u/Excellent-Way-8707

After testing hundreds of prompts I noticed one pattern — adding an emotional state descriptor before your genre changes everything. Not just the feel, but the instrumentation choices the AI makes.

The modifier format: [emotional state] + [genre/style]

Here are 8 examples:

1. Grief-soaked orchestral — strings pull back, tempo slows, silences appear
2. Rage-driven electronic — distortion increases, rhythm becomes aggressive, bass dominates
3. Hollow ambient — reverb expands, notes spread further apart, emptiness fills the mix
4. Tender celtic — softer tin whistle, gentler rhythm, warmth over drama
5. Paranoid jazz — dissonant chords, irregular timing, unsettling undertones
6. Desperate synthwave — minor key, faster arpeggios, urgency in the pulse
7. Triumphant folk — full ensemble feel, major key, momentum builds naturally
8. Fractured classical — unexpected pauses, tempo shifts, unresolved tension

Try swapping the emotional word and watch how differently the AI interprets the same genre.

What modifiers have worked for you?

I kept getting EDM.

Didn't matter what I typed. Medieval lute music. Acoustic campfire guitar. Japanese temple bells. Auto mode looked at my prompt and said — EDM it is.

After 50+ structured tests across different genres, I finally figured out why — and more importantly, how to fix it.

🔍 What I found:

Udio's Auto mode doesn't actually interpret your genre instructions the way you'd expect. It has a strong bias toward electronic and EDM-adjacent output by default — especially on first generate.

✅ The Fix:

Switch to Manual mode and set prompt strength to 75-85%.

• Below 75% — Udio drifts too far from your intent
• 75-85% — Sweet spot. Follows genre instructions while sounding natural
• Above 85% — Output gets rigid and sometimes glitchy

🎮 Why this matters for game devs:

A fantasy RPG doesn't need EDM boss music. A horror game doesn't need a drop. Manual mode at 75-85% is the difference between a track that fits your game and one that doesn't.

💡 One more tip:

Bracket structure your prompts like this:

[Medieval] [orchestral] [epic battle] [no electronics] [cinematic]

Combined with Manual mode at 75-85% — this is the closest I've gotten to consistent, usable game music from Udio.

What's your experience been with Udio Auto mode? Anyone else notice this?

I kept getting EDM.

Didn't matter what I typed. Medieval lute music. Acoustic campfire guitar. Japanese temple bells. Auto mode looked at my prompt and said — EDM it is.

After 50+ structured tests across different genres, I finally figured out why — and more importantly, how to fix it.

🔍 What I found:

Udio's Auto mode doesn't actually interpret your genre instructions the way you'd expect. It has a strong bias toward electronic and EDM-adjacent output by default — especially on first generate.

Here's what I tested:

https://preview.redd.it/8wreo5tgfm0h1.png?width=892&format=png&auto=webp&s=0443e6cc5a8f6af8f002f7036a969416b107051a

The difference wasn't subtle. It was night and day.

✅ The Fix:

Switch to Manual mode and set prompt strength to 75-85%.

Here's why that specific range works:

• Below 75% — Udio gets too creative and drifts from your intent
• 75-85% — Sweet spot. It follows your genre instructions while still sounding natural
• Above 85% — Output gets rigid and sometimes glitchy

For anything non-electronic, this is now my default setting. Every single time.

🎮 Why this matters for game devs:

If you're making indie games and using Udio for your soundtrack, Auto mode is quietly killing your immersion. A fantasy RPG doesn't need EDM boss music. A horror game doesn't need a drop.

Manual mode at 75-85% is the difference between a track that fits your game and one that doesn't.

💡 One more tip:

Bracket structure your prompts. Like this:

[Medieval] [orchestral] [epic battle] [no electronics] [cinematic]

Combined with Manual mode at 75-85% — this is the closest I've gotten to consistent, usable game music from Udio.

I've documented 200 prompts worth of findings like this in a pack built specifically for indie game devs. Drop a comment if you want the link — happy to share.

What's your experience been with Udio Auto mode? Anyone else notice this?

Been running structured prompts through both tools

consistently for the past week. Here's the honest

breakdown:

SUNO strengths:

→ Orchestral and cinematic styles — very consistent

→ Atmospheric and ambient — excellent

→ Bracket structure [like this] improves output

significantly

→ More predictable on first generate

UDIO strengths:

→ Higher ceiling for rock and metal genres

→ Culturally specific instrumentation — shakuhachi,

taiko, sitar — surprisingly good

→ Manual mode at 75-85% prompt strength is a game

changer for non-electronic genres

THE BIGGEST DISCOVERY:

Udio Auto mode defaults to EDM almost every time

regardless of what you prompt. Switching to Manual

mode at 75-85% prompt strength completely transforms

the output. Most people never find this setting.

PROMPT STRUCTURE THAT WORKS ON BOTH:

[Genre], [Mood/Emotion], [Instrumentation], [BPM],

[no vocals], [Use-Case]

Example:

[Ancient Dragon], [primordial fury], [brass wall,

choir swell], [112 BPM], [no vocals], [dragon boss

fight]

The specificity is everything. Vague prompts produce

vague music.

Happy to share prompts for any specific genre —

just ask below.

After running identical prompts through both tools I noticed clear patterns:

→ Suno handles orchestral and abstract prompts better

→ Udio Auto mode has a strong EDM bias

→ Udio Manual mode at 75-85% prompt strength fixes most issues

→ The bracket structure improves consistency on both tools

Full breakdown with exact settings: https://medium.com/@ddcco8560/suno-vs-udio-which-ai-music-tool-actually-follows-your-prompts-3d80975b26da

Happy to answer questions!

1. [Dragon's Peak], [majestic and dangerous], [epic brass, deep tympani, choir swell], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [mountain summit, high drama]
2. [Spirit Guardian], [sacred and fierce], [shakuhachi, taiko, resonant gong], [120 BPM], [no vocals], [temple guardian combat]
3. [Time Witch], [distorted and fractured], [reverse orchestra, clock motif, glitching choir], [100 BPM], [no vocals], [time-manipulation boss encounter]
4. [Enchanted World Restored], [hopeful renewal], [harp arpeggios, strings, light choir], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [world-saving story beat victory]
5. [The Price of Power], [regret], [piano over swelling dissonant strings], [46 BPM], [no vocals], [anti-hero realization cutscene]

1. [Dragon's Peak], [majestic and dangerous], [epic brass, deep tympani, choir swell], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [mountain summit, high drama]
2. [Spirit Guardian], [sacred and fierce], [shakuhachi, taiko, resonant gong], [120 BPM], [no vocals], [temple guardian combat]
3. [Time Witch], [distorted and fractured], [reverse orchestra, clock motif, glitching choir], [100 BPM], [no vocals], [time-manipulation boss encounter]
4. [Enchanted World Restored], [hopeful renewal], [harp arpeggios, strings, light choir], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [world-saving story beat victory]
5. [The Price of Power], [regret], [piano over swelling dissonant strings], [46 BPM], [no vocals], [anti-hero realization cutscene]

1. [Dragon's Peak], [majestic and dangerous], [epic brass, deep tympani, choir swell], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [mountain summit, high drama]
2. [Spirit Guardian], [sacred and fierce], [shakuhachi, taiko, resonant gong], [120 BPM], [no vocals], [temple guardian combat]
3. [Time Witch], [distorted and fractured], [reverse orchestra, clock motif, glitching choir], [100 BPM], [no vocals], [time-manipulation boss encounter]
4. [Enchanted World Restored], [hopeful renewal], [harp arpeggios, strings, light choir], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [world-saving story beat victory]
5. [The Price of Power], [regret], [piano over swelling dissonant strings], [46 BPM], [no vocals], [anti-hero realization cutscene]

1. [Dragon's Peak], [majestic and dangerous], [epic brass, deep tympani, choir swell], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [mountain summit, high drama]
2. [Spirit Guardian], [sacred and fierce], [shakuhachi, taiko, resonant gong], [120 BPM], [no vocals], [temple guardian combat]
3. [Time Witch], [distorted and fractured], [reverse orchestra, clock motif, glitching choir], [100 BPM], [no vocals], [time-manipulation boss encounter]
4. [Enchanted World Restored], [hopeful renewal], [harp arpeggios, strings, light choir], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [world-saving story beat victory]
5. [The Price of Power], [regret], [piano over swelling dissonant strings], [46 BPM], [no vocals], [anti-hero realization cutscene]

1. [Dragon's Peak], [majestic and dangerous], [epic brass, deep tympani, choir swell], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [mountain summit, high drama]
2. [Spirit Guardian], [sacred and fierce], [shakuhachi, taiko, resonant gong], [120 BPM], [no vocals], [temple guardian combat]
3. [Time Witch], [distorted and fractured], [reverse orchestra, clock motif, glitching choir], [100 BPM], [no vocals], [time-manipulation boss encounter]
4. [Enchanted World Restored], [hopeful renewal], [harp arpeggios, strings, light choir], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [world-saving story beat victory]
5. [The Price of Power], [regret], [piano over swelling dissonant strings], [46 BPM], [no vocals], [anti-hero realization cutscene]

After testing dozens of combinations I landed on this format that works reliably across Suno and Udio:

[Genre], [Mood/Emotion], [Instrumentation], [BPM], [Vocals], [Use-Case]

Here are 3 examples that produce professional results every time:

1. [Ancient Dragon], [primordial fury], [brass wall, choir swell], [112 BPM], [no vocals], [dragon boss fight]

2. [Fairy Tale Forest], [whimsical and magical], [glockenspiel, pizzicato violin], [112 BPM], [no vocals], [enchanted forest exploration]

3. [Hearthside], [cozy indoor warmth], [acoustic guitar, soft piano, fireplace sfx], [68 BPM], [no vocals], [safe house ambient loop]

The bracket structure forces the AI to treat each element as a distinct instruction rather than blending everything together. Output consistency improves dramatically.

1. [Fantasy Swordfight], [tense and precise], [orchestral strings, percussion stabs, brass], [132 BPM], [no vocals], [melee combat, loop-friendly]

2. [Crystal Empress], [elegant and deadly], [harpsichord, glass harmonica, cold strings], [118 BPM], [no vocals], [ice or crystal elemental boss]

3. [Enchanted World Restored], [hopeful renewal], [harp arpeggios, strings, light choir], [80 BPM], [no vocals], [world-saving story beat victory]

4. [Estranged Hero], [internal conflict and guilt], [solo piano, low cello, minimal], [56 BPM], [no vocals], [morally grey hero reflection moment]

5. [Celestial Garden], [divine and floral], [harp, soft flute, birds and bell sfx], [66 BPM], [no vocals], [paradise or heaven-realm ambient]