Universal is not agreeing with Suno’s initiative for AI-generated music sharing, as reported by the Financial Times. The AI-powered music maker Suno faces challenges in securing licensing deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. The Financial Times reports that they disagree on whether users should share the AI-generated music they produce. Universal insists that AI-generated tracks remain within apps like Suno, while Suno advocates for broader sharing and distribution. Suno allows users to create music using text prompts, leading to a significant copyright lawsuit by Universal, Sony, and Warner Records in 2024.
Suno’s capability to let users download AI-generated music has sparked concerns about the spread of fake music and AI replicates of existing songs. Earlier this year, artist representatives issued an open letter titled “Say No to Suno,” critiquing the platform for exploiting cultural output without permission and then competing against the works it used. Warner withdrew its lawsuit against Suno after reaching a licensing deal that permits using artists’ voices, names, likenesses, images, and compositions who join the program. While Universal made an agreement with the AI tool Udio, it restricts users from downloading their AI-created music.