Warner Music Group on Tuesday announced a partnership with AI business Suno that will compensate music artists and songwriters, ending a legal battle between the two companies.
Suno allows users to write text prompts to create songs. Last year, music companies including WMG sued Suno, accusing it of using copyrighted songs to train AI models.
Under the partnership, Cambridge, Mass.-based Suno will make changes to its platform next year and launch new licensed models and place download restrictions. For example, users on the free tier will not be able to download songs they made. Paid users will have caps on downloads but can pay more to increase that amount.
WMG artists can choose to opt in to have their likenesses, voices, names and compositions used in AI-generated music, which will open up new revenue streams for them, Suno said in a blog post.
“This landmark pact with Suno is a victory for the creative community that benefits everyone,” said Robert Kyncl, WMG‘s chief executive, in a statement. “With Suno rapidly scaling, both in users and monetization, we’ve seized this opportunity to shape models that expand the revenue and deliver new fan experiences.”
WMG declined to comment on the financial terms of the settlement or which artists will be participating. A Suno representative referred The Times to the company’s blog post, which did not detail the financial terms.
Kyncl has said in a Nov. 20 blog post that his company will only make AI deals with partners who “commit to licensed models,” that the terms reflect the value of music and that artists and songwriters have a choice to opt in for the use of their name, image, likeness or voice in AI-generated songs.
Suno says it has nearly 100 million people who use its platform to make music. Last week, Suno closed on a $250-million fundraising round with investors including Menlo Ventures, giving the AI business a $2.45 billion valuation.
Suno CEO Mikey Shulman said the partnership with WMG “unlocks a bigger, richer Suno experience for music lovers.”
“Together, we can enhance how music is made, consumed, experienced and shared,” Shulman said in a statement.
Suno has also acquired the music and concert discovery platform Songkick from WMG. The financial terms were not disclosed.
Last week, WMG also reached an agreement with AI firm Udio, resolving its litigation with the company.
