Warner Music Settles AI Lawsuit, Forms New Venture With Suno
Warner Music Group has reached a settlement with AI music start-up Suno and will jointly launch a new artificial intelligence music initiative with the company, a year after taking it to court in a closely watched copyright case.
Under the agreement, Warner will allow Suno users to create AI-generated tracks using the voices, names and likenesses of artists who choose to participate. The label – home to acts such as Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran – had previously joined Sony Music and other industry heavyweights in suing Suno and rival platform Udio over alleged misuse of copyrighted recordings.
AI-driven music tools have drawn increasing scrutiny across the industry, with musicians warning that the technology could devalue human creativity and erode the role of songwriters.
Warner said Suno will introduce a new generation of licensed AI models next year, enabling music creation from simple prompts while ensuring rightsholders are compensated. Suno, launched two years ago and now boasting roughly 100 million users, will replace its current model in 2026. The updated system will require payment for audio downloads, though free-tier users will still be able to listen and share tracks.
Describing the collaboration as a “first-of-its-kind partnership,” Warner said it will give performers full control over whether and how their identity, voice or compositions can be used in AI-generated content. The company did not disclose which artists had agreed to participate.
The settlement brings an end to litigation filed in 2024 by Warner, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group, who accused Suno and Udio of creating songs that were nearly indistinguishable from existing recordings and profiting from what they called “wholesale theft” of copyrighted material.
The lawsuits were announced shortly after more than 200 artists – including Billie Eilish and Nicki Minaj – signed an open letter urging the industry to curb what they described as the “predatory” use of AI.
Advocates of generative AI have argued that the technology learns in ways similar to humans, drawing on vast amounts of existing audio, text and imagery to create new works.
