WMG, Suno Settle Suit, Strike Deal on New AI Models
(Shulman: Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Warner Music Group has settled a copyright infringement lawsuit against generative AI company Suno, clearing the way for the 2026 relaunch of the platform, which allows users to create AI music through prompts.
Downloading audio will require a paid Suno account, and songs made on the service's free tier will only be playable and sharable. WMG artists will have complete control over how their names, images, likenesses, voices and compositions are used to create new works.
In June 2024 the RIAA sued Suno and fellow AI company Udio on behalf of WMG, Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, among others, over their unlicensed use of copyrighted recordings to train their models. UMG and WMG have since settled with Udio.
Last week, Suno raised a $250m Series C round at a $2.45b post-money valuation and has hit $200m in annual revenue, per the Wall Street Journal (paywalled).
“This landmark pact with Suno is a victory for the creative community that benefits everyone," WMG CEO Robert Knycl said. "With Suno rapidly scaling, both in users and monetization, we’ve seized this opportunity to shape models that expand revenue and deliver new fan experiences. AI becomes pro-artist when it adheres to our principles: committing to licensed models, reflecting the value of music on and off platform and providing artists and songwriters with an opt-in for the use of their name, image, likeness, voice and compositions in new AI songs.”
"Together, we can enhance how music is made, consumed, experienced and shared," said Suno CEO Mikey Shulman. "This means we’ll be rolling out new, more robust features for creation [and] opportunities to collaborate and interact with some of the most talented musicians in the world, all while continuing to build the biggest music ecosystem possible.”
"We’re heading towards a world where people don’t just press play—they play with their music," he added. "Interactivity will make music a bigger part of people’s lives, increase its cultural value and bring people closer together. This partnership with WMG is a big step towards that future."
In a related transaction, Suno has purchased live-music discovery hub Songkick from WMG in the hopes of deepening artist-to-fan connections.
The Suno deal is part of a flurry of AI-related business for WMG in recent weeks, including with Stability AI and KLAY. Last week, the company posted record-high Q4 revenue, powered by continued growth in recorded music, music publishing and subscription-based streaming.