PromptingEleven Music
Master prompting for Eleven Music to achieve maximum musicality and control.
This guide summarizes the most effective techniques for prompting the Eleven Music model. It covers genre & creativity, instrument & vocal isolation, musical control, and structural timing & lyrics.
The model is designed to understand intent and generate complete, context-aware audio based on your goals. High-level prompts like "ad for a sneaker brand" or "peaceful meditation with voiceover" are often enough to guide the model toward tone, structure, and content that match your use case.
Genre & Creativity
The model demonstrates strong adherence to genre conventions and emotional tone. Both musical descriptors of emotional tone and tone descriptors themselves will work. It responds effectively to both:
Abstract Mood Descriptors
e.g., "eerie," "foreboding"
Detailed Musical Language
e.g., "dissonant violin screeches over a pulsing sub-bass"
Pro Tip: Prompt length and detail do not always correlate with better quality outputs. For more creative and unexpected results, try using simple, evocative keywords to let the model interpret and compose freely.
Instrument & Vocal Isolation
The v1 model does not generate stems directly from a full track. To create stems with greater control, use targeted prompts and structure:
Instruments
Use the word "solo" before instruments
e.g., "solo electric guitar," "solo piano in C minor"
Vocals
Use "a cappella" before vocal description
e.g., "a cappella female vocals," "a cappella male chorus"
To improve stem quality and control:
• Include key, tempo (BPM), and musical tone
e.g., "a cappella vocals in A major, 90 BPM, soulful and raw"
• Be as musically descriptive as possible to guide the model's output
Musical Control
Timing & Harmony
The model accurately follows BPM and often captures the intended musical key.
Include tempo cues like "130 BPM" and key signatures like "in A minor"
Vocal Delivery
Use expressive descriptors to influence vocal tone:
"raw," "live," "glitching," "breathy," "aggressive"
Multiple Vocalists
The model can effectively render multiple vocalists. Use prompts like "two singers harmonizing in C" to direct vocal arrangement.
Key Insight: In general, more detailed prompts lead to greater control and expressiveness in the output.
Structural Timing & Lyrics
Song Duration
Specify length (e.g., "60 seconds") or use auto mode. Model generates structured lyrics matching the duration.
Vocal Control
Add "instrumental only" for no vocals, or write custom lyrics for creative control.
Timing Cues
Manage when vocals begin or end with clear timing cues:
• "lyrics begin at 15 seconds"
• "instrumental only after 1:45"
Multilingual Support
The model supports multilingual lyric generation. Use follow-ups like "make it Japanese" or "translate to Spanish" to change languages.
Sample Prompts
The model allows you to move beyond song descriptors and into intent for maximum creativity.
Video Game with Musical Control
Create an intense, fast-paced electronic track for a high-adrenaline video game scene.
Use driving synth arpeggios, punchy drums, distorted bass, glitch effects, and aggressive rhythmic textures. The tempo should be fast, 130–150 bpm, with rising tension, quick transitions, and dynamic energy bursts.
Mascara Audio Ad Creative
Create a sensual, intimate track with breathy female vocals, soft piano melodies, and subtle electronic elements. The mood should be elegant and sophisticated, perfect for a luxury beauty product advertisement.
Live Indie Rock Performance
Generate a raw, energetic indie rock song with live instrumentation including electric guitar, bass, drums, and passionate male vocals. Include crowd noise and live performance atmosphere for authenticity.