Warner Music Group Partners with AI Startup Suno, Settling Lawsuit and Shifting Industry Strategy
Warner Music Group (WMG) has entered into a partnership with AI music startup Suno, effectively settling its copyright lawsuit against the company. According to a WMG press release, the agreement aims to “open new frontiers in music creation, engagement, and search,” while ensuring compensation and protection for artists, songwriters, and the wider creative community.
As part of the deal, WMG has sold Songkick, a live music and concert discovery platform, to Suno for an undisclosed sum. WMG acquired the Songkick app and brand in 2017, while its ticketing business was later sold to Live Nation. Under Suno’s ownership, Songkick will continue to operate as a destination for music fans.
Through the partnership with WMG, Suno will release more advanced and fully licensed AI models next year, replacing its current ones. Access to the service will be tiered: downloading audio will require a paid account, while free-tier users will be able to play and share songs created on the platform.
A key provision of the agreement grants WMG artists and songwriters—including names like Lady Gaga, Coldplay, The Weeknd, and Sabrina Carpenter—complete control over whether and how their names, images, likenesses, voices, and compositions are used to create new music with AI.
Robert Kyncl, CEO of WMG, described the deal as “a win for the creative community that will benefit everyone.” He added that “with Suno’s rapid growth in both users and monetization, we seized the opportunity to develop models that increase revenue and deliver new experiences for fans.”
This news comes just a week after WMG settled its separate copyright lawsuit with another AI music startup, Udio, and signed a licensing agreement to create a new AI-powered music service slated for launch in 2026.
WMG’s settlements with both Suno and Udio mark a substantial shift in the music industry’s approach to AI, moving from litigation towards partnership models that seek to legitimize the technology while safeguarding creators’ rights.