Style and Genre List
Style prompts work best when they combine a clear genre anchor with a small number of supporting descriptors. A useful pattern is:
genre + mood + lead instrument + vocal style + production texture
Examples:
indie folk, peaceful, acoustic guitar, gentle male vocal, natural room reverb
progressive house, euphoric, synth lead, vocal chops, sidechain compression
jazz pop, smooth vocal, piano, walking bass, swing feel
Avoid turning the style prompt into an inventory of every sound you like. Too many unrelated genres or instruments can make the result less focused.
Genre Anchors
| Goal | Good anchor | Add-ons that help |
|---|---|---|
| Mainstream hook | Pop, Dance Pop, Pop Rock | catchy, bright, layered vocals |
| Guitar energy | Rock, Indie Rock, Hard Rock | electric guitar, driving drums, anthem |
| Club track | House, Trance, Techno, EDM | synth lead, bass drop, sidechain |
| Intimate song | Indie Folk, Acoustic Pop, Singer-Songwriter | fingerstyle guitar, room reverb, soft vocal |
| Smooth groove | R&B, Soul, Jazz Pop | warm bass, electric piano, smooth vocals |
| Cinematic build | Orchestral, Ambient, Post-Rock | strings, crescendo, wide stereo |
These v3 tested style-words, genres, sub-genres, and song-types can be combined to create interesting style prompts, but this list will never be complete – our list is missing many world genres and regional sounds, not to mention all the undiscovered style words used in everyday language.
| Style | Genre | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Danceable | Country | Background |
| -Dance | -Appalachian | -Elevator |
| - Festive | - Bluegrass | - Jingle |
| - Groovy | - Country | - Muzak |
| - Mid-Tempo | - Folk | Call to Prayer |
| - Syncopated | - Freak Folk | - Adan |
| - Tipsy | - Western | - Adjan |
| Dark | Dance | - Call to Prayer |
| - Atmospheric | - Afro-Cuban | - Gregorian Chant |
| - Cold | - Dance Pop | Character |
| - Dark | - Disco | - I Want Song |
| - Doom | - Dubstep | - Hero Theme |
| - Dramatic | - Disco Funk | - Strut |
| - Sinister | - EDM | - March |
| Eclectic | - Electro | - Military |
| - Adjunct | - High-NRG | - Villain Theme |
| - Art | - House | Children |
| - Capriccio | - Trance | - Lullaby |
| - Mellifluous | Downtempo | - Nursery Rhyme |
| - Nü | - Ambient | - Sing-along |
| - Progressive | - Downtempo | - Toddler |
| - Unusual | - Synthwave | Composer |
| Emotion | - Trap | - Adagio |
| - Anthemic | Electronic | - Adjunct |
| - Emotional | - Ambient | - Andante |
| - Happy | - Cyberpunk | - Allegro |
| - Jubilant | - Drum’n’bass | - Capriccio |
| - Melancholy | - Dubstep | Instruments |
| - Sad | - Electronic | - Acoustic Guitar |
| Hard | - Hypnogogical | - Bass |
| - Aggressive | - IDM | - Doublebass |
| - Banger | - Phonk | - Electricbass |
| - Power | - Synthpop | - Electric Guitar |
| - Stadium | - Techno | - Fingerstyle Guitar |
| - Stomp | - Trap | - Percussion |
| Lyrical | Jazz/Soul | Noise |
| - Broadway | - Bebop | - Chaotic |
| - Cabaret | - Gospel | - Distorted |
| - Lounge | - Electro | - Glitch |
| - Operatic | - Frutiger Aero | - Noise |
| - Storytelling | - Jazz | - Random |
| - Torch-Lounge | - Latin Jazz | - Stuttering |
| - Theatrical | - RnB | Orchestral |
| - Troubadour | - Soul | - glissando trombone |
| - Vegas | Latin | - legato cello |
| Magical | - Bossa Nova | - Orchestral |
| - Ethereal | - Latin Jazz | - spiccato violins |
| - Majestic | - Forró | - staccato viola |
| - Mysterious | - Mambo | - Symphonic |
| Minimal | - Salsa | Retro |
| - Ambient | - Tango | - 1960s |
| - Cinematic | Reggae | - Barbershop |
| - Heat | - Afrobeat | - Big Band |
| - Minimal | - Dancehall | - Classic |
| - Slow | - Dub | - Doo Wop |
| - Sparse | - Reggae | - Girl Group |
| Party | - Reggaeton | - Mambo |
| - German Schlager | Metal | - Salooncore |
| - Glam | - Black Metal | - Swing |
| - Glitter | - Deathcore | Traditional |
| - Groovy | - Death Metal | - Suffix |
| Soft | - Heavy Metal | - …core |
| - Ambient | - Heavy Metal Trap | - …jam |
| - Bedroom | - Metalcore | - …out |
| - Chillwave | - Nu Metal | - …wave |
| - Ethereal | - Power Metal | - Traditional |
| - Intimate | Popular | - Americana |
| - Heat | - Pop | - Barbershop |
| - Sadcore | - Dance Pop | - Christmas Carol |
| Weird | - Pop Rock | - Traditional |
| - Carnival | - Kpop | Voice |
| - Distorted | - Jpop | - A Cappella |
| - Glitchy | - RnB | - Arabian Ornamental |
| - Haunted | - Synthpop | - Dispassionate |
| - Hollow | Rock | - Emotional |
| - Musicbox | - Classic Rock | - Ethereal |
| - Random | - Blues Rock | - Gregorian chant |
| World/Ethnic | - Emo | - Hindustani |
| - Arabian | - Glam Rock | - Lounge Singer |
| - Bangra | - Hardcore Punk | - Melismatic |
| - Calypso | - Indie | - Monotone |
| - Chalga | - Industrial Rock | - Narration |
| - Egyptian | - Punk | - Resonant |
| - Hindustani | - Rock | - Spoken Word |
| - Hōgaku | - Skate Rock | - Sprechgesang |
| - Jewish Music | - Skatecore | - Sultry |
| - Klezmer | - Suomipop | - Scream |
| - Matsuri | Urban | - Torchy |
| - Middle East | - Funk | - Vocaloid |
| - Polka | - Electro | |
| - Russian Navy Song | - HipHop | |
| - Suomipop | - RnB | |
| - Tribal | - Phonk | |
| - Rap | ||
| - Trap |