diff --git a/tests/tools/test_music_gen_force_instrumental.py b/tests/tools/test_music_gen_force_instrumental.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0a62a4ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tools/test_music_gen_force_instrumental.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+"""Regression for the force_instrumental mandate (REVIEW §8 #8).
+
+``skills/creative/music-gen-usage.md`` mandates that video background music
+ALWAYS be generated instrumental-only (vocals collide with narration).
+``music_gen`` historically never sent the kwarg, so ElevenLabs could return
+vocal tracks. This test pins the payload to include ``force_instrumental=True``
+by default and to honor an explicit opt-out.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import sys
+import types
+
+import pytest
+
+from tools.audio.music_gen import MusicGen
+
+
+class _FakeResponse:
+    def __init__(self, content: bytes = b"audio") -> None:
+        self.content = content
+
+    def raise_for_status(self) -> None:  # noqa: D401 - stub
+        return None
+
+
+def _install_fake_requests(captured: dict) -> types.ModuleType:
+    """Install a stub ``requests`` module that records the JSON payload."""
+    fake = types.ModuleType("requests")
+
+    def fake_post(url, headers=None, json=None, timeout=None):  # noqa: ANN001
+        captured["url"] = url
+        captured["headers"] = headers
+        captured["payload"] = json
+        return _FakeResponse()
+
+    fake.post = fake_post
+    sys.modules["requests"] = fake
+    return fake
+
+
+def test_force_instrumental_is_sent_true_by_default(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("ELEVENLABS_API_KEY", "test-key")
+    captured: dict = {}
+    _install_fake_requests(captured)
+    # Route the output to tmp_path so the test never writes music_output.mp3
+    # into the repo root (the default output_path).
+    out = tmp_path / "bg.mp3"
+    try:
+        MusicGen()._generate(
+            {"prompt": "gentle ambient", "duration_seconds": 10, "output_path": str(out)},
+            "test-key",
+        )
+    finally:
+        sys.modules.pop("requests", None)
+
+    assert "force_instrumental" in captured["payload"], "force_instrumental kwarg was never sent"
+    assert captured["payload"]["force_instrumental"] is True
+    assert captured["payload"]["music_length_ms"] == 10_000
+
+
+def test_explicit_vocal_opt_out_is_respected(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("ELEVENLABS_API_KEY", "test-key")
+    captured: dict = {}
+    _install_fake_requests(captured)
+    out = tmp_path / "vocals.mp3"
+    try:
+        MusicGen()._generate(
+            {
+                "prompt": "lead vocal pop",
+                "duration_seconds": 10,
+                "force_instrumental": False,
+                "output_path": str(out),
+            },
+            "test-key",
+        )
+    finally:
+        sys.modules.pop("requests", None)
+
+    assert captured["payload"]["force_instrumental"] is False
+
+
+def test_schema_defaults_force_instrumental_to_true():
+    props = MusicGen().input_schema["properties"]["force_instrumental"]
+    assert props["type"] == "boolean"
+    assert props["default"] is True
diff --git a/tools/audio/music_gen.py b/tools/audio/music_gen.py
index 7b0e3e65..94776b00 100644
--- a/tools/audio/music_gen.py
+++ b/tools/audio/music_gen.py
@@ -69,6 +69,17 @@ class MusicGen(BaseTool):
                 ),
             },
             "output_path": {"type": "string"},
+            "force_instrumental": {
+                "type": "boolean",
+                "default": True,
+                "description": (
+                    "Whether to generate instrumental-only music (no vocals). "
+                    "Defaults to True — the music-gen-usage mandate is to always "
+                    "set force_instrumental=true for video background music, since "
+                    "vocals collide with narration/dialogue. Set False only for "
+                    "explicitly vocal-led pieces."
+                ),
+            },
         },
     }
 
@@ -147,6 +158,11 @@ class MusicGen(BaseTool):
         payload = {
             "prompt": prompt,
             "music_length_ms": int(duration * 1000),
+            # music-gen-usage mandate: always set force_instrumental=true for
+            # video background music (vocals collide with narration). The input
+            # schema defaults this to True, so callers get the mandate by
+            # default; they may opt out only by passing force_instrumental=False.
+            "force_instrumental": bool(inputs.get("force_instrumental", True)),
         }
 
         response = requests.post(