Suno can write lyrics for you, but most songwriters switch to custom lyrics the moment they want a song that actually says something. Custom mode lets you paste in your own words and control the sound separately. It also brings a new set of problems: mumbled lines, words squeezed into the wrong rhythm and choruses that don't repeat the way you wrote them.
This guide covers how custom lyrics work in Suno v6, how to format them so they sing well, and how to fix the most common issues without burning credits. If you want a style prompt that matches your lyrics, the free Suno prompt generator writes one under 800 characters, with an exclude list and suggested settings.
How Custom Lyrics Work in Suno v6
Go to suno.com/create and choose Custom. Custom mode adds a field for your own lyrics and a separate Style of Music box for the sound. You keep the rights to original lyrics you enter.
The two fields do different jobs. The lyrics field holds the words and the section tags. The style box holds genre, mood, instruments and vocal style. Mixing them up is the most common mistake: style words pasted into the lyrics field can get sung out loud.
Reported field limits, measured from the live counters, are 5,000 characters for lyrics and 1,000 for the style box. SONIQ keeps style prompts under about 800 characters on purpose, because Suno gives the most weight to the start of the style prompt. Put the most important details first.
Under Advanced Options you'll also find Exclude for anything you don't want, Vocal Gender, Weirdness, Style Influence and Variety. Put negatives in Exclude, never inside the style box. If you want Suno to keep your style prompt exactly as written, set Variety to 0.
How to Format Lyrics So They Sing Well
Tag every section. Put [Verse], [Pre-Chorus], [Chorus], [Bridge] and [Outro] on their own lines. Suno doesn't officially document these tags, but they are common community practice and usually help it follow your form. Our Suno meta tags cheat sheet lists more.
Count syllables, not words. Lines that are far longer than their neighbors get crammed in or cut off. Keep matching lines within a couple of syllables of each other, especially in the chorus.
Write for the ear. Spell unusual words the way they sound, avoid long strings of hard consonants and use open vowels on the notes you want held. A line that is awkward to say out loud will be awkward to sing.
Repeat the chorus exactly. Copy the same chorus every time it appears. Small changes can make Suno treat each one as a new section. If you want a change in the last chorus, make it one clear line, not scattered edits.
Keep notes out of the lyrics. Anything in the lyrics field might be sung. Stage directions, chord names and reminders to yourself belong somewhere else.
Fixes for Common Custom Lyrics Problems
A word or line is wrong. v6 supports natural-language lyric edits, so you can change one word or one line without rewriting the song. Try that before you regenerate.
One section is weak. On Pro and Premier, open the song, choose Edit, then Replace Section. Drag to highlight the section, edit its lyrics and choose Recreate Section. You get two versions to choose from. Unlike Crop, which only trims the start or end, Replace Section can change the middle of a song.
The song stops before your lyrics run out. Songs can be up to 8 minutes in one generation on all three v6 models, and Suno recommends Max Mode for songs longer than two minutes. If it still stops short, use Extend: Remix/Edit, then Extend, drag the white arrow to where the new part should start, add the remaining lyrics and create. Then use Get Whole Song to join everything into one file.
The vocal doesn't fit. Set Vocal Gender in Advanced Options, and describe the voice early in the style prompt. If you find a voice you love, make a Persona from that song so you can reuse its vocals and style.
The style keeps drifting. Lower Weirdness toward Safe, raise Style Influence and set Variety to 0. Move your key genre and instrument words to the start of the style prompt.
Write Better Lyrics Before You Paste Them
Most "Suno problems" are lyric problems. A chorus without a clear title, verses with no concrete images and lines of wildly different lengths will sound weak no matter which model you use. Fix the writing first.
Start with the title and build the chorus around it. Use specific details in the verses: a place, a time, an object. Give the bridge something new to say. Our guide on how to write a chorus that sticks and the 20 songwriting tips from the Hit Craft method go deeper on each of these.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can custom lyrics be in Suno?
The lyrics field has a reported limit of 5,000 characters, measured from the live counter. Suno can make songs up to 8 minutes in one generation on v6, and you can use Extend to go longer.
Do I own the lyrics I write in Suno?
Suno says you keep the rights to original lyrics you enter in Custom mode. Check Suno's current terms for the rights to the generated audio, which depend on your plan.
Why does Suno sing my style prompt as lyrics?
Because the style text ended up in the lyrics field. Keep the lyrics field for words and section tags only, put the sound in the Style of Music box and put anything unwanted in Exclude.
Want lyrics written for Suno from the start, with tags, a matching v6 style prompt and settings? Try SONIQ.