1. Configure music foundations
Open the Settings column and walk from top to bottom. Pick a genre/sub-genre, origin, makams, and any world influences you want. Each selection becomes a comma-separated phrase in the final prompt, so keep them relevant to the sound you want.
- World Music: choose a region and tradition to instantly color the prompt with authentic instruments and rhythms.
- Tempo & Key: set BPM, key and tempo preset. Moving the slider updates the prompt in real-time when Live Preview is enabled.
- Mood, Harmony, Rhythm: these small descriptive tags help Suno lock onto the vibe quickly.
2. Lead instruments, vocals & structure
Scroll further down the Settings column to define the lead instrument, bass, percussion, accompaniment and vocal expectations.
- Pick at least one Lead Instrument to give Suno a focal timbre.
- Use the Vocals group only if you need a singer; otherwise leave “No Vocals” selected for instrumental tracks.
- Structure & Dynamic Flow describes how the track evolves (verse/chorus, drop & rise, linear build, etc.).
3. Build the lyrics prompt
Open the Lyrics Builder accordion. This section controls how Suno writes lyrics:
- Select a theme, emotion, story arc, and perspective. These become the “Lyrics guidance -> …” block.
- Define tense, rhyme scheme, language and structure (verse/chorus order).
- Add keyword imagery or a custom snippet to anchor the lyric style.
- Use Copy 200-char summary when Suno’s lyric field needs a short guiding sentence.
- Use Lyric Draft Preview to see a quick sample stanza based on your selections.
4. Generate, copy, save, export
- Press Generate or enable Live Preview to keep the prompt updated as you tweak settings.
- Copy Both copies Styles + Lyrics panels at once. Individual copy buttons sit in the top-right of each panel.
- Save stores the combined prompt in the History tab. Hover an entry to copy or favorite it.
- Export lets you download the current prompt as JSON or plain text; Import reverses that process.
5. Presets & section management
Use the Presets tab to save full configurations (music + lyrics + prompts). You can pin frequently used sections or hide ones you rarely touch; if things get messy, click the “Reset Sections” button on the Settings panel to restore all sections.
Tips for better Suno results
- Less is more: keep each prompt focused, avoid conflicting adjectives unless you intentionally want contrast.
- If Suno misunderstands a lyric instruction, add a “Custom Lyric Snippet” showing the exact tone or language you want.
- Use the Optimize button to squeeze long prompts below 1000 characters without losing detail.
- Remember to copy the 200-character lyric summary into Suno’s “Write Lyrics” modal if you want precise control there.