Q.01Does Suede Social cost anything?
No. Reading is free without an account, and membership is free. There are no ads and no affiliate placements; Suede Social is part of the Suede Labs AI family, which is funded by its other products, not by selling your attention to gear brands.
Q.02Is the writing AI-generated?
The magazine is edited and run by Jason Colapietro. Johnny Suede is a disclosed pen-name persona, and AI-assisted voices — the roast, the figures, muse takes — are always labeled as AI. Nothing on the site presents an AI voice as a human being. The About the AI personas page lists every persona and where it appears.
Q.03Will the magazine review my gear or my band?
There is no submission pipeline for coverage, and coverage cannot be bought — that is the exact model the Fluff Index exists to criticize. If you make gear and disagree with a verdict, the rebuttal box on the take is open to you like everyone else.
Q.04Who can see my rig?
Whoever you choose. Every field on your profile — gear, tunings, and each derived stat — is independently set to Public, Followers, or Studio (private). Defaults favor privacy.
Q.05What does the AI roast actually see?
Only rigs whose owners submitted them for roasting. Opting in is per-rig and reversible, and the output is clearly labeled as an AI voice.
Q.06Can I use Suede Social just as a reader?
Yes. Every article, take, counter-take, pedal page, tone recipe, and public rig is readable without an account. Accounts exist for participating, not for reading.
Q.07I sell gear. Can I participate?
Yes, as yourself. Disclose your affiliation in your profile and posts. Undisclosed commercial posting — shilling your product as if you were a neutral member — is removed under the house rules.
Q.08How does Suede Social relate to the rest of Suede Labs AI?
Suede Social is the community surface of a larger creator-ownership platform: the IP registry handles registration and licensing of creative work, Strumly teaches guitar, Muse is the musician-companion chat, and Agent Studio builds automation. Your Suede Social account is not automatically connected to those products; each one asks separately.