Outro]
[End]