From Text to Song: The Complete Guide to AI Music Prompts

Master AI Music Prompts: From Amateur to Expert

The difference between a mediocre AI-generated track and a stunning one often comes down to a single factor: the quality of your prompt. Learning to communicate effectively with AI music generators is a skill that dramatically improves your results.

This comprehensive guide teaches you exactly how to write prompts that produce the music you're imagining.

The Anatomy of a Perfect Music Prompt

The Essential Components

Every effective music prompt contains some combination of:

1. Genre/Style - The musical category
2. Mood/Emotion - How it should feel
3. Tempo/Energy - Speed and intensity
4. Instruments - Sound palette
5. Structure - How it develops
6. Purpose - What it's for
7. Duration - How long

The Basic Formula

[Mood] [Genre] with [Instruments/Sound], [Tempo] tempo,
[Purpose/Use case], [Special characteristics], [Duration]

Example Application

Weak prompt:

"happy music"

Strong prompt:

"Uplifting indie pop with acoustic guitar and light percussion, medium tempo around 110 BPM, perfect for a morning routine YouTube vlog, bright and optimistic with a memorable melody, 2 minutes with a clear outro"

Deep Dive: Each Prompt Component

1. Genre and Style

Be specific about the musical genre. The more precise, the better.

Vague → Specific:

Genre Descriptors to Use:

• Modern, vintage, retro, contemporary
• Mainstream, underground, alternative
• Fusion, traditional, experimental
• Regional styles (Nordic, Latin, Asian-influenced)

2. Mood and Emotion

Describe the feeling, not just basic emotions.

Emotion Spectrum:

Emotional Combinations:

• "Melancholic but hopeful"
• "Energetic yet controlled"
• "Peaceful with underlying tension"
• "Nostalgic and bittersweet"

3. Tempo and Energy

Specify the speed and intensity level.

Tempo Guide:

Energy Descriptors:

• Low energy: Ambient, background, minimal, subtle
• Medium energy: Steady, consistent, flowing, moderate
• High energy: Driving, powerful, intense, explosive
• Variable energy: Building, dynamic, crescendo, evolving

4. Instruments and Sound

Specify what you want to hear.

Instrument Categories:

Strings:

• Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar
• Violin, viola, cello, string section
• Ukulele, banjo, mandolin

Keys:

• Piano, electric piano, organ
• Synthesizer, synth pad, synth lead
• Harpsichord, clavinet

Percussion:

• Drums, electronic drums, drum machine
• Percussion, hand drums, congas
• Hi-hats, snares, kicks (specific elements)

Electronic:

• Synth bass, sub bass
• Arpeggios, sequences
• Ambient textures, pads

Other:

• Brass section, horns, trumpet
• Woodwinds, flute, saxophone
• Choir, vocals (if supported)

5. Structure and Development

Describe how the music should evolve.

Structural Terms:

• "Loopable with seamless transition"
• "Builds from minimal to full arrangement"
• "Clear intro, verse, chorus structure"
• "Ambient with no clear sections"
• "Dramatic build to climax at [timestamp]"
• "Starts strong, fades out gradually"

6. Purpose and Use Case

Tell the AI what the music is for.

Use Case Examples:

• "Background music for a tech product video"
• "Podcast intro that grabs attention"
• "Meditation track for a wellness app"
• "TikTok content that hooks in 2 seconds"
• "Game boss battle music"
• "Corporate presentation background"

7. Duration

Specify the length you need.

Duration Tips:

• Always specify when you have a requirement
• Shorter for social media (15-60 seconds)
• Longer for background use (2-5 minutes)
• Consider edit points if needed

Advanced Prompt Techniques

Technique 1: Reference Without Copying

Don't copy artists, but reference styles:

❌ "Music that sounds like [Artist Name]" ✅ "Music in the style of early 2000s electronic with French house influences"

❌ "Song like [Specific Song]" ✅ "Upbeat track with that summer anthem energy and nostalgic synths"

Technique 2: Contrast and Combination

Create unique sounds through combinations:

"Blend of orchestral grandeur with electronic beats" "Jazz harmonies over lo-fi hip-hop production" "Classical piano meets ambient electronic textures" "Folk acoustic guitar with modern pop production"

Technique 3: Visual and Sensory Language

Describe what you see/feel:

"Music that sounds like sunrise over the ocean" "The feeling of driving through an empty city at night" "Autumn leaves falling in slow motion" "The excitement of opening a gift"

Technique 4: Negative Prompting

Specify what you DON'T want:

"Energetic but not aggressive" "Electronic but not harsh or cold" "Emotional but not cheesy or melodramatic" "Simple but not boring or repetitive"

Technique 5: Specific Moments

Describe particular musical events:

"Build tension for 30 seconds then release with a satisfying drop" "Introduce piano at the 45-second mark" "Quiet moment in the middle before building again" "Strong hook within the first 5 seconds"

Prompt Templates by Use Case

YouTube Background Music

[Mood] [genre] background music for [video type],
[tempo] tempo, non-distracting but engaging,
[instruments], [duration], clean ending

TikTok/Reels

Catchy [genre] beat for [content type], [BPM] BPM,
immediate hook in first 2 seconds, [mood],
trendy modern production, [duration], loopable

Podcast Intro

[Mood] [genre] podcast intro for [podcast topic],
professional and [brand feeling], memorable melody,
[instruments], [duration] with clear ending

Game Music

[Mood] [genre] for [game type/moment],
[energy level], [instruments],
supports gameplay without distracting,
perfect loop, [duration]

Meditation/Wellness

[Mood] ambient/meditation music for [practice type],
slow and calming, minimal arrangement,
[instruments], no sudden changes,
[duration], gentle fade out

Common Prompt Mistakes and Fixes

Mistake 1: Too Vague

❌ "Cool music" ✅ "Confident, modern hip-hop beat with punchy drums, 95 BPM, urban and stylish"

Mistake 2: Contradictory

❌ "Calm and intense orchestral" ✅ "Orchestral that starts calm and builds to intense climax"

Mistake 3: Too Many Elements

❌ "Jazz rock pop electronic classical fusion with guitar piano synth strings brass" ✅ "Jazz-influenced electronic with piano and subtle brass accents"

Mistake 4: Copying Specific Artists

❌ "Sounds exactly like Taylor Swift" ✅ "Modern pop with storytelling quality, emotional female vocalist vibe"

Mistake 5: Ignoring Purpose

❌ "Good music for 2 minutes" ✅ "Engaging background music for product demo video, 2 minutes, professional"

Iterative Prompt Improvement

The Refinement Process

1. First Generation: Use your best initial prompt
2. Evaluate: What works? What's missing?
3. Adjust: Add specifics for what's missing
4. Regenerate: Try the improved prompt
5. Repeat: Continue until satisfied

Example Iteration

Attempt 1:

"Happy pop music" Result: Generic, lacks character

Attempt 2:

"Upbeat indie pop, cheerful and bright" Result: Better, but missing personality

Attempt 3:

"Upbeat indie pop with acoustic guitar and claps, sunny and optimistic, like a perfect summer day, 110 BPM" Result: Much better, but needs length

Attempt 4:

"Upbeat indie pop with acoustic guitar and claps, sunny and optimistic, like a perfect summer day, 110 BPM, 2 minutes with a satisfying outro" Result: Perfect!

Genre-Specific Prompt Guides

Electronic Music

Focus on: Synth types, bass character, drum programming style, effects

"Deep house with warm analog synth pads, rolling bassline, crisp hi-hats, subtle filter sweeps, 124 BPM, late-night club vibe"

Orchestral

Focus on: Section emphasis, era, dynamics, emotional arc

"Romantic-era orchestral with soaring strings, prominent French horns, gentle woodwind accents, building from intimate to grand, cinematic and emotional"

Hip-Hop/Rap

Focus on: Drum pattern, bass type, sample character, vibe

"Boom-bap hip-hop beat with punchy kicks, tight snares, warm Rhodes chords, vinyl crackle, 90 BPM, old school with modern clarity"

Ambient

Focus on: Texture, space, evolution, atmosphere

"Ethereal ambient with granular textures, long reverb tails, slowly evolving pads, sense of infinite space, meditative and timeless"

Conclusion

Writing effective AI music prompts is a skill that improves with practice. The more you understand about musical elements and how to describe them, the better your results will be.

Start with the templates provided, iterate on your results, and develop your own vocabulary for communicating with AI music generators.

Ready to put these techniques into practice? Download Lriza and start experimenting with your new prompt-writing skills. The music you've been imagining is just a well-crafted prompt away.