TL;DR
[Verse 1] First verse lyrics here [Pre-Chorus] Building tension [Chorus] Your hook here
Vocal archetypes, BPM matching, structure, gender, mood — every prompt comes out tested. Stop guessing what works.
✓ Used by 682 producers 92 new this week
✓ Start free — 5 credits, no card required.
Not ready? Grab the free starter guide →
See packs, bundles & the Mastery Guide
Last updated: May 2026
Suno's lyrics field accepts more than just words — bracket tags, section markers, vocal directions, and formatting choices all affect your output. But not every tag works, and some combinations cause problems. Here's the definitive guide to lyrics formatting in Suno.
HookGenius is the pre-production engine for AI music — the professional prompt, lyrics, and title generator creators use to get the best output from Suno and other AI platforms.
Generate complete lyrics + style prompts optimized for Suno. Sign in with Google, see results in 30 seconds.
Generate Your First Song[Intro] (Atmospheric synth build) [Verse 1] Your opening verse lyrics More lyrics on next line [Pre-Chorus] Building tension lyrics [Chorus] Your hook — the catchiest part Repeat the main idea [Verse 2] Second verse, new perspective [Chorus] Hook again [Bridge] Something different, a twist [Chorus] Final hook, biggest energy [Outro] (Fade out)
[Verse 1 - Whispered] Quiet intimate opening Barely above a breath [Chorus - Belted] POWERFUL DELIVERY Full voice, full emotion [Verse 2 - Spoken Word] Almost talking, rhythmic Poetic delivery style [Chorus - Group Vocals] Everyone singing together
[Intro - Piano Only] (Gentle solo piano, 4 bars) [Verse 1] Lyrics with full band entering [Guitar Solo] (16 bars, emotional, building) [Chorus] Big hook with full production [Drum Fill] [Bridge - Stripped Back] Just voice and acoustic guitar [Final Chorus - Full Band] Everything at maximum
[Verse 1] (softly, almost whispering) First line of lyrics Second line building (volume increasing gradually) Third line stronger [Chorus] (full power, confident) Hook lyrics at full volume (ad-lib: yeah, oh) More hook lyrics
[Chorus] Main hook line here Main hook line here (x2) [Chorus - Final] Main hook line here (ad-lib: yeah, woah, come on) Main hook line here (ad-lib: one more time) Main hook line here (x3, fading)
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
Tags being sung as lyrics |
Make sure tags are on their own line in [Square Brackets]. If Suno sings "[Verse 1]" as words, there's likely a formatting error. |
Song ignores structure tags |
Keep tags simple: [Verse], [Chorus], [Bridge]. Avoid complex descriptions in the tag itself. Put directions in parentheses on the next line. |
Parenthetical directions being sung |
Use standard parenthetical format: (softly), (whispered), (building). Avoid full sentences in parentheses — keep them to 1-3 words. |
Repeat (x2) not working |
Write the lyric line twice instead of using (x2) notation. Suno is more reliable when you physically repeat the line. |
Ad-libs not appearing |
Use (ad-lib: yeah, oh) format on its own line after the main lyric. Keep ad-libs short — 1-3 words maximum. |
Try It Yourself
HookGenius doesn't paste your words into a template. It has a full AI songwriter that absorbs your direction and writes from scratch — genre-tuned lyrics, vocal direction, structure tags, and production style in one generation.
Album mode, artist DNA fingerprinting, pronunciation engine, and critic pass quality scoring. The depth a year of building produces.
Generate Free — 5 Songs IncludedConfirmed working tags: [Intro], [Verse], [Verse 1/2/3], [Pre-Chorus], [Chorus], [Hook], [Bridge], [Outro], [End], [Instrumental], [Instrumental Break], [Guitar Solo], [Break], [Interlude], [Drop], [Build-Up], [Breakdown], [Spoken Word], [Whisper], [Female Vocal], [Male Vocal], [Harmony], [Ad-lib]. Place each on its own line. Suno may interpret non-standard tags unpredictably.
The most reliable method is to physically write the line multiple times under the [Chorus] tag. Suno doesn't consistently interpret (x2) or (repeat) notation. Writing the actual line twice or three times guarantees it gets repeated. For a slight variation on the repeat, change one word each time to keep it interesting.
Yes, use parenthetical vocal directions: (softly), (whispered), (building), (powerful), (belted), (screaming). Place these on their own line before the lyric section they apply to. You can also use capitalization for emphasis — ALL CAPS lines tend to be delivered with more energy, though this isn't guaranteed.
Use single line breaks between lyric lines within a section, and double line breaks (blank line) between sections. This helps Suno understand phrasing. Short lines (4-8 words) tend to produce better vocal phrasing than long run-on lines. Think of each line as one breath.
Suno accepts up to about 3,000 characters in the lyrics field, which is roughly 40-60 lines of lyrics. For a standard 3-4 minute song, aim for 200-300 words (about 30-40 lines). Too many lyrics and Suno may rush through them or cut sections. Too few and you'll get a short output or Suno will improvise filler.
Free Download
50+ genre breakdowns, 300+ style tags, and the prompt formula that works. Straight to your inbox.
Get the Guide — $29Go Deeper
The Suno Mastery Guide
74 genre deep-dives, 150+ tags + 80-term glossary, 40 artist profiles, v5.5 walkthrough, monetization playbook. 396 pages + 25 HookGenius credits.
Get the Mastery Guide — $29 →5 free songs when you sign in. No credit card needed. Just describe what you want and go.
Start Generating FreeCredits delivered every month. Cancel anytime.
✓ 30-day money-back· ✓ Cancel anytime· ✓ No card to start· ✓ Credits never expire
396 pages. 74 niche genre deep-dives. 40 artist profiles. Written by the team that has generated 10,000+ Suno tracks through the HookGenius pipeline since 2024.
Sample chapter · What the inside looks like
Genre · Boom Bap
Canonical references: Pete Rock, DJ Premier, J Dilla. BPM: 75-95 (90 is canonical). Drum signature: dusty kick, snare on 2/4, vinyl crackle under the loop.
Core prompt:
boom bap, gritty confident mood, chopped soul sample, dusty drum break, vinyl crackle, punchy male rap flow, classic New York feel, 90 BPM
Dark variant: swap “confident” for “menacing,” drop to 85 BPM. Bright variant: swap “gritty” for “uplifting,” raise to 95 BPM, add “jazz piano loop.”
One of 74 genre chapters. Every chapter is this concrete.
Credits never expire. 1 credit = 1 complete song.
HookGenius writes the prompt for you. Sign in with one click, song generates in 30 seconds.