The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), representing labels like Sony Music Entertainment, UMG Recordings, and Warner Records, has filed copyright infringement lawsuits against two AI startups. The cases accuse Suno and Uncharted Labs, the creators of Udio which produced the viral AI-generated song ‘BBL Drizzy,’ of training their AI systems with unlicensed recordings from the labels. Udio, founded by former Google DeepMind researchers last year, aims to simplify the creation of emotionally resonant music instantly and recently secured $10 million in funding in April.
Two AI startups, Suno and Udio, are facing lawsuits from major record labels over alleged unauthorized use of artists’ music. Suno, which recently secured $125 million in funding, allows users to generate songs using OpenAI’s ChatGPT for lyrics and titles. Udio, creator of the viral AI song ‘BBL Drizzy,’ did not respond to requests for comment.
RIAA CEO Mitch Glazier emphasized the lawsuits are crucial to uphold ethical standards in AI development and stop Suno and Udio’s copyright infringement. He highlighted ongoing efforts within the music community to collaborate responsibly with AI developers, contrasting this with unlicensed services that exploit artists’ work without consent or compensation.
Over 200 artists, including Billie Eilish and Katy Perry, have joined calls to halt AI misuse in music creation. The lawsuits argue that with proper permissions, generative AI tools can aid music innovation, but unchecked use risks harming artists and diminishing cultural contributions.
The lawsuit against Suno points out its platform’s vast user base and music files publicly released without permissions or compensation to original artists, competing directly with copyrighted material on major streaming platforms.
