Crafting Effective 120-Character Music Prompts in Suno AI

Gary Whittaker

Crafting Effective 120-Character Music Prompts in Suno AI

Updated April 16, 2025 — includes new genre examples and prompt crafting advice for Suno AI V4

Suno AI offers creators a powerful tool to generate music across various genres and styles. But with only 120 characters per prompt, every word matters. This guide dives into best practices for crafting impactful prompts—ensuring your creations match your vision. We’ll include real examples from Gospel, Reggae, Lo-fi, and more.

🎯 Why Precise Prompts Matter

  • ✅ Ambiguous prompts produce unpredictable results.
  • ✅ Specific prompts guide genre, tone, and instrumentation.
  • ✅ The more detailed your language, the more accurate the output.

🧱 Anatomy of a Strong Prompt

  • Genre: Define the music category (e.g., Gospel, Reggae).
  • Mood: Set the emotion (e.g., joyful, melancholic).
  • Instrumentation: Guide the sound (e.g., organ, steel drums).
  • Tempo: Mention pacing (e.g., slow, upbeat).

✅ Prompt Writing Best Practices

1. Be Genre-Specific

Bad: “Nice music”
Better: “Soulful Gospel with organ and choir harmonies”

2. Include Emotional Context

Bad: “Happy song”
Better: “Joyful Gospel with clapping and energetic tempo”

3. Define Instrumentation

Bad: “Make it funky”
Better: “Funky Hip-Hop with jazz trumpet and deep bass”

4. Mention Tempo or Rhythm

Bad: “Sad Lo-fi”
Better: “Slow Lo-fi with soft piano, vinyl crackle, and ambient drums”

🎵 Real Prompt Examples by Genre

Gospel

  • “Joyful Gospel with choir vocals, clapping, and uplifting organ melody”
  • “Slow worship Gospel with piano and soulful solo vocals”

Reggae

  • “Relaxed Reggae with steel drums, rhythmic guitar, and smooth bassline”
  • “Upbeat Reggae with catchy horns and syncopated rhythms”

Cannabis-Influenced Styles

  • “Chill Lo-fi with smooth beats, mellow synths, and ambient effects”
  • “Funky Hip-Hop with deep bass, jazzy trumpet, and laid-back groove”

Experimental

  • “Ambient soundscape with minimal percussion and ethereal vocals”
  • “Dark cinematic track with haunting strings and deep synths”

❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Being Too Vague

Bad: “Good music for a happy mood”
Fix: “Uplifting Gospel with choir vocals and fast tempo”

2. Overloading the Prompt

Bad: “Track with all instruments in Gospel, Rock, and Reggae styles”
Fix: “Dynamic Gospel with organ and soulful choir harmonies”

3. Ignoring Instrumental or Tempo Tags

Bad: “Instrumental music”
Fix: “Instrumental Reggae with acoustic guitar and light percussion”

🧠 My Personal Journey with Prompts

When I first started using Suno, my prompts were vague and generic. Results were flat. Once I added genre, emotion, and key instruments, everything clicked.

Example: “Joyful Gospel with piano and clapping” became a favorite that sparked multiple strong versions and even a Spotify release.

🚀 Want to Learn Prompt Mastery?

📚 Related Creator Tools

🤝 Join the Movement

Practice writing smarter prompts. Start with genre, mood, and instrumentation—and let your music speak for itself.

Back to blog

Leave a comment