The Suno AI Prompt Playbook

A comprehensive guide to creating production-quality music with Suno AI. From your first song to a consistent creative practice.

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What This Guide Covers

• Understanding Suno's prompt structure
• Genre mastery and style tags
• Lyric formatting for better results
• Building consistent artistic identity
• Commercial licensing and distribution

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Part 1: Understanding Suno Prompts

The Basic Structure

Every Suno prompt consists of three elements:

1. Style description - Genre, mood, instrumentation
2. Lyrics (optional) - Your words or [Instrumental] tag
3. Structure tags - [Verse], [Chorus], [Bridge], etc.

Style Description Anatomy

[Genre] [Subgenre], [Mood], [Instrumentation], [Production style]

Example:

Cinematic orchestral, epic and triumphant, full symphony with choir,
Hans Zimmer style production

What Works vs. What Doesn't

Effective prompts:

• Specific genre combinations
• Emotional descriptors (triumphant, melancholic, uplifting)
• Instrumentation details
• Production references

Avoid:

• Artist name imitation requests
• Overly complex multi-paragraph descriptions
• Contradictory style elements

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Part 2: Structure Tags

Structure tags tell Suno how to organize your song.

Core Tags

Advanced Tags

[Drop] - EDM/electronic climax
[Hook] - Catchy melodic phrase
[Spoken] - Speaking rather than singing
[Whisper] - Soft vocal delivery
[Belting] - Powerful vocal performance

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Part 3: Genre Deep Dives

Ambient & Meditation

Prompt template:

Ambient meditation, ethereal and peaceful, soft synthesizers with
nature sounds, 432 Hz healing frequency, slow tempo, minimal drums

Key elements:

• Emphasize atmosphere over melody
• Include "healing" or "meditative" descriptors
• Reference specific frequencies (432 Hz, 528 Hz)

Cinematic & Epic

Prompt template:

Cinematic orchestral, building tension to triumph, strings section
with brass crescendo, war drums, choir in final section,
film score quality

Key elements:

• Describe the emotional arc
• Layer instrumentation descriptions
• Reference film score quality

Electronic & EDM

Prompt template:

Progressive house, euphoric and driving, synthesizer arpeggios,
punchy kick drum, side-chain compression, festival main stage energy

Key elements:

• Specify subgenre precisely
• Include production technique references
• Describe energy level

Lo-Fi & Chill

Prompt template:

Lo-fi hip hop, nostalgic and warm, vinyl crackle, mellow piano chords,
boom bap drums, late night study session vibe

Key elements:

• Texture descriptors (warm, dusty, hazy)
• Include lo-fi artifacts (vinyl crackle, tape hiss)
• Set a scene or mood

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Part 4: Lyric Formatting

Basic Structure

[Verse 1]
Your first verse lyrics here
Line by line formatting works best
Keep lines relatively short

[Pre-Chorus]
Building anticipation now
Leading to the big moment

[Chorus]
This is your hook right here
The part everyone remembers
Repeat it make them sing along

Pro Tips

1. Line length matters - Shorter lines = clearer delivery
2. Syllable count - Match syllables to desired rhythm
3. Rhyme schemes - Simple patterns work best (ABAB, AABB)
4. Repetition - Choruses should have repeatable elements

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Part 5: Building Artistic Identity

Creating Consistency

To develop a recognizable sound:

1. Create a style template - Your go-to prompt base
2. Document what works - Keep a prompt journal
3. Iterate on successes - Build on winning combinations
4. Develop signature elements - Consistent instrumentation or mood

Example Artist Template

Base style: Cinematic ambient electronic, contemplative yet hopeful,
synthesizers and piano with subtle orchestral elements, ethereal
vocals, midnight meditation atmosphere

Variations:
- Add "driving drums" for energy
- Add "solo piano" for intimacy
- Add "full orchestra" for climax

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Part 6: Commercial Use

Suno's Licensing

Free tier: Non-commercial use only Pro tier: Commercial rights included

Distribution Platforms

Your Suno tracks can be distributed to:

• Spotify, Apple Music (via DistroKid, TuneCore)
• YouTube Music
• Bandcamp
• SoundCloud

Best Practices

1. Export highest quality available
2. Add metadata (title, artist, genre)
3. Create album artwork
4. Write descriptions with keywords

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Part 7: Workflow Integration

Daily Creation Practice

The 15-Minute Session:

1. Choose a mood/theme (2 min)
2. Write prompt (3 min)
3. Generate 2-3 versions (5 min)
4. Select and extend best one (5 min)

Weekly Output Goals

• Beginner: 3-5 songs per week
• Intermediate: 7-10 songs per week
• Advanced: 15-20 songs per week (with curation)

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Quick Reference Card

Essential Style Tags

Common Fixes

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Next Steps

1. Start with the genre closest to your taste
2. Generate 10 songs using templates above
3. Analyze what worked, iterate on successes
4. Build your personal style template
5. Explore the Music Lab for more prompts

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This playbook is based on creating 500+ songs with Suno AI. The techniques here are what consistently produce quality results.