Suno is now letting users press their AI music slop to vinyl, thus alienating streaming services, artists and audiophiles

AI audio giant Suno has launched a vinyl pressing service Yes, it is seemingly just for AI tracks generated on its site It's eco-friendly, apparently Among many audiophiles, vinyl records are considered sacred; I concur, which is why my turntable was the first thing I set up when I recently moved ho

<![CDATA[ <article> <ul><li><strong>AI audio giant Suno has launched a vinyl pressing service</strong></li><li><strong>Yes, it is seemingly just for AI tracks generated on its site </strong></li><li><strong>It's eco-friendly, apparently</strong></li></ul><p>Among many audiophiles, vinyl records are considered sacred; I concur, which is why <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/turntables/how-do-i-know-music-is-more-important-than-clothes-i-just-moved-home-and-the-first-thing-i-set-up-was-my-turntable-and-vinyl-stash">my turntable was the first thing I set up when I recently moved home</a>. But that's clearly not the case for everyone.</p><p>For me and, I hope, fellow record-lovers, the draw is that vinyl is an undeniably human way of listening to music. By their sheer nature, records are full of everything and with nothing edited out: there are mistakes and imperfections (just as we all have), but the analog result is warm and familiar… and somehow welcoming.</p><p>However, in our 'everything-is-AI' modern world, someone somewhere had the tiring thought, "What if AI came to records too?" and so we have this news. </p><p>AI 'music'-making service Suno is now encouraging you to press tracks generated using the site onto records, and to buy them for $45.</p><p>That's right, you can now sully a perfectly good bit of PVC plastic with 'songs' made by a computer, bringing a hearty dose of cold inhumanity to this all-so-human format. </p><p>Apparently, you can only order one record per creation from your Suno library, which can be up to 46 minutes, so this isn't a way of mass-producing AI slop to vinyl (thankfully). And Suno claims the material used for the records is sourced in an "eco friendly" way — a pretty hilarious assertion given how disastrous for the planet AI is proving itself to be generally. It's like chopping down trees with a pre-owned chainsaw.</p><h2 id="one-for-the-record">One for the record</h2><p>To audiophiles (or how about actual human bands, whose markup on a physical music product is far bigger than in streaming?) Suno's move feels destined to anger. </p><p>For me, it devalues a beloved format. It pulls apart the big black disc — with all the human, tangible attributes that makes me revere it — and makes it fake. When talking this piece through with my editor, she said, "I think it is a hideous idea that makes me feel unclean". </p><p>If there's any possible silver lining, it's that Suno's vinyl offerings might encourage people who use the site to discover the joys of real records; think older, couldn't-be-AI albums (and if that's you, why not check out our list of the<a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/turntables/the-best-turntables"> best turntables</a> to listen with, and I'll forgive your AI use if you buy something).</p><p>Or perhaps this is the last angry gasp of an AI slop machine? Google Trends data shows that interest in Suno is slowly dropping: as of early August, search is 10% down month-on-month, and over three months its interest is slowly dropping too.</p><p>Perhaps this could be fueled by the rebellion against AI music, with a growing number of streaming sites keeping it at bay. Deezer is <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/over-half-of-all-new-music-on-streaming-sites-is-now-ai-generated-and-the-number-is-growing-rapidly-but-one-platform-is-bringing-the-hammer-down-hard">bringing down the hammer hard</a>, and we recently <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/audio-streaming/youll-notice-i-do-not-call-it-ai-music-because-i-dont-think-its-music-qobuzs-managing-director-dan-mackta-on-music-streamings-biggest-problem-and-how-he-hopes-to-tackle-it">spoke to Qobuz's managing director about its own stance against slop</a>. Even Spotify is <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/spotify/spotify-takes-its-first-major-step-in-tackling-ai-slop-now-artists-can-review-and-approve-what-music-appears-on-their-profile">belatedly taking some baby steps</a>.</p><p>So is this Suno's victory lap against 'real' music, showing it's so prominent that nothing is sacred? Or is this its attempt to catch up, by adopting a format beloved by audiophiles? It's hard to say. All I know is that no AI slop record is getting anywhere near <em>my </em>turntable.</p> </article> ]]>