How to write lyrics for Suno
Suno can write lyrics for you, but songs with your own words tend to sound more like you, and they're the part you can most clearly call yours. Here's how to set up the Style and Lyrics fields so Suno follows them.
Updated 4 October 2026 · Examples use fictional artists
Two fields, two jobs
In Suno's custom mode, the style field describes the sound and the lyrics field holds the words. Keep them apart: genre, tempo and instruments in the style field, only words and section tags in the lyrics field.
Be specific in the style field
Suno's own guide warns against vague prompts like 'happy pop song' and suggests describing genre, mood, tempo, key, vocals and instruments instead.
sad indie song
Lo-fi indie pop, 92 BPM, soft male vocal, brushed drums, warm Rhodes, tape hiss, melancholic but hopeful
Mark the structure with tags
Put section tags in square brackets on their own line so Suno knows where the verse ends and the chorus starts. One delivery cue per section is plenty; stacking many tends to blur them.
[Intro] [Verse 1] The bus pulls out at ten past four I count the lights I won't see anymore [Pre-Chorus] And nobody waves [Chorus] I'm leaving the town that raised me Keeping the songs that saved me [Verse 2] ... [Bridge] ... [Outro]
Lyric tips that work well with AI vocals
- •Short lines with clear syllable counts; long lines get rushed
- •A chorus you can repeat word for word
- •Concrete images instead of abstract words
- •Read it out loud at the tempo you asked for
- •Generate a few versions and keep the best take; Suno gives you options for a reason
Why your own lyrics matter
The US Copyright Office has said prompts alone don't make you the author of AI output, but human-written material that's perceptible in it can be protected. Lyrics you wrote are the clearest example. Keep drafts with dates.
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Frequently asked questions
What tags does Suno understand?
Section tags such as [Intro], [Verse], [Pre-Chorus], [Chorus], [Bridge] and [Outro] are the reliable ones. Delivery cues can help, but use one per section at most.
Should I let Suno write the lyrics?
For sketches, sure. For a release, write them yourself: they sound more personal, and human-written lyrics are the part of an AI song you can most clearly claim.