- Warner Music Group and Suno move from legal confrontation to a joint venture with licenses for music AI models.
- In 2026, new advanced, licensed models will be launched that will completely replace the current version of Suno.
- Warner artists and composers will have opt-in control over the use of their voice, name, likeness and works in AI-generated music.
- Suno will impose download limits and end mass free downloads, and has bought Songkick to combine music AI and concerts.
The relationship between Warner Music Group and the AI platform Suno It has taken a radical turn in a very short time. What began as a legal battle over the use of music catalogs to train algorithms has ended up becoming a strategic alliance that rearranges the music board generated by artificial intelligence.
This move comes at a time when the European and global music industry tries to fit the rise of the generative AI toolsThe major record labels They are looking for ways to take advantage of these technologies without giving up copyright protection. nor to reasonable compensation for artists and composers.
From copyright litigation to strategic alliance
During 2024, Warner Music Group (WMG), together with Sony Music and Universal Music Group, sued Suno and its competitor Udio for alleged massive infringement of Copyrightaccusing them of copying hundreds of protected recordings to train their AI systems without permission or license fees.
The accusation stated that these models could generate music that would compete directly with human artistsThis devalued their work and saturated streaming platforms with synthetic content difficult to distinguish from songs created by people. Record labels were claiming millions in damages and warning of a clear risk to the entire creative ecosystem.
Suno and Udio, for their part, argued that the use of protected recordings to train the models constituted a legitimate use under U.S. lawand presented the lawsuits as attempts to stifle independent competition. Meanwhile, pressure from artists' organizations, such as the Artist Rights Alliance, and figures like Elton John or Paul McCartneyThey kept alive the debate about the real impact of AI on authorship.
With the newly announced agreement, Warner and Suno change the script: the civil conflict is resolved and a new stage begins. collaboration regulated through licensesWMG thus becomes the first major record label to formalize a partnership of this magnitude with Suno, who is one of the most relevant players in music AI worldwide.
A "joint venture" and licensed AI models by 2026
The agreement envisions the creation of a joint venture between Warner Music Group and Sunoas well as the development of a new generation of artificial intelligence models trained with licensed content. These systems will completely replace the platform's current models. As both companies explained, in In 2026, Suno will launch more advanced and fully licensed models., built on the WMG catalog and those artists who choose to participate.
Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group, has described the agreement as a “victory for the creative community”He emphasized that AI can only be an ally if it is based on two fundamental pillars: clear licensing and respect for the economic value of music, both within Suno and outside the platform.
The company insists that the goal is not just to end a conflict, but open new sources of income for artists and composersand enable different forms of musical creation, interaction, and discovery, while maintaining legal and contractual safeguards.
Artist control: opt-in for voices, names, and images
One of the most sensitive clauses of the agreement is the one that affects the use of the artistic identity: voices, names, images and likenessesWarner and Suno have reiterated that the creators will have the final say on whether to allow these elements to be used in AI-generated music.
The system will be based on a model of mandatory opt-inOnly artists and composers who give explicit consent will be able to see their voice, name, or compositions involved in creations generated on the platform. This will not be a default permission, but rather an individual decision.
In practice, this means that fans will be able to create tracks inspired by the voices and works of Warner artistsBut only if they have authorized such use. For the European industry, where debates about the right to voice and image are very much present, this approach could become a benchmark for best practices.
The companies also emphasize that creators will be able to decide under what conditions their materials are usedthus reinforcing the idea that AI should function as a complementary tool and not as a unilateral substitute for human work.
Profound changes in Suno's business model
The deal with Warner also obliges Suno to rethink how its platform works, particularly regarding the distribution and download of the generated musicThe company will introduce clear limits in order to prevent uncontrolled use of the content.
Following the implementation of the new licensed models, Downloads will no longer be unlimited on free accountsSongs created at the free level can be played and shared, but they cannot be freely downloaded as before, where there was only a token system that limited the number of daily creations.
Paid users will still be able to download audio, but with monthly download quotas and the option to pay for additional packages if they exceed that limit. The idea is to contain the avalanche of AI-generated files that could flood streaming services and social media without any control.
The only exception will be Suno Studio, the most advanced creation toolwhich will maintain unlimited downloads for those who use it intensively. With this segmentation, the company seeks to balance creativity, economic sustainability, and respect for licensed catalogs.
Songkick, live concerts and new fan experiences
As part of the deal, Suno has bought Songkick, the concert discovery platform which until now belonged to Warner Music Group. This acquisition adds an interesting layer to the strategy of both companies.
The integration of Songkick will allow us to explore formulas that combine Interactive music creation by AI and live musicIn the medium term, experiences could emerge where fans discover concerts in Europe or Spain based on songs generated with Suno, or campaigns where artists promote tours using content created with these models.
For Warner, getting rid of Songkick doesn't mean losing a presence in live performances, but relocate that asset to a broader services ecosystem, in which AI not only generates music, but also connects audiences, concerts and new forms of fan engagement.
This move fits with the trend being followed by the European music sector, where more and more promoters and labels are experimenting with digital tools to to boost attendance at physical events and strengthen the bond between artist and audience.
A context of global tension between AI and copyright
The Warner-Suno deal didn't happen in a vacuum. It comes amidst a climate of friction between the Big AI tech companies and regulators, especially in Europe and parts of Asia, where discussions are taking place on how to fit model training with databases that include copyrighted works.
In the case of music, the major record labels are trying to protect their catalogs in a rapidly changing environment, where fictional groups created with AI proliferate, imitations of well-known voices and songs that many listeners don't know if they were composed by a person or by an algorithm.
Meanwhile, agreements like the one Warner and Universal have signed with Udio, Suno's direct rival, or deals with other music AI startups, show that the majors have opted for a pragmatic path: moving from frontal resistance to assimilating disruption, but under their own rules.
Various artists' organizations, including the Music Artists Coalition Founded by Irving Azoff, they have expressed reservations. They fear that the discourse of collaboration will ultimately leave creators in the background, with little real negotiating power within these new licensing frameworks.
Potential impact in Spain and Europe
For the Spanish and European markets, the alliance between Warner Music and Suno acts as reference laboratory on how agreements between labels, AI platforms and rights holders could be structured in the region.
The European Union prepares and adapts regulations on AI, copyright and data protectionAny formula that combines model training, explicit licensing, and opt-in systems will be closely watched by legislators, management entities, and professional associations.
European authors' societies such as GEMA in Germany or Koda in DenmarkCountries that have already expressed concern about the unauthorized use of repertoires in AI models could use these types of agreements as a starting point to negotiate similar frameworks, better adapted to the continent's own collective management system.
In the specific case of Spain, where sensitivity regarding copyright is high and the music industry is experiencing a strong presence on global platforms, mid-sized artists and labels will observe how this translates This licensing and creative control model in opportunities or risks for their daily work.
What the alliance between Warner Music Group and Suno makes clear is that music created with artificial intelligence has gone from being an awkward experiment to a strategic front where licenses, business models and power quotas are negotiated; the shift from enemy to partner, with new licensed models, opt-in systems for artists and limits on downloads, marks a stage change in which the industry tries to integrate AI without giving up control over its catalog or the value of human work.
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