How to Make a Song with AI: Prompts, Lyrics, Tempo and Structure

An AI music generator turns a description of a style - and, if you want, your own lyrics - into a complete track with instruments and vocals. The difference between a forgettable result and a track you actually use comes down to how precisely you describe what you want.

This guide walks through the inputs in Pynokio Music and shows how to use each one.

What you can control

Step 1: Describe the style

A strong style description reads like a note to a producer. Combine four things:

1. Genre and era - "90s boom bap", "modern synthwave", "acoustic folk", "cinematic orchestral".
2. Mood - "melancholic", "uplifting", "tense", "dreamy", "triumphant".
3. Instruments - "warm Rhodes piano, upright bass, brushed drums", "distorted guitars and live drums".
4. Vocals and production - "breathy female vocals, lo-fi tape saturation", "powerful male vocals, polished radio mix".

Weak: "a happy pop song"
Strong: "upbeat 2010s synth-pop, bright analog synths, punchy drums, catchy female vocals, feel-good summer mood, polished radio mix"

Step 2: Write lyrics with structure

If you add lyrics, structure them with section tags on their own lines. The model uses these to build a song arc instead of a single long verse:

[verse]
City lights are fading out
Every street is calling out my name

[chorus]
Take me where the night is young
Sing it till the morning comes

[bridge]
Hold on, hold on

[chorus]
Take me where the night is young
Sing it till the morning comes

• Keep lines short and rhythmic. Lines of similar length are easier to sing on a steady beat.
• Repeat the chorus. Repetition is what makes a song feel like a song.
• Match the lyric length to the duration. Two verses and two choruses fit comfortably into roughly two and a half to three minutes.

Step 3: Go instrumental when you need a music bed

For background music under a voiceover, podcast or video, switch on Instrumental. You will get a track without vocals that does not compete with speech. Describe the energy you need: "calm lo-fi hip hop, soft piano, vinyl crackle, steady relaxed beat" for a study video, "driving cinematic percussion, rising strings, epic trailer build" for a launch teaser.

Step 4: Set tempo, key and length

• Tempo: around 70-90 BPM feels relaxed (lo-fi, ballads), 100-125 BPM is mid-tempo pop and house, 140-175 BPM covers trap, drum and bass and fast rock.
• Key: minor keys usually sound darker or more emotional, major keys brighter. If you need the track to match another song, use the same key.
• Time signature: 4/4 suits most modern music; 3/4 gives a waltz feel; 6/8 a rolling, swinging feel.
• Duration: 15-30 seconds for social clips and intros, 2-4 minutes for a full song, longer for ambient and background loops.

Step 5: Iterate like a producer

Treat the first generation as a demo. Keep what works and change one thing at a time - the instruments, then the mood, then the tempo. Small, specific changes ("replace the synth lead with an acoustic guitar") get you closer than rewriting the whole prompt. Every result is saved in Creations, so you can compare versions side by side.

Ideas for what to make

• A theme tune or intro sting for your podcast - see our podcast intro workflow
• Background music for YouTube videos and faceless channels
• Jingles and short ad music
• Demo songs to test lyrics and melodies before recording them yourself
• Soundtracks for games, trailers and presentations

FAQ

Can AI write the lyrics for me?

You can leave lyrics empty and describe the song, or draft lyrics with a writing assistant and paste them in. Your own lyrics give you the most control over the result.

How long can an AI-generated song be?

In Pynokio Music you can generate tracks from 10 seconds up to 10 minutes.

How do I make music without vocals?

Turn on Instrumental. The track is generated without any singing, which makes it ideal as a background bed.

Why does the song not follow my lyrics structure?

Put each section tag such as [verse] or [chorus] on its own line, keep lines short, and make sure the duration is long enough for all the lyrics.

Which tempo should I choose?

Pick the tempo of the genre you want: roughly 70-90 BPM for relaxed music, 100-125 for pop and house, 140 and above for energetic styles.