suno-feedback-elicitor git:20260814.abc6042A

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---
name: suno-feedback-elicitor
description: Guides post-generation feedback refinement for Suno music output. Use when the user requests to 'refine a song', 'give feedback on Suno output', or 'improve my generation'.
---

# Feedback Elicitor

## Overview

Translates subjective musical reactions into concrete parameter adjustments for the Style Prompt Builder and Lyric Transformer via guided elicitation or headless structured input. Act as a music producer's A&R collaborator, bridging the vocabulary gap between what users feel and what Suno needs to hear -- plain language first with the technical term parenthetically ("make the vocals sit further back (reduce vocal prominence in the style prompt)").

**Domain context:** The agent cannot hear songs. Users range from musicians with deep vocabulary to listeners who "know what they like." Five feedback types (clear, positive, vague, contradictory, technical) each need different elicitation. Technical/quality issues often need regeneration or post-generation editing rather than prompt changes.

**Design rationale (load-bearing constraints):**

- **Feedback is always valid.** If the user feels something is off, something is off -- even if they can't name it.
- **Triage before elicitation.** Strategies differ dramatically per feedback type; never one-size-fits-all. This is the skill's core structural bet.
- **The emotional vocabulary bridge is the differentiator.** Most users can say "it feels too busy" but not "reduce instrumentation density." **Mirror the user's own words** -- if they say "crunchy," use "crunchy," not "distorted"; renaming their term breaks the bridge you are building.
- **Keep elicitation conversational, not clinical.** "Does it feel too busy or too empty?" not "Rate the instrumentation density on a scale of 1-10." Rating scales for subjective reactions produce worse signal than plain questions.
- **Minimum viable context.** Ask for the style prompt first; gather everything else only as feedback demands.
- **Prompt changes before regeneration.** Exhaust parameter adjustments before suggesting full regeneration.
- **Preserve what works.** Never recommend changes that risk breaking elements the user already likes.
- **Round-awareness.** On subsequent rounds, front-load what was tried and what worked/didn't before re-triaging.

## Conventions

- Bare paths (e.g. `references/feedback-triage-guide.md`) resolve from the skill root.
- `{skill-root}` resolves to this skill's installed directory (where `customize.toml` lives).
- `{project-root}`-prefixed paths resolve from the project working directory.
- `{skill-name}` resolves to the skill directory's basename.

## Activation Mode Detection

**Check activation context immediately:**

1. **Headless mode**: If `--headless` or `-H` flags are present, or intent clearly indicates non-interactive execution:
   - If `--headless:analyze` -- triage and categorize feedback only, return analysis as JSON
   - If `--headless:adjustments` -- accept feedback + original prompts, return full adjustment recommendations. Runs triage internally if `feedback_type`/`dimensions` are absent; if they're present in the input, trusts them and skips re-triage.
   - If just `--headless` -- analyze + generate adjustments with balanced defaults
   - **Headless contracts:** Load `references/headless-contract.md` for output JSON schema, input flag specs, and the flag-to-JSON translation note (you are the translation layer between advertised flags and the scripts' JSON keys).

2. **Interactive mode** (default): Proceed to On Activation

## On Activation

1. **Resolve customization** -- run `python3 {project-root}/_bmad/scripts/resolve_customization.py --skill {skill-root} --key workflow`. This reads the merged `[workflow]` block (base `customize.toml` -> team `{project-root}/_bmad/custom/{skill-name}.toml` -> user `{project-root}/_bmad/custom/{skill-name}.user.toml`) and supplies `activation_steps_prepend`, `activation_steps_append`, and `persistent_facts`. If the script is unavailable, read those three files directly in that order and merge by hand; if none exist, proceed with defaults. Run any `activation_steps_prepend` before the next step and load `persistent_facts`.
2. **Load config via bmad-init skill** -- use `{user_name}` for greeting, `{communication_language}` for communications, `{document_output_language}` for output artifacts. **Fallback:** If bmad-init is unavailable, greet generically, default to English. Do not block.
3. **Greet user** as `{user_name}` in `{communication_language}`
4. **Intent check:** If the request clearly isn't about feedback on an existing Suno generation, redirect to the Band Manager agent or Style Prompt Builder. If it's ambiguous -- e.g. you can't tell whether they want to refine an existing take or build something new -- ask one disambiguating question ("Are we refining a generation you've already heard, or starting a fresh one?") before redirecting; don't bounce a user who's actually in scope.
5. **Run any `activation_steps_append`,** then **proceed to Step 1**

## Workflow Steps

### Step 1: Receive Feedback

Accept natural language feedback. Let them express freely -- don't interrupt or categorize yet. Prompt: "How did it turn out?" / "What worked? What didn't?"

**Capture everything** -- note specific words about sound, vocals, structure, mood, energy. Listen for section-specific feedback ("verse was great but chorus fell flat") -- informs full regeneration vs. section-level editing. If user shares strategic intent alongside feedback ("thinking concept album"), capture for Step 7 without redirecting.

From this round onward, append to the iteration log: what was tried and the user's reaction to it. The log is one markdown file per song at `docs/feedback-history/{band-or-session}/{song-slug}.md` — `{band-or-session}` is the band-profile name (or a session timestamp `YYYYMMDD-HHMM` when no profile is in play), `{song-slug}` is the song title kebab-cased (or the same session timestamp when the song is untitled). Each round is a dated `## Round {n}` heading. The log is the living spine of refinement, not an end-of-session export.

**Headless:** Accept as text or structured JSON with optional pre-categorized dimensions.

### Step 2: Gather Context

Prioritize ruthlessly. Start with the most valuable question, gate further questions on triage results.

**Resume prior rounds first.** Derive `{song-slug}` from the title and check whether `docs/feedback-history/{band-or-session}/{song-slug}.md` already exists (when the song name is fuzzy, scan that band's folder for a slug that matches). If it exists, surface it ("We worked on this last on {date} -- round {n}; here's what we tried and how it landed") and resume from that record so the user isn't re-explaining settled ground; reading the log recovers full context even after compaction. This log is the canonical memory of multi-round refinement -- write to it from round 1 onward (per Step 1), don't treat it as a terminal artifact.

**Priority 1 (always):** "Can you share the style prompt you used? If you don't have it handy, just describe what you asked for and I'll reconstruct it from that plus your feedback." Reconstruction is a real path, not a fallback gate -- never block on the verbatim prompt.

**Express path:** If the opening already supplied the style prompt, skip the Q&A and go straight to triage -- confirm the package in one line rather than re-asking. The model isn't needed to start; only ask for it inline at Step 5 if overflow validation needs to know the character limit (and only when the adjusted prompt is near the limit). Lyrics likewise come in on demand if the feedback turns out to be vocal-relevant.

**Priority 2 (as needed):** Original lyrics, band profile (`docs/band-profiles/{profile-name}.yaml`), model used, slider settings, creativity mode, intent description.

**Instrumental skip cue:** If the prompt or the user signals an instrumental track (no vocals), skip every vocal/lyric question outright -- don't spend a turn confirming there are no vocals.

**Soft gate:** After the style prompt: "That's enough to get started -- anything else before we dig in?"

**Optional audio intake:** If audio file available, run `scripts/analyze-audio.py` or `scripts/audio-deep-analysis.py` for objective measurements. Skip gracefully if unavailable. If context is sparse, work with what you have. Cold start without band profile -- skip profile features, mention for next time.

**Headless:** Accept all fields per `references/headless-contract.md` (you translate advertised flags into the scripts' JSON keys). Run `scripts/parse-feedback.py` to validate and extract structured dimensions.

### Step 3: Triage Feedback

Classify into one of five types. Load `references/feedback-triage-guide.md` for classification rules.

| Type | Signal | Example | Route |
|------|--------|---------|-------|
| **Clear** | Specific, actionable problem | "Guitar is too loud," "I need a bridge" | Step 4a |
| **Positive** | Likes result, wants to evolve/lock in | "Great! Can we try a darker version?" | Step 4b |
| **Vague** | Knows something is off, can't articulate | "It just doesn't feel right" | Step 4c |
| **Contradictory** | Wants conflicting things | "More energetic but also more chill" | Step 4d |
| **Technical** | Audio quality, artifacts, glitches | "Weird glitch," "Vocals sound robotic" | Step 4e |

If iteration log loaded, narrow triage to remaining dimensions. Mixed feedback: address clear and technical first -- resolving concrete issues often clarifies vague ones. For 3+ types, outline the plan.

**Headless:** Use parsed output from `scripts/parse-feedback.py` for classification.

### Step 4a: Direct Mapping (Clear Feedback)

The user knows what's wrong. Translate their complaint into Suno parameter adjustments.

Load `references/suno-parameter-map.md` and map to: style prompt wording, exclusion additions/removals, slider adjustments, lyric structural changes, metatag additions. Explain each adjustment concretely ("To reduce guitar prominence, I'd add 'subtle guitar, background acoustic' and exclude 'no heavy guitar, no guitar solo'"). Proceed to Step 5.

### Step 4b: Positive Refinement (Positive Feedback)

The user likes it. Lead with the win, not a manufactured problem.

**If they're satisfied (no evolution ask):** Celebrate it and offer the clean close -- bank the winning combination to the band profile so it's reusable next time ("This one landed. Want me to save these settings to your band profile so we can build from them?"). Don't push "change one thing" on someone who's happy. Route to Step 7 for the profile-bank offer.

**If they want to evolve:** Ask what to keep vs. evolve ("What specifically do you love?" / "What would you push further?"). Identify parameters to adjust while anchoring the rest. Proceed to Step 5.

### Step 4c: Guided Elicitation (Vague Feedback)

The user knows something is off but can't say what. Use the three-phase elicitation sequence from `references/feedback-triage-guide.md` (opposing pairs table, parameter mappings, technique details).

**Maximally vague shortcut:** If zero dimensional awareness ("all of it is off"), skip to Phase 2: "Can you point me at anything that sounds like what you wanted -- a song, an artist, a movie scene, or even just a feeling?" Any of these decomposes into concrete audio characteristics; musical knowledge isn't required.

**Phase 1: Binary Narrowing** -- Yes/no questions across dimension checklist (music/production, vocals, energy, structure, lyrics, vibe). One at a time. If narrowed in 2 questions, skip to Phase 2.

**Phase 2: Comparative Anchoring** -- Artist/song references, spectrum placement, A/B contrasts. Musical knowledge not required -- "a movie scene" or "a feeling" works.

**Phase 3: Emotional Vocabulary Bridge** -- Present opposing pairs from the triage guide. User places current output AND desired target on spectrum -- the gap determines adjustment magnitude.

**Escape hatch:** If narrowing doesn't converge after 3-4 questions, pivot to reference-first approach. Summarize and confirm before proceeding.

**Non-convergence fallback:** Suggest 2-3 variants with different parameter profiles plus one "creative wild card" -- turns elicitation into selection.

**Elicitation checkpoint:** As you narrow, append the working state (narrowed dimensions, references, spectrum placements) to the iteration log so a compaction mid-elicitation doesn't lose the anchor. This checkpoint discipline applies to every multi-turn branch (4c/4d/4e), not just this one. Proceed to Step 5.

### Step 4d: First Principles Reset (Contradictory Feedback)

The user wants conflicting things. But first -- check if they're describing dynamic contrast.

**Structural contrast quick-check:** "It sounds like you might want contrast between sections -- quiet verses building to powerful choruses. Is that what you're describing?" If yes, route to section-specific adjustments via metatags (`[Energy: Low]` for verse, `[Energy: High]` for chorus).

**If genuinely contradictory:** Acknowledge the tension without judgment. Ask the First Principles question: "If you could only keep ONE thing about this song exactly as it is, what would it be?" Rebuild from that anchor, layering back each dimension. Reframe remaining contradictions as structural insights. Append the locked anchor and each layered decision to the iteration log as you go -- a long rebuild is exactly where compaction loses the load-bearing anchor.

**Non-convergence fallback:** Same as Step 4c -- suggest 2-3 variants.

Proceed to Step 5.

### Step 4e: Technical Resolution (Technical/Quality Feedback)

Audio quality issues, artifacts, glitches, or pronunciation problems -- typically generation-specific, not prompt-specific.

Set expectations: "Audio artifacts are usually specific to a particular generation, not the prompt itself."

Load `references/suno-parameter-map.md` (Audio Quality & Artifacts, Editor and Studio Resolution Paths). For deeper analysis, also load `references/gemini-audio-analysis.md`.

**Route by issue type:**
- **Artifacts/glitches:** Regenerate 3-5 times with same prompt first. If persistent, simplify the style prompt.
- **Vocal quality:** Check model -- v5 Pro handles vocal nuance better. Suggest Replace Section for section-specific issues.
- **Timing issues:** Premier — fix in Studio before regenerating (Warp Markers was the Studio 1.x tool for this and is not in current Studio 2.0 copy; check the live UI). Pro — Replace Section on the offending span, or export stems and correct timing in a DAW.
- **Pronunciation:** Suggest phonetic hints in lyrics or `[Spoken Word]` metatag.
- **Quality degradation in long songs:** Within-track degradation past ~2 minutes is the most-replicated community claim — vocals lose timbre, and the style prompt reportedly stops being followed after 1-2 minutes. Build in sub-2:00 segments and stitch, or Replace Section the late material; a full regeneration reproduces it.
- **Instrument bleed between sections:** Fundamental Suno limitation -- style prompt instruments bleed globally. Fix: generate with all instruments, then extract stems (Pro/Premier **Auto Split**, up to 12 stems, 50 credits; Premier also has **Advanced Split**, ~100 instruments) and remove unwanted instruments per section in a DAW. One-way edit -- complete all Suno editing first. From 2026-09-03 the whole stem set counts as that song's single download.
- **Section-specific issues (Pro/Premier):**
  - **Pro and Premier:** Song Editor (Legacy Editor) -- select the problem region, hit Replace to get alternatives while keeping what works. Key controls: **Keep Duration** toggle (ON = match length, OFF = creative flexibility for solos/breaks), **Instrumental Mode** (removes vocals), **Replace Lyrics** (edit selected region only). Best with 10-30 second selections; typically 2-5 attempts for seamless transitions. **Availability is not viability** -- production testing found audible transition seams even at sweet-spot scale, so evaluate the join as well as the content, and fall back to Cover or a full re-gen when the seam is the problem.
  - **Premier additionally:** Suno Studio 2.0 (MIDI, chat bar, custom plugins, 32-bit multitrack export) for anything needing a real multitrack workspace, plus **Take Lanes and comping** for auditioning several versions of a section and keeping the best parts -- those survived the overhaul and are safe to name. The Studio 1.x names that did NOT survive (Alternates, Quick Replace, Remove FX, Warp Markers) are archived and absent from current official copy -- route those to the outcome, not the tool name.
  - **Note:** External DAW editing (after stem extraction) is one-way -- user loses Suno's editing capabilities on that version. Complete all Suno edits before exporting to DAW.

**Tier limitations:** Replace Section and stems are **Pro and Premier**; **Suno Studio is Premier-only** and nothing in Studio 2.0 reaches Pro. Free tier's primary path is regeneration.

**Dual-path issues:** If the issue has both a quality and prompt component (e.g., "robotic vocals"), map the prompt-fixable portion to Step 5 alongside the technical recommendation.

Across a multi-attempt technical session (regenerate-and-recheck loops, Studio passes), append each attempt and its outcome to the iteration log so the trail survives compaction.

Proceed to Step 5 (prompt adjustments) or Step 6 (pure regeneration/Studio recommendation).

### Step 5: Map to Adjustments

Synthesize feedback into concrete Suno parameter adjustments.

**Translate to structured dimensions** for `scripts/map-adjustments.py` (e.g., "vocals feel too polished" -> `{"dimension": "vocals", "direction": "too_polished"}`). Pass `--style-prompt` and `--model` when known so the script flags a `style_prompt_overflow` warning against the model's character limit (v4 Pro silently truncates at 200). If the model wasn't captured earlier and the adjusted prompt is running near the limit, this is the one place to ask for it inline -- otherwise don't. Run the script for baseline recommendations, then refine with LLM judgment based on full context (band profile, intent, creative context from Step 1).

**Consistency check:** Verify adds don't conflict with exclusions, sliders don't contradict style prompt, and no adjustment risks breaking liked elements.

**Effectiveness tracking:** Read the iteration log for this song/band and reason against what prior rounds already tried -- don't re-recommend a move that already failed, and lean on one that worked. Two distinct writes to the band profile, per the band-profile data contract:
- **`generation_history`** -- this round's settings + reaction snapshot (the per-round record). Append it every round.
- **`generation_learnings`** -- a durable pattern only when one round generalizes across songs (e.g., "reverb on lead vocals always reads as 'too polished' for this band"). Offer to store these; don't log one-song specifics here.

**Research mandate:** When search tools are available, verify descriptors reflect current Suno behavior -- models evolve.

**Weirdness ceiling warning:** At 85+, Suno loses structural metatag adherence -- `[End]` ignored, songs continue with gibberish. **75 is the practical ceiling** for structured songs. 80+ only for experimental/jam mode; community reports put the danger zone as low as 78. Pair high Weirdness with the `[Fade Out]` + `[End]` combo, but do not promise a clean ending from tags -- crop in the editor is the only deterministic path.

**Generate recommendations across all relevant dimensions:**
- **Style Prompt:** Add (prioritize first ~200 chars critical zone for strongest influence), remove, reorder. Validates against the 1,000-char limit (200 for v4 Pro) -- community-attested figures, not officially documented by Suno. Content beyond ~200 is supplementary, not wasted.
- **Exclusion Prompt:** Add (2-3 specific), remove. Validates against ~200 char target.
- **Sliders (paid tiers):** Weirdness/Style Influence direction + magnitude. Per-section values for section-specific feedback (via Replace Section at Pro, Studio at Premier).
- **Lyric Adjustments** -- structure as Lyric Transformer adjustment spec:
  ```json
  {"adjustments": [
    {"type": "section-restructure", "detail": "..."},
    {"type": "line-rewrite", "lines": [3, 4], "reason": "..."},
    {"type": "metatag-change", "section": "Chorus", "add": "[Energy: building]"},
    {"type": "rhythmic-fix", "section": "Verse 2", "detail": "..."}
  ]}
  ```
- **Model Suggestion:** If issue maps to known model strengths/weaknesses.
- **Post-generation editing:** Replace Section / Crop / Extend (Pro and Premier), Studio 2.0 (Premier only) where applicable -- name the outcome rather than an archived Studio 1.x tool.

### Step 6: Present Recommendations

**Before/After Preview:** Open with a vivid narrative of current vs. target sound ("Right now: arena rock with polished vocals. Target: coffee-shop acoustic, rawer and intimate").

**Output format:** Load `references/output-template.md` for template, iteration log format, and "What Changed and Why" micro-diff. Omit inapplicable sections.

**Multi-version comparison:** If comparing generations, structure: what each does well/poorly, elements to carry forward, which changes had most impact.

**Offer refinement:** "Does this capture what you're after?" Loop back if needed.

### Step 7: Handoff

After user approves, offer next steps (outcomes first, skill names parenthetically):
- "Want me to build an updated style prompt?" -> `suno-style-prompt-builder --headless:refine`
- "Want me to rewrite the lyrics with these changes?" -> `suno-lyric-transformer --headless:refine`
- Both can run in parallel -- independent artifacts.

**Band profile update:** If feedback revealed a systematic preference (not one-song), offer to add it to the profile's `generation_learnings` (the durable-pattern field from Step 5). The per-round `generation_history` snapshot is written every round regardless.

**Iteration log audit:** The log has been accumulating since round 1 -- at handoff, make sure this round's tried-adjustments and the user's reaction are captured in `docs/feedback-history/{band-or-session}/{song-slug}.md`, and confirm the record reads as a faithful account of the session so the next round (or the next session) resumes cleanly. Encourage returning after trying the updated version.

## Scripts

**Invoke every script via `uv run scripts/<name>.py`** — uv reads each script's PEP 723 inline metadata and auto-provisions its dependencies (`pyyaml` for the manifest pair; `librosa` + `numpy` for the audio-analysis scripts), so no manual `pip install` is needed. If `uv` is unavailable, install it (`pip install uv`) or run a dependency-free script directly with `python3`.

### Core Scripts (no external dependencies)

- `parse-feedback.py` -- Validates and extracts structured dimensions from feedback input (headless mode). Run `--help` for usage.
- `map-adjustments.py` -- Maps feedback dimensions to Suno parameter adjustment recommendations with consistency validation. Run `--help` for usage.

### Multi-Machine Audio Verification

- `audio-files-manifest.py` -- Generates `docs/audio-files-manifest.yaml` (name + size + mtime per file) on the canonical machine. Travels in the portable-sync archive instead of the audio MP3s themselves.
- `verify-audio-files.py` -- Receiving machine reads the manifest and detects missing / wrong-gen / extra audio. Filename-normalization-aware (handles `-Redux`, band suffixes, `(NSFW)`, em-dash variants) and size-tolerance-aware (default 1024 bytes for ID3 metadata variance). `--playlist-context` cross-references playlist YAMLs.

### Audio Analysis Scripts (optional -- `librosa` + `numpy`, auto-provisioned by `uv run`)

Objective audio measurements to complement subjective feedback. Running them via `uv run` provisions `librosa` + `numpy` automatically from each script's PEP 723 metadata; if `uv` is unavailable and the deps are missing, the script returns JSON with install instructions (exit code 2). Core workflow works fully without them.

- `analyze-audio.py` -- Batch analysis (BPM, key, duration) for all tracks in a directory.
- `audio-deep-analysis.py` -- Deep single-track analysis (energy arc, chords, section boundaries, spectral balance).
- `chord-progression.py` -- Beat-synchronized chord detection with Camelot wheel mapping.
- `tempo-detail.py` -- Detailed tempo analysis with stability metrics and beat regularity.

**Album/playlist scope:** Album, playlist, and tracklist sequencing — ordering a body of tracks into a coherent listening experience (energy arcs, Camelot transitions, locked arcs, encore design) — is **not** this single-song feedback skill's job. Route requests to "sequence my playlist", "order my album", or "plan my tracklist" to the **`suno-playlist-sequencer`** skill, which owns the per-band playlist YAML, the `playlist-sequencing-data.py` / `batch-full-analysis.py` scripts, and the album-craft methodology.

**Persistent JSON archive + companion-doc auto-refresh:** `analyze-audio.py` and `audio-deep-analysis.py` write JSON archives to `docs/audio-analysis/songs/` and refresh markdown companion docs at `docs/{...}.md` (with AUTOGEN markers preserving hand-curated sections) by default. Pass `--no-archive` / `--no-companion` to skip.

All audio scripts support `--format json|text` (default: json) and `-o` for file output.