Warner Music Settles Lawsuit, Strikes Major Deal With AI Music Startup Suno

Warner Music Group (WMG) has reached a settlement with AI music startup Suno, resolving its copyright lawsuit and paving the way for a broad new partnership, the company announced on Tuesday.

In a statement, WMG said the agreement will “open new frontiers in music creation, interaction, and discovery, while both compensating and protecting artists, songwriters, and the wider creative community.”

As part of the deal, WMG has also sold Songkick,the live music and concert-discovery platform,to Suno for an undisclosed sum. WMG originally acquired Songkick’s app and brand in 2017, while Live Nation later took over its ticketing business. Under Suno, Songkick will continue to operate as a fan-facing destination.

The partnership will see Suno introduce more advanced, fully licensed AI music models next year, replacing its current systems. Audio downloads will be available only to paid subscribers, while free-tier users will be limited to streaming and sharing tracks created on the platform.

WMG emphasized that its artists and songwriters will retain full control over the use of their names, likenesses, voices, and compositions in AI-generated music. The company represents global stars including 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. “With Suno rapidly scaling in users and monetization, we’ve seized this opportunity to shape models that expand revenue and deliver new fan experiences.”

The announcement follows WMG’s recent settlement with AI music startup Udio and a new licensing agreement for an AI music creation service slated for a 2026 launch.

Together, the Suno and Udio settlements signal a major shift in how the music industry is approaching AI. Last year, WMG, Universal Music Group (UMG), and Sony Music Entertainment sued both startups for copyright infringement. While WMG has now resolved its cases, UMG and Sony are reportedly in talks to license their catalogs to Suno and Udio as well.

Investor confidence in the AI music space also appears strong. Suno recently secured a $250 million Series C funding round at a $2.45 billion post-money valuation, led by Menlo Ventures with participation from Nvidia’s NVentures, Hallwood Media, Lightspeed, and Matrix Partners.