By 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