20 Synthwave Subgenres: Suno AI Prompt Examples

Synthwave covers a lot of ground, from glossy retro-futurism to darker club-ready cuts.
If you’re building tracks with Suno AI, these subgenres give you a fast way to lock in mood, tempo, and sound design.

Each of them have a prompt example for Suno AI ready for you to copy and paste.

1. Outrun

Fast, glossy, and built for motion. Think freeway speed, chrome textures, and big analog leads.

Create an outrun synthwave track with driving drums, pulsing bass, bright analog leads, and a cinematic highway-at-night feel.

2. Darksynth

Heavier, meaner, and more aggressive. This style leans into distortion, tension, and industrial edge.

Write a darksynth track with heavy arpeggios, distorted bass, gritty drums, and a tense cyberpunk atmosphere.

3. Dreamwave

Soft focus and nostalgic. It feels warm, hazy, and a little wistful.

Generate a dreamwave song with lush pads, gentle drum machines, airy melodies, and a nostalgic late-night mood.

4. Retrowave

The broad, polished side of synthwave. Clean hooks, retro colors, and an easy-to-love melodic feel.

Create a retrowave track with catchy synth hooks, punchy drums, vintage keys, and a sleek 1980s-inspired vibe.

5. Vaporwave

Slower, warped, and uncanny. Often feels like old ads, mall music, and half-remembered summer afternoons.

Make a vaporwave track with slowed-down samples, washed-out pads, tape wobble, and a surreal mall-night mood.

6. Cyberpunk

Neon pressure, futuristic grit, and high-tech tension. It often sounds urban, sharp, and restless.

Write a cyberpunk synth track with sharp arps, hard drums, metallic textures, and a crowded futuristic city feel.

7. Chillwave

Laid-back and sun-faded. Less drive, more texture and atmosphere.

Create a chillwave song with soft synths, loose beats, warm bass, and a faded summer-evening atmosphere.

8. Spacesynth

Wide, glossy, and cosmic. This subgenre aims for starfields, lasers, and floating movement.

Generate a spacesynth track with soaring leads, sequenced bass, shimmering pads, and an outer-space sense of scale.

9. Italo Disco

Danceable, melodic, and very hook-forward. It sits close to retro pop but keeps the synth sheen.

Create an Italo disco-inspired track with upbeat drums, bright basslines, catchy synth riffs, and a dancefloor-ready groove.

10. Synthpop

Song-first synth music with clear hooks and strong vocals. Clean, direct, and accessible.

Write a synthpop track with memorable chorus melodies, crisp drum machines, bright synth layers, and an emotional but polished feel.

11. Darkwave

Moody and shadowy, with cold synths and post-punk attitude. It feels bleak in a stylish way.

Create a darkwave song with cold synth textures, steady drums, brooding bass, and a stark nocturnal atmosphere.

12. Synthpunk

Raw, noisy, and fast. This is synth music with a punk nerve.

Make a synthpunk track with frantic energy, abrasive synths, tight drums, and a rebellious underground feel.

13. Ambient Synthwave

Less beat-driven and more atmospheric. It’s about space, drift, and slow movement.

Generate an ambient synthwave piece with evolving pads, soft pulses, subtle arps, and a floating midnight mood.

14. Horror Synth

Built for unease. Expect ominous drones, sharp hits, and a sense that something is wrong.

Create a horror synth track with unsettling drones, dark bass pulses, metallic stabs, and a suspenseful cinematic tone.

15. Future Funk

Funkier, brighter, and more sample-driven. It blends retro disco energy with modern bounce.

Write a future funk track with funky bass, chopped vocal samples, bright synths, and a playful dance groove.

16. Minimal Synth

Stripped down and focused. Fewer elements, stronger repetition, more tension.

Create a minimal synth track with sparse drums, simple analog patterns, dry bass, and a stark mechanical feel.

17. Noir Synth

Moody detective-movie energy. Smoky, slow-burning, and a little dangerous.

Generate a noir synth piece with jazzy undertones, moody pads, understated drums, and a rainy backstreet mood.

18. Mallsoft

A dreamy, decayed version of retail ambient music. Soft, foggy, and strangely nostalgic.

Create a mallsoft track with distant reverb, washed-out melodies, gentle hiss, and an abandoned shopping center feel.

19. Skweee

Quirky, stripped, and bass-focused. It’s playful but precise, with odd little melodic turns.

Write a skweee-inspired track with rubbery bass, tiny synth leads, off-kilter rhythms, and a minimal playful groove.

20. Neon Noir

Moody synthwave with a crime-drama edge. Sleek, shadowy, and emotionally cool.

Create a neon noir synthwave track with brooding chords, pulsing bass, smoky leads, and a late-night detective vibe.

I’ve posted some really good Suno AI prompt tips before that you might want to read.
The prompts are optimized for version 6 of the Suno AI and ready for you to copy and paste.