Major music labels sue AI music generators Suno and Udio for copyright infringement

Major music labels, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group, have filed a lawsuit against AI music generation companies Suno AI and Udio for alleged copyright infringement. The labels claim that both companies allow users to create audio clips using text prompts, which they allege are based on copyrighted songs and recordings.

The complaint against Suno accuses the company of training its AI models using copyrighted music, generating outputs that closely mimic existing songs. Specifically, the lawsuit mentions that Suno produced 29 different versions resembling the song "Johnny B. Goode," owned by Universal Music Group. Transcriptions of these AI-generated tracks reportedly show a strong resemblance to the original compositions. Additionally, Suno is accused of replicating unique artistic features and voices.

Similar accusations have been made against Udio, with claims that the platform allows users to distribute samples resembling copyrighted recordings on commercial platforms like Spotify. Suno’s CEO, Mikey Shulman, responded by stating that their technology aims to generate entirely new music and does not permit user prompts referencing specific artists. Shulman expressed disappointment over the lawsuit, suggesting that the record labels should have engaged in a good faith discussion instead of opting for legal action.