ai-music-generation

name	ai-music-generation
description	Guide for generating AI music with ElevenLabs. Genres, moods, duration, prompt techniques.
allowed-tools	[]
disable-model-invocation	false

AI Music Generation Guide

Use /pocket-knife:elevenlabs-music to generate original music from text descriptions.

How the Skill Works

The skill sends a text prompt to ElevenLabs and returns an MP3 file. Duration range is 3–600 seconds. The model interprets musical intent from natural language — genre, tempo, mood, instrumentation, and energy all affect the result.

Prompt Formula

[Genre] + [Instrumentation] + [Tempo] + [Mood/Energy] + [Optional: context or era]

Examples:

Goal	Prompt
Background for a product video	"ambient electronic, soft synth pads, slow tempo, calm and professional"
Podcast intro	"upbeat jazz piano trio, medium tempo, friendly and warm, short intro feel"
Action scene	"orchestral cinematic, full brass and strings, fast tempo, intense and dramatic"
Lofi study music	"lofi hip hop, mellow piano, dusty drums, slow BPM, relaxed and nostalgic"
Retail/background	"acoustic pop, light guitar strumming, cheerful, moderate tempo, no lyrics"

Genre Reference

Genre	Key descriptors to include
Classical	orchestral, strings, piano, chamber, symphonic
Electronic	synth, EDM, house, techno, ambient, bass
Jazz	piano trio, upright bass, brushed drums, swing, bebop
Cinematic	orchestral, emotional, score, epic, tension, swell
Folk/Acoustic	acoustic guitar, fingerpicking, warm, storytelling
Hip Hop	drums, bass, lofi, sample-based, beat

Mood and Energy Words

Low energy: calm, peaceful, ambient, meditative, soft, quiet, relaxed

Medium energy: friendly, warm, uplifting, moderate, balanced, professional

High energy: intense, epic, dramatic, powerful, driving, fast-paced, urgent

Duration Guidelines

Use case	Recommended duration
Social media clip	15–30 seconds
Podcast intro/outro	10–20 seconds
Short video background	30–60 seconds
Full background track	60–180 seconds
Extended ambient loop	180–600 seconds

Set duration with the DURATION parameter (in seconds). The API accepts 3–600 seconds.

Common Patterns

Marketing video background: Prompt: "corporate pop, light electric guitar, upbeat, moderate tempo, optimistic, no lyrics" Duration: 60 seconds

Podcast intro: Prompt: "jazzy piano, short intro stab, energetic, 5 seconds, punchy" Duration: 10 seconds

Horror/suspense: Prompt: "dark ambient, dissonant strings, slow build, tense, eerie atmosphere" Duration: 30 seconds

Children's content: Prompt: "playful ukulele, xylophone, happy and fun, bouncy tempo, kids music" Duration: 30 seconds

Tips for Better Results

• Be specific about instrumentation rather than just genre: "piano, upright bass, brushed snare" beats just "jazz"
• Include energy descriptors alongside tempo: "fast tempo, high energy" is clearer than "fast"
• Avoid lyric expectations — the model generates instrumental music
• If the output feels generic, add era references: "70s funk", "80s synth pop", "90s grunge"
• For looping tracks, add "seamless loop" or "circular ending" to the prompt

Workflow with Other Skills

After generating music, combine with:

• /pocket-knife:elevenlabs-tts — add narration over the music track in your editing software
• /pocket-knife:elevenlabs-dialogue — produce a podcast script with music as background
• AI video skills — pair generated music with AI-generated video clips