Control vocal gender, solo singers, duets, and choirs

Use Advanced Mode and separate three decisions: Vocal Gender is a song-wide preference, Style describes the vocal cast and relationship, and bracketed directions in Lyrics assign roles to sections. For a stable solo singer or a mixed duet, start with Vocal Gender → Auto and state the intended voices in Style. This avoids adding a global male-only or female-only preference that can conflict with a duet or with a more precise vocal brief.

These controls guide a generative performance; they do not create locked singer tracks. A result can still change timbre, add harmony, or swap roles. Design a clear first attempt, compare several results, and revise one instruction at a time.

Know the four vocal terms

The terms describe different outcomes:

• Chorus is a song section, such as the repeated hook.
• Choir or choral vocal is the sound of a vocal group.
• Duet means two featured singers.
• Harmony or backing vocal supports a lead, while unison means voices sing the same words and melody together.

Writing “big chorus” may encourage a wider arrangement or layered voices even when you meant only “the repeated section.” If the lead must remain alone, say so.

Keep one singer throughout the song

Open Advanced Options, set Vocal Gender to Auto, and put a compact identity statement in Style:

solo singer, single lead vocal, one consistent vocalist throughout,
intimate close-miked delivery, no vocal handoff

If the vocal character matters, describe it without creating a second role:

solo female lead vocal, warm low alto, restrained delivery,
one consistent vocalist throughout

or:

solo male lead vocal, clear baritone, conversational phrasing,
one consistent vocalist throughout

In Exclude styles, list only audible elements that must be absent:

choir, duet, call-and-response vocals, backing-vocal ensemble

Do not combine “solo singer” with “stacked choir,” “guest vocalist,” or “male and female vocals.” Also remember that lead vocal identifies the foreground voice but does not automatically forbid backing harmony.

If the voice changes only in the last chorus, repeat the local rule beside that section:

[Final Chorus — same solo lead, no choir, no vocal handoff]
We carry one light through the rain
We call the quiet by its name

Prefer Auto as a troubleshooting baseline when selecting Male Voice or Female Voice produces an unexpected handoff later. Auto removes the product’s global gender preference; it does not itself guarantee one singer. The Style and lyric directions still do the arrangement work.

Arrange a male and female duet

For a duet, leave Vocal Gender on Auto. A single global Male Voice or Female Voice choice cannot describe two section-level roles.

First define the cast and the relationship in Style:

male and female duet; restrained baritone male lead and clear alto female lead;
alternate by section; final chorus together in unison, then close harmony;
no third vocalist

Then assign complete sections in Lyrics:

[Verse 1 — Male lead vocal, solo]
I kept the station clock alive
Counting every train at five

[Verse 2 — Female lead vocal, solo]
I crossed the river after rain
Following your window flame

[Pre-Chorus — Male and female call and response]
[Male lead]
Did you hear the city turn?
[Female lead]
I heard every lantern burn

[Chorus — Male and female duet in unison]
[Together]
Meet me where the two roads shine
Your horizon crossing mine

[Final Chorus — duet, unison first line, close harmony after]
[Together]
Meet me where the two roads shine
Two clear voices, one design

Whole-section assignments are a better starting point than alternating every line. Once Verse 1 and Verse 2 follow their roles, test call and response in a short pre-chorus. Add simultaneous singing last.

Choose the relationship between two voices

Name the musical relationship, not merely “both”:

Intended result	Section direction
Same words and melody	[Chorus — male and female duet in unison]
Same words, different notes	[Chorus — male and female duet in close harmony]
Alternating statements	[Bridge — male and female call and response]
One foreground voice	[Chorus — female lead, male backing harmony]
Group sound rather than two leads	[Final Chorus — mixed choir, broad sustained harmony]

For call and response, keep each reply on its own line and use the same role names throughout. For lead and backing vocals, write the hierarchy explicitly; “male and female vocals” alone does not say which voice should carry the lyric.

Make role changes easier to follow

Use a few strong signals rather than many weak ones:

1. Assign whole sections before attempting line-by-line switching.
2. Repeat the role in every relevant section heading.
3. Give the voices contrasting registers and delivery, such as restrained baritone versus clear alto.
4. Give each role a different lyric shape: short rhythmic answers for one, longer open-vowel lines for the other.
5. Place a short instrumental transition before a major handoff when the arrangement allows it.
6. Keep Style focused. Do not ask it to solve several genres, three singers, tempo changes, and dense dialogue at once.

Role labels such as “Singer A,” “male lead,” and a character name should not all refer to the same person in one draft. Choose one naming system and keep it stable.

Diagnose unwanted voice changes

Problem	Likely conflict	Next controlled change
Solo lead becomes a choir in the final chorus	“Big,” “anthemic,” or stacked-harmony language widened the vocal arrangement	Use Auto, repeat “same solo lead,” and exclude choir or backing ensemble
Vocal gender changes late	Global gender preference and Style identity compete, or a section implies a new singer	Return to Auto and state “one consistent vocalist throughout”
Duet singers swap lines	Too many line-level switches or inconsistent labels	Assign complete sections and repeat one set of role names
Both voices never sing together	“Duet” does not define simultaneous behavior	Specify in unison, close harmony, or lead plus backing
Two roles sound like one singer	Their range, delivery, and lyric rhythm are too similar	Contrast register, tone, phrasing, and line length
An unwanted third voice appears	The prompt implies choir, crowd, or ensemble layers	Remove those cues and add “no third vocalist” plus a concrete exclusion

Do not respond to every failure by lengthening the prompt. Save the baseline, identify the single failed relationship, and change only that relationship. Evaluate whether the roles, handoff, and shared chorus improved before adjusting Style Influence or Weirdness.

Know what this workflow cannot promise

Bracketed vocal labels are performance directions, not deterministic routing. Exact line ownership, a perfectly unchanged timbre, and separate downloadable stems for each singer are not guaranteed. The product’s stem workflow can separate broad musical parts, but it must not be treated as automatic singer-by-singer isolation.

If you need a verified recording of your own voice, that is a different task; use the verified voice workflow. For the underlying production brief, see how to write a precise Style prompt, and use the song-structure guide before designing a complex duet.