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AI Song Lyrics & Prompt Cheat Sheet by

A compact reference for writing lyrics and text prompts for AI song generators: section tags, prompt templates, and fixes for common output problems. Examples tested against tools that accept structured lyrics, such as Creatune AI: https://creatune.ai/ai-lyrics-generator

Song Structure Tags

[Intro]
Instru­mental or short vocal opening, 4–8 bars
[Verse] / [Verse 1]
Story and detail; changes each time
[Pre-C­horus]
Build tension before the hook
[Chorus]
Main hook; repeat the same words each time
[Post-­Chorus]
Short chant or vocal hook after the chorus
[Bridge]
Contrast: new chords, new angle, often once
[Break­down]
Stripp­ed-down section, drums or bass drop out
[Drop]
EDM payoff
[Instr­ume­ntal] / [Solo]
No vocals; name the instrument if you want one
[Outro]
Ending; add "fade out" or "hard stop"
[Hook]
Repeated short line, good for short-form video
Tip
Put one tag per line, on its own line, above the lyrics it controls.

Typical Song Layouts

Pop / radio
Intro – V1 – Pre – Chorus – V2 – Pre – Chorus – Bridge – Chorus – Outro
Short (≈1:30)
V1 – Chorus – V2 – Chorus
Hip-hop
Intro – Hook – Verse 1 – Hook – Verse 2 – Hook – Outro
EDM
Intro – Build – Drop – Breakdown – Build – Drop – Outro
Ballad
Intro – V1 – V2 – Chorus – V3 – Chorus – Bridge – Chorus
Folk / story
V1 – V2 – Chorus – V3 – V4 – Chorus

Prompt Template

Genre + subgenre
indie pop, synthwave, lo-fi hip-hop, acoustic folk
Mood
wistful, euphoric, tense, warm, defiant
Tempo
slow 70 BPM / mid-tempo 100 BPM / fast 128 BPM
Vocal
female breathy vocal, male baritone, duet, no vocals
Instru­ments
Rhodes piano, 808 bass, nylon guitar, string pad
Era / texture
80s gated drums, vinyl crackle, modern clean mix
Use case
for a podcast intro, for a 30s product video
Formula
[genre], [mood], [tempo], [vocal], featuring [2–3 instru­ments], [texture]
 

Ready-­to-Use Prompts

Study music
lo-fi hip-hop, calm, 75 BPM, no vocals, soft Rhodes and vinyl crackle
Upbeat ad
bright indie pop, happy, 118 BPM, claps, whistles, acoustic guitar
Sad ballad
piano ballad, melanc­holic, 68 BPM, intimate female vocal, strings in chorus
Workout
high-e­nergy EDM, 128 BPM, big drop, punchy kick, male shout hook
Cinematic
epic orches­tral, rising tension, 90 BPM, taiko drums, choir, no vocals
Retro
80s synthwave, nostalgic, 105 BPM, gated drums, analog bass, male vocal

Mood & Tempo Words

Chill / dreamy
60–85 BPM, pads, reverb
Hopeful / warm
90–110 BPM, acoustic, major key
Dark / tense
80–100 BPM, minor key, low synths
Euphoric
120–130 BPM, side-chain synths
Aggressive
140+ BPM, distorted guitar or bass
 

Lyric Writing Rules

6–10 syllables per line
Easier for the model to fit a melody
Keep verse lines even in length
Avoids rushed or stretched phrasing
Repeat the chorus word-f­or-word
Makes the hook recogn­isable
Use simple rhyme (AABB / ABAB)
Clearer rhythm
Spell out numbers and acronyms
"­twenty twenty­-si­x", not "­202­6"
Avoid long parent­heses
May be sung literally
Use (ooh) / (yeah) for backing vocals
Usually rendered as ad-libs

Common Problems & Fixes

Lyrics ignored or reordered
Add explicit section tags; shorten each section
Song ends too early
Fewer sections, or add [Outro] with "fade out"
Wrong genre
Put genre first; remove confli­cting style words
Vocal sings the tags
Put tags on their own line in square brackets
Muddy mix
Name fewer instru­ments (2–3)
Mispro­nounced word
Spell phonet­ically (e.g. "­Ny-­ah" for "­Nia­")
Chorus not catchy
Shorter lines, repeat the title phrase
Unwanted vocals
Add "­ins­tru­mental, no vocals­" and use [Instr­ume­ntal]
Tempo drift
State an exact BPM, not just "­fas­t"
Too generic
Add an era or reference texture (e.g. "90s Britpop guitar­s")

Before You Publish

Rights
Read the tool's terms for commercial use
Your input
Keep your own lyrics and edits on file
Distri­bution
Declare AI involv­ement if the distri­butor asks
Stems
Separate vocals­/in­str­umental if you plan to remix
           
 

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