Warner Music Group (WMG) announced Tuesday that it has settled its copyright lawsuit with AI music startup Suno, forming a broad partnership that WMG says will “open new frontiers in music creation, interaction, and discovery” while protecting and compensating artists.
As part of the agreement, WMG has sold Songkick, its live music and concert-discovery platform, to Suno for an undisclosed amount. WMG originally bought Songkick’s app and brand in 2017, while Live Nation separately acquired Songkick’s ticketing division. Under Suno, Songkick will continue operating as a fan-facing destination.
The deal marks a major shift for Suno, which will begin rolling out more advanced, fully licensed AI models next year. Audio downloads will require a paid subscription, while free users will be limited to creating, playing, and sharing tracks.
WMG said its artists and songwriters will have full control over how their names, likenesses, voices, and compositions are used within Suno’s AI music tools. WMG represents global stars like Lady Gaga, Coldplay, The Weeknd, and Sabrina Carpenter.
“This landmark pact with Suno is a victory for the creative community that benefits everyone,” said WMG CEO Robert Kyncl, adding that Suno’s rapid growth presented an opportunity to shape monetizable and artist-friendly AI models.
The announcement comes just a week after WMG settled its lawsuit with AI music startup Udio and entered a licensing agreement for a new AI music creation service launching in 2026.
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Together, the Suno and Udio settlements signal a major turning point in the music industry’s approach to AI. Last year, WMG, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment sued both startups for copyright infringement. WMG is now the first major label to settle, and reports indicate Universal and Sony are also in talks to strike licensing deals of their own.
In a further vote of confidence for AI-generated music, Suno recently raised a $250 million Series C, valuing the company at $2.45 billion. The round was led by Menlo Ventures with participation from Nvidia’s NVentures, Lightspeed, Matrix, and Hallwood Media.
