Warner Music Settles AI Copyright Dispute, Partners with Suno

Warner Music Group (WMG) has agreed a licensing deal with AI music platform Suno, ending a year-long copyright lawsuit over the use of its artists’ work.

The agreement allows Suno users to create AI-generated songs using the voices, names and likenesses of Warner artists who opt in.

WMG represents acts including Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa.

The settlement follows similar deals between the label and rival AI platform Udio after both Suno and Udio were sued in 2024 for allegedly training AI models on copyrighted music without permission.

“This landmark pact with Suno is a victory for the creative community that benefits everyone,” WMG CEO Robert Kyncl said. “AI becomes pro-artist when it adheres to licensed models and provides artists and songwriters with an opt-in for the use of their name, image, likeness, voice, and compositions in new AI songs.”

As part of the deal, Suno will roll out new, licensed AI models in 2026, replacing its current systems.

Free-tier users will still be able to stream and share songs, but downloads will be restricted to paid subscribers, with caps and additional fees for extra downloads.

In a related move, Suno is acquiring concert discovery platform Songkick.

While Songkick’s live music focus differs from Suno’s AI creation tools, the acquisition suggests Suno is exploring broader social and fan engagement features.

Suno, often described as the “ChatGPT for music,” has over 100 million users and sees millions of AI songs generated daily.

Suno CEO Mikey Shulman said the deal is a “paradigm shift in how music is made, consumed, experienced and shared,” promising higher-quality creation models trained on licensed Warner recordings.