Studio Tracks

💡 How multi-track prompting works

In studio mode, you can add individual track layers to your song. Each track type accepts a text prompt describing what you want it to do. These work like stems in a real DAW — the more specific your instruction per track, the more precise the output. Use the Custom track for anything that doesn't fit the presets.

📋 Track → Prompt → Layer → Mix ⚡ Combine tracks for full arrangements

🥁

Drums

The rhythmic foundation

Controls kick, snare, hi-hat, cymbals, and overall drum pattern. The backbone that drives everything else.

✅ Use when: you need rhythmic drive, specific groove, or to lock the tempo

tight trap drums, 808 kick, hi-hat rolls jazz brush kit, swinging rhythm live drum kit, powerful rock backbeat

🎸

Bass

Low-end groove & root notes

Sits between drums and harmony. Defines the key, adds body, and locks in with the kick drum. The "glue" of a mix.

✅ Use when: you need warmth, low-end presence, or a specific bass style

funky slap bass, syncopated groove deep 808 sub bass, trap style walking jazz bass, upright bass

🎸

Guitar

Rhythm, lead & texture

Covers everything from strummed chords to lead riffs. Can be clean, distorted, fingerpicked, or atmospheric.

✅ Use when: you want specific guitar tone, playing style, or dual guitar layers

clean Stratocaster, fingerpicked, warm heavy distorted power chords, metal acoustic strumming, folk rhythm guitar

🎹

Keyboard

Chords, melody & atmosphere

Piano, electric piano, organ — the harmonic glue. Sets mood, fills the mid-range, supports vocals.

✅ Use when: you need harmonic richness, gospel/jazz chords, or a piano-focused sound

Rhodes electric piano, soulful chords grand piano, classical arpeggios Hammond organ, gospel swells

🪘

Percussion

Texture & rhythmic colour

Everything that hits but isn't the main drum kit — congas, shakers, tambourine, claps, hand drums. Adds feel and groove.

✅ Use when: you want Latin, Afrobeat, reggae feel, or to add rhythmic texture without more drums

congas and bongos, Latin groove tambourine on 2 and 4, gospel feel djembe, Afrobeat percussion pattern

🎻

Strings

Emotion & cinematic sweep

Violin, viola, cello, double bass as an ensemble. Adds drama, emotion, and depth. From subtle pads to full orchestral swells.

✅ Use when: you want emotional depth, cinematic scale, or to soften a pop/hip-hop track

lush string orchestra, emotional swell solo violin, intimate and mournful pizzicato strings, playful and light

🎛️

Synth

Electronic textures & leads

Synthesized sounds — arpeggios, pads, leads, bass synths. Covers everything from analog warmth to digital sharpness.

✅ Use when: you want electronic character, arpeggiators, saw-tooth leads, or ambient pads

analog synth lead, Moog-style, warm synthwave arpeggios, 80s retro pad synth, atmospheric, slow attack

✨

Sound design & atmosphere

Non-musical sounds used for texture — risers, sweeps, impacts, transitions, nature sounds, noise. Cinematic glue.

✅ Use when: you need transitions, build tension before a drop, or add cinematic texture

riser sweep into drop, EDM transition vinyl crackle, lo-fi atmosphere thunder and rain ambience, cinematic

🎺

Brass

Power, punch & swagger

Trumpets, trombones, French horns. Adds authority, funk, jazz, or orchestral grandeur. Very dynamic — can be subtle or enormous.

✅ Use when: you want funk stabs, big band brass, mariachi horns, or epic orchestral moments

funky brass stabs, soul and R&B trumpet lead, jazz standard French horn swell, cinematic score

🎷

Woodwinds

Warmth, colour & melody

Flute, saxophone, clarinet, oboe. Adds warmth, airiness, or emotional character. Saxophone for jazz/soul, flute for folk/classical.

✅ Use when: you want a breathy, airy quality or specific woodwind character in your melody

tenor saxophone, jazz ballad breathy flute, folk melody clarinet, klezmer or swing style

🎤

Vocals

Lead voice & expression

The main vocal performance. Controls style, register, emotion, and technique of the primary singer.

✅ Use when: you want to direct the vocal style, mood, or specific technique beyond the main prompt

powerful female belt, soulful and raw breathy falsetto, intimate whisper rap delivery, fast cadence, aggressive

🎙️

Backing Vocals

Harmony, depth & texture

Harmonies, ad-libs, choir layers, "ooh/aah" pads. Thickens the vocal sound and adds emotional dimensionality.

✅ Use when: you want choir layers, harmonies, gospel feel, or to fatten the lead vocal

gospel choir harmonies, call and response three-part harmony, tight pop vocals ethereal backing vocal "aah" pad

🎵

Song

Full-arrangement direction

Gives a global instruction that applies to the whole track — not a single instrument. Use this to set the overall vibe, genre, or arrangement style when you don't want to specify individual tracks.

✅ Use when: you want to set genre, mood, or style globally without micromanaging individual tracks

60s Motown soul, live band, warm dark brooding R&B, 808s, minor key acoustic folk, intimate, sparse

🔧

Custom

Anything you can imagine

The wildcard. Describe any sound, technique, instrument, or texture not covered by the presets. Suno will attempt to interpret it. The most creative track type.

✅ Use when: no preset fits — experiment freely, combine concepts, be specific

didgeridoo drone, Australian outback banjo and steel drum, Caribbean fusion Tibetan singing bowl, slow meditation glitchy broken piano, lo-fi experimental

🎯 Studio Track prompt best practices

Be instrument-specific
Not "guitar" but "clean Telecaster, finger-picked, capo 2nd fret"

Add playing style
Not "bass" but "walking bass, upright, jazz quarter-note feel"

Reference artists
"Drums: John Bonham-style, loose and powerful, room mic sound"

Add FX to tracks
"Strings with heavy reverb, slow attack, pad-like" — layer effects in the track prompt

Use dynamics language
"quiet intro, then builds to full arrangement in chorus" works in Song or any track

Stack Custom freely
Use Custom for anything exotic — unusual instruments, field recordings, sci-fi sounds