Keep this page open while you write Suno v5 (and v5.5) prompts. It has the vocabulary the model understands — genre kits, mood words, vocal terms, and the section meta tags that structure your song. Every table is copy-paste ready. Remember Suno has two input areas in Custom mode: the Style field (the sound world) and the Lyrics box (your words plus meta tags). For full walkthroughs, see the 40 best Suno prompts and how to prompt Suno for songs.
The Style-field formula
Every strong Style field breaks into five beats, in this order. Suno weights the earliest descriptors most, so lead with genre and mood. Aim for 4-7 strong descriptors and keep each tag to 1-3 words.
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| 1. Genre + subgenre | The style foundation — synth-pop, boom bap, chillhop. Put it first. |
| 2. Mood / energy | A specific feeling — driving, melancholy, dreamy. Second most important. |
| 3. Vocal style + character | Who sings and how — breathy female lead, raspy male vocal, or no vocals. |
| 4. Instruments + production | Key sounds and mix quality — warm Rhodes, vinyl crackle, polished radio mix. |
| 5. Tempo / BPM | A named feel or a number — uptempo, mid-tempo, 120 BPM. |
String these into a short comma-separated list, put the whole thing in the Style field, and write your words plus [section] tags in the Lyrics box. See Suno prompt templates for fill-in-the-blank skeletons built on this exact formula.
Genre tag kits
Drop-in tag sets for the most-used genres, with the BPM range Suno expects for each. Pick a kit, then adjust the mood and vocals around it.
| Genre | Core tags | Typical BPM |
|---|---|---|
| Pop | bright synths, punchy drums, catchy topline, polished radio mix, layered harmonies | 100-130 |
| Synth-pop | retro analog synths, gated reverb drums, arpeggios, neon 80s sheen | 110-125 |
| Lo-fi | jazzy Rhodes/piano, warm vinyl crackle, dusty drums, mellow, chillhop | 65-80 |
| Trap | deep 808 sub-bass, fast rolling hi-hats, rattling snare, dark synth leads | 130-170 (half-time) |
| Drill | sliding 808 bass, syncopated snare, dark piano, aggressive | 140-145 |
| Boom bap | sampled jazz loop, punchy dusty drums, vinyl scratch, laid-back flow | 85-100 |
| House | four-on-the-floor kick, deep bassline, filtered chords, warm pads | 120-128 |
| Drum & bass | fast breakbeat, rolling sub-bass, chopped amen break, energetic | 165-175 |
| R&B | smooth electric piano, finger-snap percussion, silky vocals, warm bass | 60-90 |
| Rock | driving electric guitars, live drums, punchy bass, big chorus | 110-140 |
| Acoustic / singer-songwriter | fingerpicked acoustic guitar, intimate vocals, room ambience | 70-100 |
| Cinematic | swelling strings, epic brass, taiko drums, orchestral, wide reverb | 60-110 |
| Country | acoustic guitar, pedal steel, banjo, warm storytelling vocal | 90-120 |
| EDM / festival | big-room synth lead, sidechained pads, huge drop, festival energy | 126-132 |
Don't name real artists — Suno deflects them. Describe the style instead, like 90s boom-bap flow or breathy indie-pop falsetto. Browse finished sets in the 40 best Suno prompts.
Mood & energy words
Concrete mood words steer the arrangement far more than generic ones. Note that "energetic" alone is weak on v5.5 — prefer driving, urgent, or high-octane.
| Group | Example words |
|---|---|
| Uplifting | euphoric, triumphant, sunny, feel-good, anthemic, hopeful |
| Dark | brooding, ominous, sinister, gritty, haunting, menacing |
| Chill | mellow, laid-back, dreamy, hazy, warm, easygoing |
| Intense | driving, urgent, high-octane, adrenaline-fueled, relentless, explosive |
| Emotional | melancholy, bittersweet, wistful, tender, aching, nostalgic |
Vocal styles
Name the singer's character in the Style field. Combine a delivery term with a lead type, like breathy female lead or raspy male vocal.
| Term | Sound |
|---|---|
| Raspy | Gritty, textured edge — soul, rock, blues |
| Breathy | Soft, airy, intimate — indie-pop, R&B |
| Belted | Powerful, full-chest, loud sustained notes |
| Falsetto | High, light head voice above normal range |
| Spoken word | Talked, not sung — rap verses, poetry |
| Mumble | Loose, slurred, melodic rap delivery |
| Auto-tuned | Pitch-corrected, robotic sheen — trap, hyperpop |
| Choir / harmonies | Layered, stacked voices, group backing |
| Male / female / androgynous lead | Sets the lead voice's gender character |
| Whispered | Very quiet, close-mic, hushed intimacy |
Section meta tags (Lyrics box)
These go in the Lyrics box, each on its own line in square brackets, to structure the song. They belong nowhere near the Style field.
| Tag | What it does |
|---|---|
[Intro] | Opens the track — instrumental or a soft lead-in |
[Verse] | Main storytelling section that sets up the chorus |
[Pre-Chorus] | Builds tension into the chorus |
[Chorus] | The hook — biggest, most repeated section |
[Post-Chorus] | A short tag or riff right after the chorus |
[Bridge] | Contrast section that breaks the pattern |
[Hook] | A catchy repeated phrase, common in rap |
[Drop] | The energy peak in EDM/dance tracks |
[Break] | A stripped-back or beat-free breather |
[Instrumental] | A no-vocals passage |
[Guitar Solo] | Cues a lead guitar solo |
[Outro] | Closes the track — fade or final phrase |
Vocal cues go inside lyric lines in parentheses — (whispered), (belted), (spoken), (ad-libs), (harmonies), (falsetto) — right where you want the effect to land.
Settings & features
These are app controls, not Style text. Toggling them does more than any tag you could type into the Style field.
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Instrumental toggle | Removes vocals entirely. Or add instrumental, no vocals to the Style and leave the Lyrics box empty. |
| Extend | Adds the next section to a clip. Suno does not remember your Style on Extend, so re-paste the key tags each time or the track drifts. |
| Persona | Saves a track's vocal and stylistic fingerprint to reuse across songs for a consistent artist and voice. |
| Covers | Re-records an existing song in a new style you specify. |
| Studio / Stems | Splits a finished track into stems (Vocals, Drums, Bass, Melody), plus section editing and negative prompting on v5. |
| Negative prompt | Tells Suno what to avoid (e.g. no autotune). An app control on v5, not something you write into Style. |
On v5.5 you can also clone your own voice with Voices or build a Custom Model. For loopable background music add seamless loop, no fade in, no fade out to the Style.
Example prompts
Five complete Style-field prompts built from the tables above. Each is ready to paste straight into the Style field, with a one-line note on what it's for.
1. Uplifting synth-pop
synth-pop, euphoric and anthemic, breathy female lead with layered harmonies, bright analog synths, gated reverb drums, punchy bass, polished radio mix, uptempo 118 BPMBest for: feel-good radio pop with a big singalong chorus.
2. Dark trap
trap, dark and menacing, auto-tuned male lead with ad-libs, deep 808 sub-bass, fast rolling hi-hats, rattling snare, dark synth leads, 140 BPM half-time feelBest for: hard-hitting rap beats with a moody top line.
3. Lo-fi instrumental
lo-fi chillhop, mellow and hazy, instrumental, no vocals, jazzy Rhodes, warm vinyl crackle, dusty drums, soft upright bass, seamless loop, no fade in, no fade out, 72 BPMBest for: loopable study and background beats — turn on the Instrumental toggle too.
4. Cinematic epic
cinematic orchestral, triumphant and sweeping, choir harmonies, swelling strings, epic brass, taiko drums, wide reverb, slow build to a huge climax, 90 BPMBest for: trailer music and dramatic score beds.
5. Intimate acoustic
acoustic singer-songwriter, tender and bittersweet, breathy male lead, fingerpicked acoustic guitar, subtle piano, intimate vocals, room ambience, mid-tempo 84 BPMBest for: stripped-back emotional ballads and coffee-shop folk.
Want more finished examples before you start? Browse the 40 best Suno prompts or learn the method in how to prompt Suno for songs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tags should a Suno prompt have?
Aim for 4-7 strong descriptors, or roughly 8-15 short tags in the Style field. Cover all five beats of the formula — genre, mood, vocals, instruments, and tempo — and keep each tag to 1-3 words. More than that and Suno starts averaging conflicting styles into mush.
What goes in the Style field vs the Lyrics box?
The Style field describes the sound world: genre, mood, vocal type, instruments, and tempo. The Lyrics box holds your actual words, the [section] meta tags in square brackets on their own lines, and vocal cues in parentheses inside lyric lines. Never put lyrics in Style, and never put genre tags in the Lyrics box.
How do I set the BPM?
Add a tempo tag to the Style field — either a named feel like "slow", "mid-tempo", "uptempo", or an explicit number like "120 BPM". Suno treats BPM as a target, not a strict lock, so pair it with a genre whose typical range matches. For example "140 BPM, trap, half-time feel".
How do I get an instrumental?
Turn on the Instrumental toggle in the app, or add "instrumental, no vocals" to the Style field. For loopable background music also add "seamless loop, no fade in, no fade out". Leave the Lyrics box empty when generating a pure instrumental.
What are the essential meta tags?
The core structure tags are [Intro], [Verse], [Chorus], [Bridge], and [Outro]. Add [Pre-Chorus], [Post-Chorus], [Hook], [Drop], [Break], [Instrumental], and [Guitar Solo] as the song needs them. Each goes on its own line in the Lyrics box. Vocal cues like (whispered) or (harmonies) go inside the lyric lines in parentheses.
Why does "energetic" not work well anymore?
On v5.5 "energetic" is too vague — it pulls the model in several directions at once. Use a specific energy word instead: "driving", "urgent", "high-octane", or "adrenaline-fueled". Concrete mood words steer the arrangement far more reliably than generic ones.
How do I keep the same voice across songs?
Use Persona. Save a track's vocal and stylistic fingerprint as a Persona, then apply it to new songs so the same artist and voice carry across your catalog. On v5.5 you can also clone your own voice with Voices or build a Custom Model for an even tighter match.