Warner Music Group (WMG) has settled a lawsuit with AI music generation platform Suno, marking the first major record label to partner with the company. The settlement comes after WMG had filed an infringement lawsuit against Suno, claiming that the platform was using its artists' and songwriters' copyrights without permission.
The deal brings together Suno's AI capabilities with WMG's artist development, with a shared goal of "compensating and protecting artists, songwriters, and the wider creative community." According to Robert Kyncl, CEO of WMG, the partnership is a victory for the creative community, as it adheres to principles that prioritize licensed models, reflect the value of music on and off the platform, and provide artists with an opt-in for the use of their name, image, likeness, voice, and compositions in new AI songs.
Suno's CEO Mikey Shulman described the partnership as a way to "unlock a bigger, richer Suno experience" for music lovers, while also accelerating the company's mission to make music more valuable to billions of people. The deal is set to launch in 2026, with Suno planning to introduce new, more advanced and licensed models that will replace the current ones.
In addition to the partnership with Suno, WMG has announced that it will continue to run Songkick, a live music platform it acquired from Warner Music Group. ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) has also made an announcement, naming Marc Zelanko as its new chief of staff. With over two decades of experience in business operations and executive roles at Paramount Global, Zelanko will help ASCAP deliver on its mission to grow revenues and drive efficiencies for its members.
As the music industry continues to evolve with AI technology, these partnerships aim to strike a balance between innovation and artist protection, ensuring that creatives are fairly compensated for their work.
The deal brings together Suno's AI capabilities with WMG's artist development, with a shared goal of "compensating and protecting artists, songwriters, and the wider creative community." According to Robert Kyncl, CEO of WMG, the partnership is a victory for the creative community, as it adheres to principles that prioritize licensed models, reflect the value of music on and off the platform, and provide artists with an opt-in for the use of their name, image, likeness, voice, and compositions in new AI songs.
Suno's CEO Mikey Shulman described the partnership as a way to "unlock a bigger, richer Suno experience" for music lovers, while also accelerating the company's mission to make music more valuable to billions of people. The deal is set to launch in 2026, with Suno planning to introduce new, more advanced and licensed models that will replace the current ones.
In addition to the partnership with Suno, WMG has announced that it will continue to run Songkick, a live music platform it acquired from Warner Music Group. ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) has also made an announcement, naming Marc Zelanko as its new chief of staff. With over two decades of experience in business operations and executive roles at Paramount Global, Zelanko will help ASCAP deliver on its mission to grow revenues and drive efficiencies for its members.
As the music industry continues to evolve with AI technology, these partnerships aim to strike a balance between innovation and artist protection, ensuring that creatives are fairly compensated for their work.
. I mean, I guess it makes sense that they want to make sure artists get paid and all that, but can't they just find another way to do it? Like, isn’t this partnership just gonna be a slippery slope where more labels join in and artists lose out even more? 
. But hey, at least we're seeing some progress in making music more valuable to people. It’s just that it feels like the industry is always playing catch-up when it comes to new tech and how to protect artists 
.
. Anyway, can’t wait to see what Suno has in store for us in 2026 
Like, they'd sue you over a song you wrote 10 years ago if it was featured in a movie or something. But nowadays, it's about finding that balance between innovation and artist protection. I think this partnership with Suno is a good start - it's all about compensating creators for their work and making sure they're being fairly represented.
... think about it, songs like this one from Suno can be made in no time 
... but what's the value of these AI generated tracks? Are they just gonna flood the market and make real artists struggle to stand out? The industry needs to figure that out ASAP 
️... anyway, at least WMG is doing something about it by partnering with Suno, now we just gotta wait for 2026 to see what's next 
. As someone who's all about DIY ethos 
, I think it's dope that Suno is using its tech to create new music that can benefit artists. The fact that WMG is on board means their artist roster will get a fair share of the cash 
. We don't wanna see our favorite tunes getting watered down by AI-generated versions 
. And it's awesome that Suno is giving artists an opt-in option for their name and likeness to be used in new songs 
.
?! BUT SERIOUSLY, THIS COULD BE A GAME CHANGER FOR THE FUTURE OF MUSIC AND HELP US MOVE AWAY FROM ANY COPYRIGHT ISSUES INSTEAD OF GETTING STUCK IN A NEVER ENDING BATTLE OVER WHO OWNS WHAT. IT'S ABOUT TIME WE START PUTTING THE ARTISTS FIRST AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE PROTECTED! 
It's like, I get that Suno wants to make music more valuable, but how do they plan on doing that without, you know, screwing over the artists? 
you know? This partnership between Warner Music Group and Suno is like, super cool 
because it's all about making sure the music industry stays fair and creative people get what they're worth 
which is all about licensed models and making sure creatives have control over their work 
it's gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out, but for now, let's just say I'm a fan of more artists getting paid 
Just got my hands on some data 
It's gonna be HUGE 
. But I guess this deal is a step in the right direction. It means Suno has to start paying out royalties to artists and songwriters, which is about time 
. The fact that WMG wants to partner with them in the first place shows they're willing to adapt to new tech, even if it means ceding some control over their artists' work.