Trance AI music prompts
Trance is melodic, emotional dance music at 128 to 142 BPM (beats per minute), built around tension and release. A driving kick with a rolling offbeat bass (bass notes placed between the kicks) supports arpeggios, plucks and wide supersaw chords (many detuned saw waves stacked into one sound). A long breakdown without drums presents the melody, then a snare-roll build leads to a euphoric release.
A prompt should name the tempo, the bass, the lead sound, the breakdown, the build and a wide, bright mix.
At a glance
| Tempo | 128 to 142, with uplifting trance at 136 to 140 and psytrance at 140 to 148 BPM (Lyro default 138) |
|---|---|
| Keys | minor keys, often F# minor, A minor or D minor |
| Feel | four-on-the-floor kick with offbeat bass, rolling sixteenth-note patterns, open hi-hat on the offbeat |
| Length | club versions run 6 to 9 minutes and radio edits 3 to 4 minutes; for social clips use the release after the build |
| Instruments | driving kick, offbeat bass, supersaw lead, plucked arpeggio, gated pads, piano, strings, acid line, snare rolls, noise risers |
| Signature sounds | a supersaw chord progression, a plucked arpeggio, offbeat rolling bass under a driving kick, and a long breakdown that ends in a snare-roll build |
| Typical form | usually a DJ intro of drums and bass, a first section with arpeggios, a breakdown of 60 to 90 seconds where the main melody appears, a build with a snare roll, the climax, and an outro that mirrors the intro |
| On Lyro | Instrumental on Lyro High or Lyro Extra. Most trance carries its melody on synths, so an instrumental is the usual starting point. For an airy sung vocal in the breakdown, pick song mode, which goes to Lyro High by default. For a DJ version, set the BPM; it guides the model rather than locking it, so confirm the tempo with the free BPM and key finder at /tools/bpm-key-finder.
We have not run a listening test in this genre. The suggestion follows Lyro’s general routing rule, which comes from one small blind test in Turkish (one rater, seven briefs, 21 Sep 2026), where the model behind Lyro High, the default, had the highest scores. Lyro Extra was added after that test. How we test |
How it differs from its neighbours
- Progressive house: slower at 122 to 128 BPM and more restrained, with shorter breakdowns
- Melodic house: slower and darker, built on one evolving motif instead of a big lead
- Techno: a similar tempo with the harmony stripped out and the breakdowns cut short
Eight promptsCopy and paste
Mainstage sunrise
Uplifting trance, 138 BPM, driving kick and rolling offbeat bass, shimmering supersaw chord progression, plucked arpeggio, open hi-hat on the offbeat. Long emotional breakdown with pads and piano, euphoric build with a snare roll and noise riser, soaring lead release over the full groove. Hopeful, hands-in-the-air mood. Wide bright festival mix with long reverb tails. Instrumental only, no vocals.
Breakdown angel
Vocal trance, 136 BPM, punchy kick, rolling bass, crisp hats, plucked arpeggio and warm pads. Ethereal female vocal, soft breathy delivery in the breakdown over piano and strings, rising to a powerful held note before the build, then chopped vocal echoes over a supersaw lead in the release. Bittersweet, uplifting mood. Wide, polished, bright mix.
Forest floor stomp
Psytrance, 145 BPM, tight punchy kick with a fast rolling sixteenth-note bassline locked to it, crisp hats, triplet-gated squelchy synth effects, alien zaps and rising filter sweeps, short atmospheric breakdown with a spoken sample and a long riser. Hypnotic, psychedelic forest-festival mood with no big chords. Dry, precise, powerful mix with a clean, fast low end.
Ninety nine gate
Late-1990s classic trance, 140 BPM, round thumping kick, offbeat bass, rhythmically gated pad chords, simple unforgettable pluck riff, squelchy acid line in the background, big reversed cymbal into each section, breakdown with strings and a rising snare roll. Innocent, euphoric, glow-stick rave mood. Bright, slightly raw mix with wide pads. Instrumental only, no vocals.
Slow tide
Progressive trance, 130 BPM, solid kick, deep rolling bass groove, shuffled hats and soft percussion. Warm evolving pads, delayed pluck motif, subtle arpeggio that opens up over 32 bars, restrained breakdown with a piano figure, smooth build with no harsh supersaws. Deep, hypnotic, late-night driving mood. Warm, wide, smooth mix with a rounded top end. Instrumental only, no vocals.
Steel and strobe
Tech trance, 140 BPM, hard punchy kick, driving offbeat bass, sharp hats and ride, aggressive stab riff, acid line with rising resonance, short tense breakdown with a dark pad and a long snare roll, release that hits with rhythm more than melody. Dark, high-pressure, peak-hour mood. Loud, tight, punchy mix with crisp highs. Instrumental only, no vocals.
Strings over supersaws
Orchestral uplifting trance, 138 BPM, driving kick and rolling bass, fast plucked arpeggio, supersaw chords. Breakdown with full string orchestra, solo piano theme, wordless choir pads and timpani swell, long build with snare roll, climax with the theme on a soaring lead doubled by strings. Tearful, triumphant mood on a grand scale. Huge, wide, bright mix. No lead vocal, no lyrics.
Hands up hook
Trance hook for a short clip, 138 BPM, opens on the last four bars of the build with a snare roll and riser, then the release. Driving kick, rolling offbeat bass, bright supersaw lead playing a bold eight-bar melody, plucked arpeggio underneath, crash on the first beat. Euphoric, triumphant mood. Loud, wide, bright mix that stays clear on phone speakers. Instrumental only, no vocals.
How to prompt it
Arrangement
A trance track has a DJ intro of drums and bass, a first section with arpeggios, then a long breakdown, often 60 to 90 seconds, where the drums stop and the main melody appears on piano, pads or a vocal. A build with a snare roll and rising noise leads to the climax, where the lead plays over the full groove. An outro mirrors the intro.
Vocals
Trance vocals are usually female, airy and emotional, placed in the breakdown where the drums stop, then chopped or echoed over the climax. Spoken samples are common in psytrance and classic trance. Ask for an ethereal lead in the breakdown and vocal chops in the release. For none, write: instrumental only, no vocals.
Tips
- Write "rolling offbeat bass" so the low end has the characteristic gallop between the kicks.
- Name the lead sound, usually a supersaw lead or a plucked arpeggio, and describe the melody as emotional or euphoric.
- Ask for a long breakdown with piano or pads and a snare-roll build, because the form is the genre.
- Choose the sub-style, such as uplifting, progressive, vocal, tech or psytrance, since the tempo and sounds differ.
- Use mix words like wide, bright and spacious, with long reverb on the lead.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the breakdown and build gives you a flat loop with trance sounds but none of the emotional arc.
- Setting the tempo near 125 BPM produces progressive house, because the drive of trance needs the higher speed.
- Asking for swing or a broken beat conflicts with the straight, machine-like pulse.
Related genres: Progressive house, Melodic house, Techno, Synthwave
Questions
What BPM is trance?
Trance usually sits at 128 to 142, with uplifting trance at 136 to 140 and psytrance at 140 to 148 BPM, with four-on-the-floor kick with offbeat bass, rolling sixteenth-note patterns, open hi-hat on the offbeat. Lyro Music’s default for trance is 138 BPM, and you can type any tempo into your prompt.
What key is trance usually in?
Minor keys, often F# minor, A minor or D minor. The key sets the mood more than it sets the genre, so treat it as a starting point and change it if the song needs to feel brighter or darker.
Which instruments make a trance track sound right?
The sounds that identify it are a supersaw chord progression, a plucked arpeggio, offbeat rolling bass under a driving kick, and a long breakdown that ends in a snare-roll build. In a prompt, name three or four of these: driving kick, offbeat bass, supersaw lead, plucked arpeggio, gated pads, piano.
How do I write a trance prompt for Suno, Udio or Lyro Music?
Start with the genre and tempo, then the drums, bass, lead sound, voice and mix, in that order. For example: “Uplifting trance, 138 BPM, driving kick and rolling offbeat bass, shimmering supersaw chord progression, plucked arpeggio, open hi-hat on the offbeat. Long emotional breakdown with pads and piano, euphoric build with a snare roll and noise riser, soaring lead release over the full groove. Hopeful, hands-in-the-air mood. Wide bright festival mix with long reverb tails. Instrumental only, no vocals.” Write "rolling offbeat bass" so the low end has the characteristic gallop between the kicks.
What should I avoid in a trance prompt?
Skipping the breakdown and build gives you a flat loop with trance sounds but none of the emotional arc. Setting the tempo near 125 BPM produces progressive house, because the drive of trance needs the higher speed.
How is trance different from progressive house?
Progressive house is slower at 122 to 128 BPM and more restrained, with shorter breakdowns.
How long should a trance track be?
Club versions run 6 to 9 minutes and radio edits 3 to 4 minutes; for social clips use the release after the build. Lyro Music makes tracks from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
Which Lyro Music mode suits trance?
Instrumental, which runs on Lyro High or Lyro Extra. Most trance carries its melody on synths, so an instrumental is the usual starting point.