A great prompt brings your music ideas to life! The right details shape your song’s mood, genre, instruments, and lyrics. Here’s how to craft the perfect prompt.
Get the Most Out of Your Prompts
Your songs description - called a Prompt - guides Udio’s music generation.
A great Prompt includes:
Topic or free-form text (A song about summer rain).
Genre or tags (jazz, mellow, warm).
You can also add a style reference:
A song about summer rain, jazz, mellow, warm, in the style of Billie Holiday
⚠️ Udio won’t copy an artist’s voice but will capture a similar musical feel.
Using Suggested Tags
Below the text box, you’ll find tag suggestions - click to add them and refine your song’s style!
Start with a Clear Vision
Before writing, ask yourself:
Mood: Happy, dreamy, dark, nostalgic?
Genre: Rock, jazz, pop, electronic?
Tempo: Slow and smooth or fast and energetic?
Instruments: Acoustic guitar, violin, synths?
Theme: What’s the story behind your song?
💡 Not sure about genres? 🔗 Explore a music genre map to discover styles!
Be Specific
Describe the genre, mood, tempo, instruments, and theme in detail.
Examples:
Dreamy, ambient piano with soft violin and ocean waves.
High-energy 80s rock with electric guitar solos and powerful vocals.
Soulful blues with a slow, smoldering electric guitar solo and husky vocals.
Futuristic synthwave with deep bass grooves and a neon-lit atmosphere.
💡 Want to emphasize something? Repeat key words in your prompt.
Experiment & Refine
A single prompt can generate different results.
Try:
Generating multiple versions.
Tweaking details (for example, change instruments or tempo).
Using auto-suggestions for inspiration.
Mixing genres for a unique sound.
💡 Ever wondered what eurodance + black metal sounds like? Try it!
Add Era-Specific Sounds
Set the time period for a distinct feel:
1970s disco groove.
1960s-style folk melody.
1980s-inspired synthwave.
Use Imagery & Scenarios
Describe a scene instead of just song elements:
A peaceful melody capturing a sunrise walk through a blooming forest, folk
Customize Lyrics & Vocals
Use the "Custom Lyrics Editor" for full control:
Write your own lyrics.
Add vocal effects like [Scream], [Chorus], or [Guitar Solo].
Use (parentheses) for backing vocals.
💡 Try different languages - English isn’t your only option!
Improve Pronunciation
If words sound off, tweak them:
Break words into syllables: Un-be-liev-a-ble.
Spell out acronyms: En-Bee-Ay (NBA).
Add expressive sounds: "Woohoo!" or "Mmmhmmm!".
💡 Use accented characters to adjust syllable stress! récord (noun) vs. recórd (verb).
🔗 Find, copy, and paste common accented characters in your songs to place stress on different syllables.
Make Instrumentals
For vocal-free tracks, select "Instrumental Mode" or use tags like:
[Acoustic Guitar].
[Violin].
[Synthesizer].
💡 Use autocomplete to find supported instruments!
Control Style Influence
Want to avoid certain styles? Use "Style Reduction" in Advanced Controls to minimize unwanted elements.
Use Manual Mode for Precision
For full control, try Manual Mode:
Uses only exact tags (no free text).
Best for custom lyrics.
Avoids automatic refinements.
💡 This mode keeps things precise, but lyrics may be more generic.
Learn from Others
Check out:
Spotlights and Staff Picks
🔗 Discord community and 🔗 Reddit community for community insights
Now you’re ready to prompt like a master - start experimenting and create something amazing!