# Music Album Creation - References

A curated collection of resources for AI music generation, lyric writing, music production, and visual art direction for album artwork.

## AI Music Generation Platforms

### Suno
- **Platform**: [suno.ai](https://suno.ai)
- **Purpose**: Text-to-music generation with lyrics
- **Prompt Tips**:
  - Use genre tags in brackets: `[indie rock]`, `[synth-pop]`
  - Specify vocal style: `female vocalist`, `raspy male vocals`
  - Include era references: `90s alternative`, `80s synth`
  - Describe production: `lo-fi`, `polished`, `bedroom pop`

### Udio
- **Platform**: [udio.com](https://udio.com)
- **Purpose**: High-quality AI music generation
- **Prompt Tips**:
  - Detailed genre descriptions work well
  - Reference specific artists for style guidance
  - Specify instrumentation clearly
  - Use emotional descriptors

### Prompt Engineering for Music AI
- Keep prompts focused but descriptive
- Layer genre + era + mood + instrumentation
- Use reference artists sparingly but effectively
- Iterate and refine based on outputs

## Lyric Writing Resources

### Song Structure References
- **Verse-Chorus-Verse**: Standard pop/rock structure
- **AABA**: Classic 32-bar form (jazz standards)
- **Through-composed**: No repeated sections (progressive)
- **Strophic**: Same music, different lyrics per verse

### Production Annotation Guide
Common brackets for AI music generation:
- `[Intro]`, `[Verse]`, `[Pre-Chorus]`, `[Chorus]`, `[Bridge]`, `[Outro]`
- `[spoken word]` - Spoken delivery
- `[whispered]` - Soft, intimate delivery
- `[belt]` - Powerful, full-voice singing
- `[falsetto]` - High head voice
- `[ad-lib]` - Improvised vocals
- `[building]` - Increasing intensity
- `[fade]` - Fading out
- `[harmony]` - Multiple vocal parts

### Rhyme Schemes
- **ABAB**: Alternating rhyme
- **AABB**: Couplet rhyme
- **ABCB**: Common in ballads
- **AXXA**: Envelope rhyme
- **Free verse**: No consistent pattern

## Music Production Knowledge

### Genre Classification Systems
- **AllMusic Genre Tree**: Comprehensive genre taxonomy
- **Discogs Styles**: User-generated genre tags
- **Rate Your Music Genres**: Detailed subgenre system

### BPM Ranges by Genre
| Genre | Typical BPM |
|-------|-------------|
| Ballad | 60-80 |
| R&B | 60-90 |
| Hip-Hop | 80-115 |
| Pop | 100-130 |
| Rock | 110-140 |
| House | 120-130 |
| Drum & Bass | 160-180 |
| Dubstep | 140 (half-time feel) |

### Vocal Range Reference
- **Bass**: E2-E4
- **Baritone**: A2-A4
- **Tenor**: C3-C5
- **Alto**: F3-F5
- **Mezzo-Soprano**: A3-A5
- **Soprano**: C4-C6

## Text-to-Image Platforms

### Midjourney
- **Platform**: Discord-based
- **Strengths**: Artistic, painterly styles
- **Key Parameters**:
  - `--ar 1:1` for album covers
  - `--v 6` for latest version
  - `--style raw` for photorealistic
  - `--stylize` controls artistic interpretation

### DALL-E 3
- **Platform**: ChatGPT integration, API
- **Strengths**: Following complex prompts, text in images
- **Tips**: Natural language descriptions work well

### Stable Diffusion
- **Platform**: Open source, various UIs
- **Strengths**: Highly customizable, many fine-tuned models
- **Key**: Model selection matters greatly

### Prompt Structure for Album Art
```
[Subject/Scene], [Art Style], [Art Movement/Influence],
[Lighting], [Color Palette], [Composition], [Atmosphere],
[Technical Modifiers]
```

## Visual Art Direction

### Color Theory for Music
| Mood | Colors |
|------|--------|
| Energetic | Red, Orange, Yellow |
| Melancholic | Blue, Purple, Grey |
| Natural/Organic | Green, Brown, Earth tones |
| Electronic/Futuristic | Neon, Cyan, Magenta |
| Vintage | Sepia, Muted pastels |
| Dark/Intense | Black, Deep red, Charcoal |

### Art Movements for Reference
- **Surrealism**: Dreamlike, unexpected juxtapositions
- **Minimalism**: Simple, geometric, clean
- **Art Nouveau**: Organic forms, flowing lines
- **Cyberpunk**: Neon, tech, urban decay
- **Vaporwave**: 80s/90s nostalgia, glitch, pink/blue
- **Gothic**: Dark, ornate, dramatic
- **Psychedelic**: Vivid colors, patterns, distortion

### Album Cover Composition Patterns
- **Centered portrait**: Classic artist-focused
- **Environmental**: Artist in setting
- **Abstract**: Non-representational art
- **Typography-heavy**: Text as design element
- **Minimal**: Single object or symbol
- **Collage**: Multiple elements combined

## Artist Persona Development

### Persona Frameworks
- **Jungian Archetypes**: Hero, Rebel, Lover, Creator, etc.
- **Myers-Briggs**: Personality type indicators
- **Enneagram**: Nine personality types
- **Big Five**: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism

### Backstory Elements
- Origin and upbringing
- Musical discovery moment
- Struggles and breakthroughs
- Influential relationships
- Pivotal career moments
- Current artistic position
- Future trajectory

## Album Conceptualization

### Album Arc Patterns
- **Journey**: Beginning → Trials → Resolution
- **Concept**: Unified narrative or theme
- **Emotional spectrum**: Various moods, unified aesthetic
- **Day in the life**: Temporal progression
- **Relationship arc**: From meeting to parting
- **Self-discovery**: External to internal focus

### Track Sequencing Strategies
- **Strong opener**: Hook listener immediately
- **Singles placement**: Usually tracks 2-4
- **Mid-album breather**: Slower track at midpoint
- **Pre-closer buildup**: Energy increase before finale
- **Memorable closer**: Leave lasting impression
- **Hidden track**: Post-silence bonus

## Industry Resources

### Music Theory
- **Hooktheory**: Chord progression analysis
- **MusicMap**: Genre relationships visualization
- **Every Noise at Once**: Genre exploration tool

### Inspiration Sources
- **Pitchfork**: Reviews and discovery
- **Bandcamp**: Independent music platform
- **Genius**: Lyrics and annotations
- **Discogs**: Release database

### Branding and Visual
- **Creative Review**: Design inspiration
- **It's Nice That**: Creative industry news
- **Fonts In Use**: Typography examples
- **Pinterest**: Visual mood boards

## Example Prompt Templates

### Suno/Udio Style Prompt Template
```
[Primary Genre], [Secondary Genre], [Era Reference],
[Tempo Descriptor], [Vocal Style], [Production Quality],
[Mood], [Key Instruments], [Reference: "Song" by Artist for X]
```

### Midjourney Album Cover Template
```
[Scene/Subject], [Art Style] art, [Art Movement] inspired,
[Lighting Type] lighting, [Color 1] and [Color 2] color palette,
[Composition Type], [Atmosphere] atmosphere, album cover,
square format, 4k, detailed --ar 1:1 --v 6
```

### Artist Persona Summary Template
```
[Name] is a [Genre] artist from [Origin], known for
[Signature Style]. Their sound blends [Influence 1] with
[Influence 2], featuring [Key Sonic Element]. Lyrically,
they explore [Themes]. Visually, they embody [Aesthetic].
```

---

**Last Updated**: 2026-01-26
**Version**: 1.0.0
