If you want to level up your Suno AI music creations, you’re in for a treat. By inserting sound effect prompts wrapped in asterisks (like *applause* or *thunder*), you can guide Suno to generate more cinematic, immersive, and emotionally compelling songs.

This technique works best when added to your lyric prompts or text instructions, and is supported by Suno v3 and later models. Below is a categorized list of 50+ realistic sound effect prompts you can start using right now.

More Reading: How to Add Sound Effects to Suno AI Songs Using Asterisks

Commonly Recognized Sound Effect Prompts

These are the most reliable and recognizable effects in Suno’s training data:

• *applause*

• *cheering*

• *laughter*

• *thunder*

• *rain*

• *wind blowing*

• *phone ringing*

• *door slams*

• *crowd chanting*

• *heartbeat*

Concert & Live Performance FX

These prompts simulate a live concert environment:

• *audience cheering*

• *microphone feedback*

• *guitar solo*

• *drum roll*

• *bass drop*

• *DJ scratch*

• *laser sounds*

• *fireworks*

• *chanting crowd*

• *encore!*

Environmental & Nature FX

These help create cinematic landscapes or storytelling scenes:

• *waves crashing*

• *birds chirping*

• *wolves howling*

• *leaves rustling*

• *crickets*

• *forest ambiance*

• *volcano rumbling*

• *space ambience*

• *desert wind*

• *city traffic*

Emotional or Thematic Cues

These are good for symbolism or emotional transitions:

• *crying*

• *laughing*

• *sigh*

• *explosion*

• *glass breaking*

• *clock ticking*

• *alarm ringing*

• *gunshot*

• *footsteps approaching*

• *heartbeat racing*

Fantasy & Sci-Fi FX

These are more thematic and work well for stylized prompts:

• *portal opens*

• *alien transmission*

• *robot voice*

• *sword clash*

• *dragon roar*

• *magic spell*

• *cyberpunk glitch*

• *laser blast*

• *spaceship launch*

• *haunted whispering*

How to Use These in Your Prompt

Example Prompt with FX:

text

She walked through the storm *thunder*  
Tears in her eyes, the memories swarm  
*wind blowing*  
A heartbeat echoes in the night *heartbeat*

Or:

text

Thanks for being here tonight! *applause*  
This next song goes out to the dreamers  
*cheering*

Tips for Better Sound Effect Results in Suno

• Use 1–2 FX per verse or chorus

• Keep each FX prompt short and literal

• Use FX to transition between song parts

• Don’t flood the prompt—less is more

• Works best in vocal tracks and structured song prompts

• Combine FX with emotional language to enhance expressiveness

FAQ: Suno Sound Effect Prompts

Q1: Can Suno generate real sound effects?
Suno simulates sound effects through music and audio textures—you won’t hear real samples but approximations through vocals or instruments.

Q2: Can I use custom effects like train whistle?
Yes. While obscure prompts may not always produce noticeable changes, Suno is surprisingly good at interpreting metaphorical cues.

Q3: Do asterisks matter?
Yes. Surrounding the sound cue in asterisks (*like this*) helps Suno recognize it as a non-lyrical, audio directive.

Q4: Can I use these in non-English prompts?
Yes, but use English for the asterisk FX to ensure better model recognition.

Conclusion

By adding sound effect prompts with asterisks, you give Suno’s AI deeper creative direction. Whether you’re crafting a cinematic ballad, a sci-fi rap, or a live concert simulation, these simple cues can completely transform the output.

Try combining two or three per song—especially during transitions or bridges—and you’ll be amazed at how realistic and emotionally rich the AI music becomes.

Learn more about AI MUSIC