The paper focuses on development of requirements specification for steganographic systems. The main concepts and fields of use of steganography are briefly explained. Criteria that can be used for various non-functional requirements are grouped and their possible metrics are given with examples and sample requirements. The authors provide an original systematic approach to develop requirements for steganographic systems based on the field of use and the importance of each criterion in the selected field. The approach also allows for automated selection of steganographic algorithms based on the requirements and is related to the concept of the Universal Stegoconstructor, which guarantees that clients receive the required steganographic system from the developers.