How to Use Suno AI Lyric Tags & Prompts (Master Guide)

By: Kevin-Grimm 12/11/2025

This guide covers commands you can place directly into the Lyrics Box (using brackets []) and the Style Box to control the AI’s generation.

1. 🎼 Song Structure Tags

Use these tags to map out the “skeleton” of your song. Placing them on their own lines works best.

[Intro] or [Short Intro]: Sets the opening mood, usually instrumental.
[Verse]: The main narrative sections. You can number them: [Verse 1], [Verse 2].
[Pre-Chorus]: Builds anticipation and tension before the main hook.
[Chorus]: The main, repeated hook or emotional core.
[Post-Chorus]: A short section after the chorus to maintain energy before the next verse.
[Bridge]: A contrasting section (new melody/tempo) to break up the repetition.
[Hook]: A highly catchy, repetitive phrase (common in Pop and Hip-Hop).
[Interlude]: A short instrumental or atmospheric break between sections.
[Outro]: The closing section of the song.
[End] or [Big Finish]: Tells the AI to stop the song abruptly or with a finale, rather than fading out.
[Fade Out]: Gradually lowers volume to silence.

2. 🎤 Vocal & Delivery Tags

These tags control who is singing and how they are singing.

Voice Types:

[Male Vocal] / [Female Vocal]: Specifies gender.
[Duet]: Two singers trading lines or singing together.
[Choir] / [Gospel Choir]: Large group vocals.
[Child Vocal]: Simulates a younger voice (results may vary).
[Announcer] / [Narrator]: A deep, spoken-word voice (good for intros).

Performance Styles:

[Whisper]: Intimate, quiet delivery.
[Screaming Vocals] / [Growl]: Aggressive metal/rock delivery.
[Falsetto]: High-pitched, airy notes (often for male voices).
[Rap] / [Fast Flow]: Switches to rhythmic spoken delivery.
[Spoken Word]: Non-melodic speaking (great for storytelling).
[Auto-tuned]: Pitch-corrected, robotic effect (Pop/Trap).
[Emotional] / [Sad] / [Crying]: Directs the AI to sound distressed or sorrowful.
[Giggle] / [Laugh] / [Sigh]: Adds non-verbal human sounds.

Ad-Libs & Emphasis:

(Parentheses): Lyrics in parentheses (like this) are often sung as backup vocals or echoes.
“Quotes”: Lyrics in quotes “like this” can sometimes trigger a call-and-response style.
[Ad-lib: “Yeah!”]: Forces a specific ad-lib.
ALL CAPS: Writing lyrics in caps (e.g., STOP RIGHT NOW) triggers shouting or high energy.

3. 🎸 Instrumental & Dynamic Tags

Use these to control the music, solos, and energy shifts.

Solos & Breaks:

[Instrumental]: A section with no vocals.
[Solo]: General instruction for a solo.
[Guitar Solo], [Piano Solo], [Saxophone Solo], [Synth Solo], [Violin Solo]: Specify the instrument.
[Bass Drop] or [Drop]: Essential for EDM/Dubstep; the climax of the beat.
[Percussion Break] / [Drum Solo]: Focuses purely on rhythm.
[Breakdown]: A stripped-back section with less instrumentation.

Dynamics & Tempo:

[Crescendo] / [Build Up]: Gradually gets louder and more intense.
[Decrescendo]: Gradually gets quieter.
[Tempo Change]: Attempts to speed up or slow down the beat (hit or miss).
[Beat Switch]: Abruptly changes the rhythm style (e.g., from Trap to Jazz).
[Pause] or [Silence]: A hard stop in the music.
[Key Change] or [Modulation]: Shifts the music up a key (often used in the final Chorus).

Atmosphere & SFX:

*Asterisks*: Use asterisks for sound effects: *rain*, *sirens*, *gunshot*, *phone ringing*, *vinyl crackle*.

4. ✨ Advanced “Meta” Formatting

Combine tags for precise control.

The Colon Method: Add descriptors inside the tag to nuance the section.

[Verse: Sad and Slow]
[Chorus: Power Pop, Anthemic]
[Bridge: Rap Flow]

The Pipe Method: Stack multiple commands using the | symbol.

[Chorus | Layered Vocals | Syncopated]
[Outro | Fading | Spoken Word]

The “Genre-Switch” Trick: You can try to change genres in the middle of a song by placing a style tag in the lyrics.

[Style: Reggae] (Placed in the middle of a Rock song to trigger a reggae bridge).

Technical Foundation (Top of Lyrics): Place these at the very top of your lyrics box to guide the whole track.

[Key: C Minor]
[BPM: 140] or [Tempo: Fast]
[Time Signature: ¾] (For waltz timing).

5. 💡 Prompting the “Style of Music” Box

While the tags above go in the Lyrics box, your Style Prompt (the separate text field) is the master control.

The Golden Formula: [Genre] + [Vibe] + [Key Instruments] + [Tempo]

Examples:

Dark Synthwave, retro 80s, heavy bass, fast tempo, male vocals.
Acoustic Folk, emotional, fingerpicking guitar, soft female voice, slow.
Orchestral Cinematic, epic, Hans Zimmer style, choir, building tension.
Lofi Hip Hop, chill, vinyl crackle, study beats, no vocals.

Negative Prompting (Style Box): Some users report success using “no” or “exclude” to avoid certain sounds, though it is less reliable than in image AI.

Example: “Rock, no piano, no synth.”

6. 🎤 How to Use Ad-Libs

According to the source text, there are three primary ways to format lyrics to trigger ad-libs, backing vocals, or echoes:

Parentheses (): Enclose the words in parentheses, such as (Yeah!), to indicate they should be sung as an ad-lib or backing vocal.
Brackets []: You can place the specific words inside brackets to signal them as ad-libs.
Explicit Tag: For more control, use the specific command format: [Ad-lib: “Woo!”].

Pro Tip: These are best used at the end of lines to create “call and response” effects or to fill gaps during instrumental breaks.