qwen-skills/minimax-music-gen/references/prompt_guide.md

Prompt Writing Guide

This reference helps construct high-quality music generation prompts.

Core Principle

Write prompts as vivid English sentences, not comma-separated tags.

The API responds best to descriptive, narrative-style prompts that paint a complete picture of the song. Each prompt should read like a creative brief for a musician.

Prompt Structure

A complete prompt follows this sentence pattern:

A [mood/emotion] [BPM optional] [genre + sub-genre] [song/piece/track].
[Vocal description OR "Instrumental with..." description].
[Narrative/theme — what the song is about].
[Atmosphere/scene details].
[Key instruments and production elements].

Vocal Track Example:

A melancholic yet defiant Pop-House song, featuring emotional vocals, about
lighting a torch in the cold dark night as a form of romantic rebellion,
energetic rhythm with synth elements.

Instrumental Example:

A warm and uplifting 100 BPM indie folk instrumental piece, evoking a sunny
afternoon stroll through a small town market, featuring bright acoustic guitar
fingerpicking, gentle ukulele strums, light hand claps, and a whistled melody
that feels like pure contentment.

How to Build a Prompt Step by Step

1. Open with mood + genre (required)

Pattern	Example
Single mood	"A melancholic R&B song"
Contrasting moods	"A melancholic yet defiant Pop-House song"
With BPM	"A smoky 74 BPM Neo-Soul fusion"
With era/region	"A laid-back 90 BPM Island Reggae"
Genre blend	"An Avant-Garde Jazz and Neo-Soul fusion"

2. Describe the vocals (for vocal tracks)

Good vocal descriptions:

• "featuring smooth emotional vocals"
• "Vocals: Ultra-low, gravelly baritone with authentic phrasing"
• "Vocals: Sultry, sophisticated male baritone with smooth jazz inflections and breathy delivery"
• "Vocals: Ethereal, crystal-clear Enya-style vocals with lush reverb"
• "Vocals: Relaxed, soul-flavored vocals with ad-libs and melodic scats"

Bad (too vague): "female vocal"

3. Add narrative/theme (recommended)

• "about lighting a torch in the cold dark night as a form of romantic rebellion"
• "about letting go of perfectionism and embracing your true self like flowing water"

For instrumentals, describe the scene: "evoking a sunrise drive along a coastal highway"

4. Set the mood/atmosphere (recommended)

• "bittersweet but healing mood"
• "empowering and self-loving mood"

5. Specify production elements (recommended)

• "mellow beats with lo-fi elements"
• "featuring a warm fretless bassline, shimmering Rhodes piano, and brushed jazz drums"

Genre Reference

Category	Genres
Pop & Dance	Pop, Dance Pop, Electropop, Synth-pop, Dream Pop, K-pop, J-pop, C-pop, City Pop, House, Future Bass, EDM
Rock & Alt	Rock, Indie Rock, Pop Rock, Post-Rock, Shoegaze, Punk, Metal, Alternative
R&B/Soul/Funk	R&B, Neo-Soul, Contemporary R&B, Funk, Gospel, Soul
Hip-Hop	Hip-Hop, Trap, Boom Bap, Lo-fi Hip-Hop, Cloud Rap, Drill, Afrobeats
Electronic	Ambient, Techno, Drum and Bass, Chillwave, Vaporwave, Amapiano
Folk/Acoustic	Folk, Indie Folk, Country, Chinese Traditional, Celtic Folk
Jazz/Blues	Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Bossa Nova, Blues, Avant-Garde Jazz
Classical	Classical, Orchestral, Cinematic, Film Score, Epic, Neoclassical, Piano Solo
World	Reggae, Latin, Waltz, Tango, Flamenco

Vocal Style Reference

Style	Prompt phrase
Smooth & emotional	"smooth emotional vocals"
Raw & unpolished	"raw, unpolished vocals shifting between whispers and screams"
Breathy & intimate	"breathy delivery with intimate phrasing"
Powerful & soulful	"powerful soulful vocals with gospel inflections"
Sultry & sophisticated	"sultry, sophisticated baritone with jazz inflections"
Ethereal & clear	"ethereal, crystal-clear vocals with lush reverb"
Aggressive & intense	"aggressive vocal delivery with rhythmic intensity"

Instrument & Production Reference

Category	Examples
Strings & Guitar	acoustic guitar fingerpicking, electric guitar riffs, fretless bass, violin, cello, erhu, guzheng, pipa
Keys & Synth	piano, Rhodes piano, synth pad, synth lead, arpeggiator, music box, organ
Drums & Percussion	brushed jazz drums, electronic drums, 808 hi-hats, trap percussion, cajon, bongos
Wind & Brass	saxophone, trumpet, flute, harmonica, bamboo flute, xiao
Texture & Effects	vinyl crackle, tape hiss, ambient pads, glitch elements, rain sounds

BPM Reference

Feel	BPM	Use in prompt
Very slow, meditative	40-60	"a meditative 50 BPM..."
Slow ballad	60-80	"a slow 70 BPM ballad..."
Mid-tempo groove	80-110	"a groovy 95 BPM..."
Upbeat, energetic	110-130	"an upbeat 120 BPM..."
Fast, driving	130-160	"a driving 140 BPM..."

Tips for High-Quality Prompts

1. Write sentences, not tag lists: "A melancholic R&B song about..." beats "R&B, sad, slow, piano".
2. Be vivid and specific: "salvaging memory fragments in space-time" > "sad memories".
3. Describe vocals as a character: "Sultry baritone with jazz inflections" not "male vocal".
4. Include a scene or vibe: "A high-end rooftop lounge at night" gives the model a coherent world.
5. Mix detail levels: Specify 2-3 key instruments precisely, leave the rest to the model.
6. English prompts work best: Chinese scene descriptions can be mixed in for flavor.
7. For instrumentals: Replace vocal descriptions with instrument focus and scene narrative.