Suno has entered a licensing agreement with music company BMG to use its repertoire for training AI models, following similar deals with other major industry players.
Key facts
- •Suno will pay BMG for the use of its artist recordings in both past and future AI model training.
- •BMG previously filed a lawsuit against AI company Anthropic earlier this year for alleged copyright infringement.
- •Suno is currently facing active lawsuits from Universal Music Group and Sony Music.
- •Suno recently announced it will begin watermarking AI-generated songs to signify their origin.
- •BMG joined other major labels last month in proposing guidelines to ensure only 'substantially human-made' tracks qualify for music charts.
The AI music generation platform Suno has secured a licensing partnership with BMG, allowing the company to use BMG’s recorded music catalog for training future models. The agreement also covers the use of BMG’s songs in Suno’s past model training. This move follows a similar settlement between Suno and the Warner Music Group as the AI firm faces ongoing copyright litigation from other major music labels.
Strategic Partnership and Industry Relations
Suno CEO Mikey Shulman stated that the partnership aims to create new ways for artists and fans to connect while ensuring artists have choice and revenue opportunities. Celine Joshua, BMG’s executive vice president of global marketing and streaming, noted that the deal provides protections and clear economic structures for creators.
Ongoing Legal and Industry Challenges
Despite the BMG deal, Suno remains the subject of copyright infringement lawsuits from Universal Music Group and Sony Music. Additionally, a German court recently ruled that the company violated U.S. and German copyright laws. In response to industry pressure, Suno announced plans to implement watermarking on downloaded songs and limit download tiers to address concerns regarding AI-generated content.
Timeline
- 2023Music publishers initiated lawsuits against AI companies regarding the use of copyrighted material.
- Last monthBMG joined other labels in proposing new industry guidelines for AI-generated music on charts.
- Last weekSuno announced it would begin watermarking downloaded songs to signify AI use.
- MondaySuno stated that new industry-backed models would be released soon.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Variety.
