Human
NEW YORK: Warner Music Group (WMG) on Tuesday announced it has settled its copyright infringement lawsuit against the AI music-creation startup Suno, Inc., clearing the way for Suno to launch licensed AI-generated music models in 2026.
The deal follows similar recent settlements by Warner and rivals such as Universal Music Group with another AI music platform, Udio, Inc.. Under terms disclosed by Reuters, Suno has agreed to replace its existing models in 2026 with ones built on licensed recordings from Warner's catalogue. Free-tier users will be restricted to play and share functions, while paid users will face monthly download caps with additional paid-download options.
The lawsuit stemmed from a complaint filed last year by major labels including Warner, Universal and Sony Music Entertainment, which claimed that Suno and Udio had trained their AI systems on copyrighted sound recordings without proper authorisation, potentially "drowning out" human artists. Suno has previously defended its practices as protected fair use.
The settlement marks a broader strategic shift in the music industry from litigation toward licensing and collaboration with AI firms, as labels seek new revenue streams while protecting artist rights. While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, the agreement sends a signal that AI-music platforms must adopt licensed frameworks if they hope to scale.
