Major record labels, including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Records, have filed lawsuits against AI companies Suno and Udio, alleging mass copyright infringement.
The lawsuits claim that these AI companies used copyrighted recordings to train their music-generating systems without permission, potentially undermining human artists’ work. These cases, filed in federal courts in New York and Massachusetts, are significant as they mark the first instance of music-generating AI being targeted in such legal actions.
Allegations of Unauthorized Music Use
The lawsuits, filed on Monday, assert that Suno and Udio used copyrighted music to create competing works.
Suno’s CEO, Mikey Shulman, defended the technology, stating it generates new outputs rather than replicating existing content. However, spokespeople for Udio did not comment on the complaints.
The record labels allege that users of Suno and Udio have been able to recreate iconic elements of songs by The Temptations, Mariah Carey, and James Brown. They also claim these AI systems can generate vocals indistinguishable from artists like Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and ABBA.
The plaintiffs are seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 per allegedly copied song, with Suno accused of copying 662 songs and Udio 1,670. This marks the first instance of music-generating AI being targeted in such lawsuits, following similar cases by authors and news outlets over text-based AI models.
Suno and Udio have each secured millions in funding this year for their AI technologies, which produce music based on user text prompts. The labels accuse the companies of being evasive about the source material used for training their AI, suggesting that disclosure would reveal extensive copyright infringement.
Mitch Glazier, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), criticized unlicensed services like Suno and Udio, arguing that exploiting artists’ work without consent or compensation hinders genuine AI innovation.
In their lawsuits, the RIAA included several examples of outputs generated using Suno and Udio that closely resemble well-known songs. For instance, one song generated by Suno named “Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orle” replicates the lyrics and style of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” while another titled “Prancing Queen,” generated using the prompt “70s pop,” contains lyrics to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”
The Broader Implications for AI and Music
These lawsuits underscore the ongoing tension between the music industry and AI technology companies. Artists and labels have been vocal about their concerns over the unauthorized use of their work to train AI models, which can produce music that sounds convincingly like human artists.
This battle has also impacted platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where AI-generated music has proliferated. Earlier this year, music by UMG artists, including Taylor Swift, was temporarily removed from TikTok due to licensing disputes involving AI. Similarly, YouTube has implemented a system for removing AI-generated music at the request of rights holders. Sony Music has also issued warning letters to numerous tech companies regarding the “unauthorized” use of copyrighted material in May.
Suno executives and investors had anticipated the possibility of legal action. In a March profile by Rolling Stone, Antonio Rodriguez, an early investor in Suno, acknowledged the legal risks but saw them as a necessary part of developing the product without constraints.
The broader issue of AI’s impact on creative industries remains contentious, with fears that AI-generated content could undermine the earnings potential of human artists. In response, a group called the Artist Rights Alliance has called on AI companies to cease the unauthorized use of AI in ways that infringe upon the rights of human creators.
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