Writing Effective Prompts for AI Music Generation

The difference between a mediocre AI-generated song and a great one often comes down to the prompt. After generating thousands of tracks across Suno, Udio, and other platforms, we've identified patterns that consistently produce better results.

Prompt Basics

AI music generators understand text descriptions and convert them into audio. The more specific and clear your description, the closer the output matches your vision.

Think of prompting like giving directions to a talented musician who's never heard your idea before. You need to communicate genre, mood, instrumentation, tempo, and style clearly.

Anatomy of a Good Prompt

A complete prompt typically includes several elements:

Genre-Specific Tips

Electronic & EDM

Electronic genres respond well to specific subgenre labels and production terms:

• Specify subgenre: house, techno, drum and bass, dubstep, trance
• Mention synth types: "analog synths," "FM synthesis," "supersaw leads"
• Include production details: "sidechain compression," "heavy reverb," "punchy kicks"

Rock & Alternative

Era and subgenre matter enormously:

• Specify era: "70s classic rock," "90s grunge," "2000s emo"
• Guitar tones: "distorted," "clean," "fuzz," "acoustic"
• Production style: "lo-fi garage," "polished arena rock"

Hip-Hop & R&B

Beat style and vocal characteristics are key:

• Beat type: "trap," "boom bap," "drill," "lo-fi hip hop"
• Vocal style: "melodic," "aggressive flow," "smooth R&B vocals"
• Production era: "90s East Coast," "modern Atlanta trap"

Vocal Prompting

Getting good AI vocals requires specific direction:

Advanced Techniques

Layering Descriptors

Stack multiple descriptors for nuanced results:

"Dreamy shoegaze with walls of reverb-drenched guitars, ethereal female vocals, slow tempo, melancholic atmosphere, influenced by 90s British alternative"

Specifying Song Structure

Some platforms allow structural hints:

• "Build from quiet verse to explosive chorus"
• "Include a breakdown in the middle"
• "End with a fade out"

Negative Space

Sometimes what you leave out matters. Sparse prompts can yield interesting results:

"Minimal piano, space between notes, contemplative silence"

Example Prompts

Here are tested prompts that consistently produce good results: