Variety.com
Suno is taking another major step toward closer ties with the traditional music business, signing a licensing agreement with BMG as the AI music company prepares a new generation of models trained on licensed material.
Under the agreement, Suno will pay for access to recordings from BMG’s artists and will also compensate the company for the use of its songs in training earlier Suno models. BMG becomes the second major music company to reach a settlement with Suno, following Warner Music Group, as the AI platform continues to face copyright disputes over the use of recordings in model development.
For Suno, it provides another endorsement from a major rights holder as the company attempts to shift AI-generated music toward a more industry-friendly model.
Suno CEO and co-founder Mikey Shulman said the partnership could help create new ways for artists and fans to participate in music while giving creators greater choice and additional opportunities to earn from emerging technology.
BMG executive Celine Joshua similarly emphasised artist choice, describing the agreement as a framework built around protections, financial terms and new creative possibilities.
The partnership is notable given BMG’s broader stance on artificial intelligence. Earlier this year, the company sued AI developer Anthropic, alleging that copyrighted works were used without permission to train its models.
Suno has been working to strengthen its position within the music industry as scrutiny around generative AI intensifies. The company recently announced plans for watermarking downloaded tracks and new limits on song downloads, measures designed in part to address concerns over mass-produced AI music.
The BMG deal also comes as Suno prepares to introduce new models backed by licensed music.
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