Suno AI v5 Playbook: Complete Guide (Free & Pro)
Gary Whittaker
Suno AI v5 Playbook: From First Prompt to Professional Workflow
A practical training guide for creators on Free and paid plans.
Updated: January 23, 2026
Suno changes fast. Treat plan labels, export options (including stems), and UI names as “verify in your account”. This playbook focuses on repeatable workflow principles that stay useful even when menus move.
Module 1: Getting Started
Steps
- Sign up: Free = limited credits. Paid plans = larger credit pools and faster iteration.
- Modes: Simple (one prompt box). Custom (separate Lyrics and Style of Music, plus an Instrumental toggle).
- First Generation: Describe genre + mood + vocal type (or “instrumental only”). Click Create. Save winners, then iterate.
Rule: don’t chase perfection on your first prompt. Chase a usable foundation you can edit.
Module 2: Prompt Engineering
Prompt Taxonomy
| Component | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Genre/Style | pop-punk; 90s boom-bap | 1–2 max; avoid overload |
| Mood/Emotion | triumphant; dreamy; somber | Shapes tempo feel and harmony |
| Instruments | palm-muted guitars; strings | Call out 2–4 priorities |
| Vocals | female alto; baritone rap | Lead type / character (or “no vocals”) |
| Lyrics Theme | summer road trip; faith under fire | Guides auto-lyrics |
| Production | clean mix; high fidelity | Use sparingly; don’t stack buzzwords |
Case Study: Iteration
- Prompt 1: “Techno song.” → generic loop.
- Prompt 2: “High-energy techno, 4/4 kick, dark bassline, robotic female hook.” → clearer hook.
- Prompt 3: Add “clean mix, no harsh distortion.” → fewer artifacts.
Negative Prompting
Use exclusions like “instrumental only”, “no vocals”, “no screaming”, “no harsh distortion”.
Copy-Ready Structures
Genre/Era + Mood + 2–4 Instruments + Vocal Type + Topic + (optional) 1 production constraint
Cinematic orchestral, somber; strings + low brass + sparse piano; instrumental only; build to a hit at 0:40; clean mix.
Workflow tip: put your top 1–2 “must-haves” first. The more you add, the more it becomes negotiation.
Module 3: Styles, Genres, Moods
- One genre or a logical fusion (folk-rock; reggae + afrobeat).
- Add mood words (uplifting, aggressive, haunting) and era traits (80s synth; 90s R&B).
- Prefer traits over naming specific artists.
- If a blend sounds muddy, generate separate versions and combine later in a DAW.
Module 4: Lyrics
- Auto-lyrics (Simple Mode): topic-driven; fast iteration.
- Custom lyrics (Custom Mode): paste verse/chorus; keep labels clear and lines short enough to sing cleanly.
- Instrumental-first: best when you plan to record your own vocals later.
- Pronunciation tip: phonetic spelling for names/rare words can reduce garble.
Module 5: Audio + Pro Features
Decision Tree
Do you have original audio you own?
└─ Yes → Upload audio to guide intent
├─ Clean melody/voice note? → Build around it (audio-guided)
├─ Riff/loop? → Hybrid build (audio-guided + prompt)
└─ Full idea? → Use section tools to refine (rewrite/remake/extend)
└─ No → Generate from text prompt
Keep expectations accurate: audio guidance is not “turn this into my real voice.” If you want your real voice on the track: export the instrumental/stems and record vocals in a DAW.
Upload Audio
- Use audio you own or have rights to.
- Best inputs: clean melody, simple riff, steady rhythm, minimal FX.
- If results ignore the upload: reduce prompt complexity and raise “audio influence” (if available in your UI).
Personas Consistency
- Use Personas to keep a consistent synthetic voice character across multiple songs.
- Best results: Persona as identity anchor + prompt kept short and intentional.
Extend
- Create a new section inspired by a saved track.
- Use for bridges/outros; expect variation, not a perfect splice.
Section Editing
- Rewrite: keep intent, improve phrasing/lyrics.
- Remake: new idea for that region.
- Extend: add bars for smoother transitions.
Module 6: Building Full Songs
3-Stage Pipeline
- Plan: V1 → CH → V2 → CH → BR → CH (target ~2:30–3:30).
- Generate: keep style constants steady; write for singability.
- Assemble: extend into/out of chorus; fix transitions before exporting.
Consistency Tips
- Keep constants: same genre fusion, tempo feel, vocal type.
- Reuse a motif (rhythm, melody fragment, or a key lyric line in chorus).
- Use a Persona as an identity anchor when making a “series” of songs.
Rule: edit sections, not the whole song. “Fix the hook” beats “reroll everything.”
Module 7: Export, Stems, and Editing
Export Reality (keep it accurate)
- Export options vary by plan and rollout. Check your export panel for what your account supports today.
- Use stems when you need real control (vocals down, drums swap, bass fix, cleaner mix).
- If you’re adding your real voice: export instrumental/stems → record vocals in a DAW → mix/master.
DAW Workflow
- Import your full mix or stems into Audacity, GarageBand, BandLab, Reaper, etc.
- Trim and crossfade between sections.
- Balance vocal/instrument levels.
- Light EQ + compression + space (reverb/delay) as needed.
- Export final WAV/MP3 for your release workflow.
If vocals are baked into non-vocal stems, regeneration (instrumental-first) is often faster than “surgery.”
Module 8: Troubleshooting
- Missed instrument/mood: simplify prompt; regenerate 2–3 times; put must-haves first.
- Artifacts/dirty audio: reduce stacked tags; use one clean constraint (“clean mix”); fix arrangement before EQ.
- Sections don’t join: extend for overlap; crossfade in a DAW.
- Outputs drift: reduce prompt clutter; use Persona or keep constants identical across generations.
Module 9: Rights & Ethics (FAQ)
- Can I monetize songs made on the Free plan?
- Free-plan songs are for non-commercial use (no monetization). Starting a subscription later does not automatically grant retroactive commercial rights for free-plan songs.
- Can I distribute to Spotify/Apple Music?
- Songs made while subscribed to a paid plan are granted commercial use rights, which supports distribution and monetized content usage.
- Do I keep rights after I cancel?
- You keep the rights to songs you made while subscribed, even after cancellation (per Suno help guidance).
- Can I upload copyrighted material?
- No. Upload only audio and lyrics you own or have rights to. Don’t monetize anything that contains someone else’s protected material.
- Is AI music “copyrightable” by default?
- Rules vary by country. In practice, adding clear human contribution (lyrics, vocals, arrangement, production) strengthens your claim and reduces platform risk.
Avoid impersonation, deception, and disallowed content. If you plan to monetize, keep your rights chain clean.
Module 10: Glossary
- Simple Mode
- Single text box prompting.
- Custom Mode
- Separate lyrics/style inputs with more control.
- Extend
- Generate continuation/new section inspired by an existing track.
- Stems
- Separated vocal/instrument exports (availability varies).
- Persona
- Saved profile of a prior Suno result to improve consistency of a synthetic vocal character.
Copy-Ready Style Snippets
Gospel-soul ballad; warm Rhodes + soft organ; minimal brushes; expressive alto lead; gentle choir in chorus; intimate, hopeful; clean mix.
Reggae–Afrobeat fusion; offbeat skank guitar, tight afrobeat drums, deep bass; baritone lead; call-and-response hook; triumphant; crisp low-end, no harsh highs.
Lo-fi hip-hop; relaxed 78–86 bpm feel; dusty drums, warm vibraphone, vinyl crackle; instrumental only; cozy, mellow; soft tape saturation.
2000s pop-punk; fast 4/4; palm-muted verses; big octave chorus guitars; punchy live drums; raw tenor lead with gang shouts; energetic; radio-clean mix.
Next steps (pick one lane)
Lane 1 — Start clean (beginner path)
Get routed to the right guide and avoid random generation loops.
Lane 2 — Build control (prompts + structure)
If your outputs are inconsistent, this is usually the fix.
Lane 3 — Full system (release + scale)
If you want the whole stack I use—workflows, templates, release strategy, scaling.
Suno v5 Series — Full List
- Suno v5 Playbook — Complete Guide
- Suno v5 vs v4/4.5/4.5 Plus — Upgrade Guide
- Inside Suno v5 — Model Architecture & Technical Mechanics
- Negative Prompting in Suno v5 — The Missing Manual
- Suno v5 Multilingual & English Pronunciation Guide
- Custom Lyrics in Suno v5 — Precision & Control
- Instrumentation & Arrangement in Suno v5
- Audio Uploads & Hybrid Workflow in Suno v5
- Creative Control Sliders in Suno v5 — Practical Manual
- Song Editor in Suno v5 — Composer’s Workflow
- Suno Studio (v5) — Complete Guide & Workflows
- Suno v5 to Release: Mixing Inside Suno — Best-Practices Playbook
1 comment
I love to improve my skill to Suno and found this shall help me a lot. Thanks.