Guitar company D’Addario admits that AI music was used in a promotional video

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D'Addario's promotional video for extended-range guitar strings triggered immediate suspicion from musicians who identified characteristics associated with AI-generated audio. The company's initial denials cited digital artifacts from plugins like Autotune, AI-assisted mastering via LANDR and Logic, and low-quality exports — but not Suno. The situation deepened when D'Addario shared Logic session files purporting to show the original recording. YouTuber Rhett Shull obtained the original Logic files directly from D'Addario and, even in a generous assessment, concluded Suno was likely used to regenerate the original track at some stage. Five days ago, D'Addario edited its original denial post to confirm: 'Suno Studio was used to regenerate the original track.' The company apologized, acknowledged heavy-handed comment moderation during the controversy, and committed to requiring disclosure of any generative AI use by employees or creative partners. Rather than a new statement, the company edited existing content — a choice that compounded the perception of opacity. The guitar industry remains highly sensitive to AI music authenticity, following earlier controversy around Fender CEO comments comparing bandmates to 'analog AI.'