Learning Objectives

• Understand how Suno v5 processes custom lyrics vs v4.5.
• Align syllables to beats for smoother phrasing.
• Fix mispronunciations with targeted phonetic spelling.
• Structure lyrics for rhyme, repetition, and flow.
• Troubleshoot cutoff, drift, and robotic choruses.
• Apply advanced techniques for duets, storytelling, and branding.

Why Custom Lyrics Matter

Default lyrics can be catchy, but custom text locks in what is sung, how it’s phrased, and why it reflects your brand. Suno v5 respects structure, rhyme, and syllable count more reliably than v4.5, reducing guesswork while keeping creative control in your hands.

v4.5 vs v5: Lyric Handling

The Mechanics Behind v5

• Tokenizer alignment: maps lyric syllables to rhythmic positions more accurately.
• Prosody awareness: better recognition of English stress patterns and phrasing.
• Longer context window: accepts more lyric lines without truncation.
• Diffusion rendering: smoother phoneme realization and vocal timbre.

Best Practices for Writing Custom Lyrics

Formatting Precision

• Use explicit section markers: [VERSE 1], [CHORUS], [BRIDGE].
• Keep verses to 4–6 lines; separate sections with blank lines.
• Avoid prose; format like a song sheet for reliable parsing.

Syllable-to-Beat Alignment

Match syllables to the expected beat count.

• ✅ 8-beat example: “Walk through the fire, I call Your name again”
• ❌ Mismatch: “In the fire I still walk, I call Your holy name again now”

Pronunciation & Phonetic Hacks

Use phonetic spellings to force correct pronunciations. For a deeper toolbox (homographs, stress, accents), see our Pronunciation Guide.

Creative Flourishes

• Stage directions: [whisper], [rap verse], [falsetto] — v5 respects these better than v4.5.
• Use short, repeated hooks to avoid robotic choruses.
• Call-and-response (duets):

[VERSE 2]
[male vocal] Who will rise?
[female vocal] I will rise!

Common Pitfalls (and Fixes)

• Overstuffing lines: too many words → off-beat phrasing. Fix: shorten lines.
• Over-rhyming: forced rhymes sound robotic. Fix: rhyme every 2nd or 4th line.
• Ambiguous words: homographs confuse pronunciation. Fix: phonetic spellings and/or guide techniques.

Troubleshooting Flow

Lyrics cut off mid-verse?
  → Shorten lines (4–6 words each)
  → Break into smaller verse blocks

Mispronounced words?
  → Replace with phonetic spelling
  → Try a different vocal persona
  → See advanced fixes in the Pronunciation Guide:
    /blogs/guides-using-suno-ai-music-creation/suno-v5-multilingual-english-pronunciation-guide

Chorus sounds robotic?
  → Add repetition ("Shine, shine, shine")
  → Use stage directions like [sing with power]

Advanced Applications

• Storytelling: multi-verse narratives with recurring motifs.
• Duets & groups: persona tags + role brackets for layered voices.
• Commercial jingles: lock slogans (“Get Jacked!”, “Stay Righteous”).
• Cross-song continuity: reuse core lyric blocks across an EP.

Creative Showcase (Example)

[VERSE 1]
The fire burns but I stand tall
Your voice still guides me through it all

[CHORUS]
Righteous love, shine from above
Take me higher than the world I dream of

[BRIDGE] [whisper]
Through the storm, I hear Your call

In v5: rhymes flow naturally, syllables map cleanly, and stage directions produce dynamic delivery. For pronunciation edge-cases, see the Pronunciation Guide.