Suno AI Meta Tags & Song Structure Command Guide
This article was originally published in 2024, fully updated in June 2025 for Suno v4.5, and revised in October 2025 to reflect Suno V5 behavior in Studio Timeline, tag parsing, Personas, loops, and Extend stability.
Suno AI Meta Tags & Song Structure Command Guide
Master Custom Lyrics with Structured Meta Tag Control
Meta tags in [brackets] let you shape how Suno structures, sings, and mixes a track before you hit “Create.” In Suno V5, tags are more consistent, especially inside the Studio Timeline, with clearer emotion parsing, steadier fusion, and better section-aware editing.
- Structure lyrics Suno understands
- Insert emotional, mood, and genre markers
- Guide transitions, timbre, effects, instruments, and vocal color
- Improve consistency across outputs and remix trails
What Are Meta Tags?
Meta tags are keyword markers inside square brackets that steer structure and style. They’re most impactful in the first 20–30 words and around section changes.
Why Use Meta Tags?
- Structure your song — define [Intro] [Verse] [Chorus] [Bridge] [Outro]
- Guide the mood/energy — [Mood: Uplifting], [Energy: High]
- Influence instrumentation — [Instrument: Warm Rhodes], [Instrument: Strings (Legato)]
- Shape vocal delivery — [Vocal Style: Whisper], [Vocal Effect: Reverb]
- Build templates — keep language consistent across tracks
Note: Meta tags apply in the Custom Lyrics input.
Meta Tag Format
- Use square brackets: [Tag: Value]
- Separate descriptors with commas when needed
- Prefer one tag per line for clarity
- Place tags above or directly before the lyrics/section they influence
Supported Meta Tags (V4.5 Reference)
1) Song Structure Tags
| Tag | Purpose |
|---|---|
| [Intro] | Lead-in / scene setting |
| [Verse] | Lyrical development |
| [Chorus] | Main hook / emotional core |
| [Bridge] | Contrast / pivot |
| [Drop] | Beat-driven instrumental focus |
| [Outro] | Closure or fade-out |
2) Vocal Tags
| Tag | Purpose |
|---|---|
| [Vocalist: Female] | Suggest vocal gender |
| [Vocalist: Alto] | Suggest range |
| [Harmony: Yes] | Add background vocals |
| [Vocal Effect: Reverb] | Suggest audio FX |
| [Vocal Tone: Whisper] | Guide vocal style |
3) Mood & Energy Tags
| Tag | Purpose |
|---|---|
| [Mood: Uplifting] | Emotion / feel |
| [Tempo: Mid] | General pacing |
| [Energy: High] | Momentum / impact |
| [Texture: Gritty] | Tonality influence |
4) Instrumentation Tags
| Tag | Purpose |
|---|---|
| [Instrument: Piano] | Promote instrument use |
| [Instrument: Electric Guitar (Distorted)] | Add edge or tone |
| [Instrument: Strings (Legato)] | Elevate emotional feel |
| [Instrument: 808] | Suggest beat/bass format |
5) Genre & Style Tags
| Tag | Purpose |
|---|---|
| [Genre: Gospel] | Set genre reference |
| [Style: Lo-fi] | Add texture/style filter |
| [Era: 2000s] | Suggest sound era |
Example Tag Prompt (V4.5 Baseline)
[Intro] [Genre: Orchestral Rock] [Mood: Intense] [Instrument: Electric Guitar (Distorted)] [Instrument: Strings (Legato)] [Instrument: Drums (Heavy)] [Verse] [Energy: Medium] Through the night, the echoes call, A silent storm begins to fall. [Chorus] [Energy: High] Light the fire, feel the sound, Rise again, never back down. [Bridge] [Vocal Effect: Delay] We rise and fall and rise again.
V5 Evolution — What Changes and How to Write Now
V5 Upgrades:
- Studio Timeline: Tags are honored more predictably for Replace/Extend; crossfades smoother.
- Emotion & Timbre Parsing: Clearer response to tags like haunting, joyful, somber and timbres like Warm Rhodes, Muted Trumpet.
- Fusion Stability: Two-genre pairs (Pop+EDM, Gospel+Trap, Jazz+Hip Hop) are reliable; avoid stacking 3–4 genres.
- Callback Phrasing: “continue with same vibe as chorus” is respected across long Extend chains.
- Personas: Consistent across sections (reduced vocal drift); pair with [Vocal Style: X].
- Loops: Smoother crossfades; add loop-friendly and then crop/fade if needed.
V4.5 vs V5 — Quick Comparison
| Behavior | V4.5 | V5 |
|---|---|---|
| Prompt Structuring | Tags usable; callbacks often ignored | Studio respects tags; callbacks work reliably |
| Emotional Tags | Sometimes vague | Clearer emotional mapping |
| Fusion Genres | Unstable past two styles | Two-genre pairs are stable & musical |
| Extend Chains | Style drift common after 30–60s | Far less drift across multi-minute chains |
| Replace Section | Limited to chorus/bridge | Full sectional replace with smooth transitions |
| Personas | Inconsistent across sections | Consistent tone memory across song |
| Loops | Manual crop/fade; abrupt drops | Smoother crossfades; “loop-friendly” stabilizes |
V5 Best Practices
- Front-load control: Put core tags in the first 3–5 lines.
- Stay concise: 1–2 genres + 1 mood + optional instruments.
- Extend with callbacks: “continue with same vibe as chorus.”
- Retro cues: Add vinyl hiss, tape-saturated for era realism.
- Loops: Mention loop-friendly, then Crop/Fade; Remaster (Subtle) if needed.
- Vocal clarity: Keep lines ~6–12 syllables; swap Persona or Replace if articulation slips.
V5 Command Examples
1) Structured Studio Song (pop-rock uplift):
[Intro] [Mood: Uplifting] [Energy: Medium→High] [Instrument: Bright Electric Guitars, Live Drums] [Vocal Style: Open, Confident] [Verse] small steps, big faith, I’m finding my way [Chorus] [Energy: High] carry me forward, louder than fear we rise together, the reason is clear [Bridge] [Texture: Tape-Saturated] [Callback: continue with same vibe as chorus]
2) Loop-Friendly Lo-Fi (60–90s):
Lo-fi hip hop beat, loop-friendly, warm Rhodes, vinyl hiss [Mood: Chill But Focused] [Instrument: Warm Rhodes, Soft Drums] [Structure: seamless loop] [Texture: Gentle Sidechain]
3) Gospel Trap with Persona:
[Intro] [Mood: Joyful] [Energy: High] [Instrument: 808s, Handclaps, Gospel Choir] [Vocal Style: Power Praise Persona]
Best Practices (All Versions)
- Start with one tag per category.
- Place key tags at the top.
- Use 2–3 instruments max to avoid dilution.
- Avoid conflicting cues (e.g., “very slow” + “high energy”).
- Refine with Replace/Extend; in V5, prefer subtle Remaster before “High.”
Remix & Reuse Workflow Notes
- Save prompt/lyric versions clearly; keep a simple naming scheme (e.g., Track_Strategy_V#).
- When upgrading V4.5 → V5, use Cover or Sample-to-Song, then Replace weak sections.
- Export stems for manual remix; V5 stem exports are cleaner and more flexible.
Updated: October 2025 • This page intentionally excludes promotional CTAs (add later if desired).