BMG and Suno have reached a licensing deal allowing BMG’s recorded and music publishing works to be used to create derivative works on the platform, the companies jointly announced on Tuesday (Aug. 11).
“Together, the companies will develop entirely new music experiences that reimagine how artists and fans can connect,” a press release announcing the deal reads. The agreement is part of Suno’s upcoming launch of a new AI music model it created in consultation with industry stakeholders.
Under the deal, BMG artists and songwriters must opt in before their music can be used for inputs (training) and outputs (derivative works created by Suno users). Artists and songwriters who opt in will be compensated under the deal, which also settles Suno’s prior use of BMG’s recordings and publishing works.
The agreement follows Suno’s release of a set of principles via a blog post on Thursday (Aug. 6) that reiterated the company’s plan to limit users’ downloads of AI songs from its platform — which would make good on a promise included in its settlement and licensing deal with Warner Music Group (WMG) in November.
The blog post, written by Suno co-founder and CEO Mikey Shulman, went on to detail Suno’s AI training strategies, including its contention that it does not use artists’ names in its training metadata — though that has not stopped it from facing lawsuits from all three major labels, German collection society GEMA (which prevailed in court last week) and the Danish rights organization Koda. Shulman also said Suno would attempt to regulate the flood of AI songs on music platforms by creating “new watermarking and fingerprinting techniques” that would be available “in the coming weeks.”
The Suno principles were released just one week after a German court found the company liable for illegally training its AI model on unlicensed songs administered by GEMA. A source told Billboard at the time that the announcement of the principles was already in the works before the court ruling.
In July, a coalition of music companies including the RIAA and IFPI released a proposal that suggested adding labels to AI-generated and AI-assisted recordings, though disclosures of AI use would be voluntary under the plan. Later that month, a different coalition, including the three major labels, proposed a set of rules governing the chart eligibility of AI-generated songs.
“We believe the future of music will be more participatory, creating entirely new ways for artists and fans to connect,” said Shulman in a statement on the BMG deal. “Building that future responsibly means working directly with the people who make music and the companies that represent them. Together with BMG, we can develop new experiences that give artists and songwriters real choice, generate new revenue, and make music a bigger part of people’s lives.”
Added Celine Joshua, executive vp of global marketing and streaming at BMG: “The future of AI in music will be defined by whether artists and songwriters remain at the center of the opportunity and share in the value it creates. Choice is the guiding principle. This agreement establishes strong protections, clear economics, and new creative possibilities for artists and their fans. As we enter the era of creation, we look forward to shaping that future together with our creators and Suno.”
