You may not even know it, but you’ve almost certainly encountered songs made mostly or even entirely with AI. If you’ve scrolled on TikTok the last few weeks, you’ve probably heard “I Run” a few times, but there are countless others making their way around social and music platforms. AI tools in general, and Suno in particular, are becoming a big part of the music-making process. And nowhere is that more true than in the home of country music, Nashville.
On this episode of The Vergecast, Nilay and David are joined by Charlie Harding, a music journalist and professor who also co-hosts the excellent Switched on Pop podcast. Charlie takes us through his reporting on how songwriters are using Suno and other tools to turn ideas into semi-polished demos. They can be in any style and sound like anyone — and while it seems everyone is using AI to help make music, not everyone is so eager to talk about it. Charlie also made us a song, and gamely destroys it with our prompts.
After that, it’s time for some AI music making. And after that, in the lightning round, we begin with a celebrity guest appearance to talk about some font drama in the US State Department, with the only person we know truly qualified to break it down. After that, it’s time for another installment of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, plus our takes on the Pebble Index smart ring, the new Disco browser, the latest in the garage door wars, and more.
If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, first on the Warner Bros. fight:
And on Nashville’s Suno obsession:
And in the lightning round: