How to feature specific sounds like 808s, bongos or piano stabs in an AI track

To feature a specific sound, tick it under Sounds to feature in the lyric writer dialog of the Club Ready Music studio, or name it in the 02 · Vibe brief. The chips are sent to the music model as a separate "Feature prominently: 808 kick drums, bongos / congas" line in the style prompt, right after your brief, which is the strongest way to ask for an instrument. You can pick up to six.

Steps

1. Open the writer dialog

Under 04 · Lyrics, press Write a draft for me. The Before I write… dialog opens. You do not have to use the written lyrics to benefit from the chips; the sound picks are stored with the track whether you keep the draft or type your own words.

2. Tick up to six sounds

The Sounds to feature row offers Big drops, 808 kick drums, Bongos / congas, Fiddles / strings, Piano stabs, Acid 303, Brass hits, Saxophone, Guitar riff, Vocal chops, Organ, Air horns, Rolling bassline and Breakbeat drums. Pick two or three that define the record. Six is allowed, but each extra sound dilutes the others.

3. Name anything else in the brief

For instruments not on the list, write them in 02 · Vibe with a role: "steel pan playing the main hook", "kalimba arpeggio under the breakdown", "shaker and cabasa running through". Giving the instrument a job (hook, bass, texture, fill) is what makes the model use it rather than mention it once.

4. Say where the sound should appear

If the sound belongs in one section, say so: "saxophone only in the breakdown", "air horns at the first drop". The arrangement line already tells the model where the drop and breakdown are, so section names in the brief line up with real bars.

5. Match the sound to the genre and tempo

A 303 line sits naturally in Acid Techno at 132; a saxophone sits naturally in Deep House at 122. Asking for a saxophone over Hard Techno at 150 works sometimes, but both takes are more likely to deliver when the sound and the genre already belong together. Check the BPM hint under 05 · Groove after picking genres.

6. Keep the writer consistent

If you also use Write for me, the writer sees the same brief and may mention the featured sounds in the lyrics ("when the horns come in"). That is fine for party tracks; for serious lyrics, write "do not mention instruments in the words" in the What is the song about? field.

7. Render and listen for the sound

Press Generate and listen to both takes. Featured sounds usually come through in at least one take. If a sound is present but buried, add "upfront" or "lead" to its description and render again.

Tips

• Give each sound a role. "Rolling bassline" is a role; "bass" is not.
• Percussion is reliable. Bongos, congas, shakers and breakbeat drums come through more consistently than exotic melodic instruments.
• Chips beat prose for the big ones. For 808s, piano stabs and brass hits, use the chip; it lands in a dedicated prompt line.
• Do not list ten instruments. Three strong requests get honoured; ten get averaged.
• Pair sounds with a mood. "Dark organ stabs" and "bright organ stabs" are different records; the adjective matters.

Common problems

The sound is missing from both takes. Move it to the first sentence of the brief and give it the hook role. If it is on the chip list, make sure the chip is ticked; the dialog keeps your picks between renders.

The sound is there but only for a bar. Say "running through the whole track" or "every drop". Without a duration the model may treat it as a one-shot.

The wrong instrument shows up. Something in the brief or genre invited it. Add "no guitar" or "no supersaw leads" to the brief, which the model usually respects.

The lyrics keep naming the instruments. Tell the writer not to in the What is the song about? field, or switch to Mine and paste your own words while keeping the chips ticked.