Music Industry Moves: Warner Music Group Inks Deal With Suno; Settles Copyright Lawsuit Against AI Music Generator

Warner Music Group (WMG) has resolved its legal dispute with the AI music service Suno, finalizing a settlement that transforms their relationship into a strategic partnership. This pivotal deal marks the first time a major record label has formally allied with an artificial intelligence music platform. The collaboration is designed to protect and fairly compensate creators—including artists and songwriters—by combining Suno’s advanced technology with WMG’s extensive experience in artist development. This union arrives at a critical moment, as generative AI tools increasingly challenge traditional copyright and compensation models across the music industry.

Scheduled for 2026, the partnership will bring about a major overhaul of Suno’s platform, introducing fully licensed AI models and phasing out the current unlicensed versions. Warner Music Group—one of the “big three” record companies, alongside Universal Music Group and Sony Music—is positioning itself at the forefront of the AI revolution. Robert Kyncl, CEO of WMG, described the agreement as “a win for the creative community that serves all stakeholders.” He emphasized that the alliance will guide AI innovation in a way that opens fresh revenue channels and enhances fan engagement, all within a framework that prioritizes artist consent, licensed content, and equitable valuation of musical works.

Echoing this forward-looking vision, Suno CEO Mikey Shulman confirmed that the collaboration will accelerate the platform’s development and elevate the user experience. He pointed to upcoming enhancements, including more powerful creation tools and new ways for fans to interact with leading artists. In a related strategic move, Suno has acquired the live events platform Songkick from Warner Music Group and will continue to operate it. This acquisition signals a future where AI-generated music and live performances may increasingly merge, forging new opportunities for artist-audience connection. Songkick, originally founded in 2007, is widely known for its concert tracking and artist tour data, making it a valuable asset in bridging digital creation with real-world events.

In a separate leadership update, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has appointed Marc Zelanko to the newly created position of chief of staff. He will report directly to CEO Elizabeth Matthews. With more than two decades of executive experience at Paramount Global, Zelanko has overseen strategic growth and operational performance for international teams at major media brands such as Viacom, CBS, and MTV Networks. His hiring reflects ASCAP’s push to strengthen its operational capabilities amid the growing complexity of music licensing in the streaming and AI era.

Elizabeth Matthews voiced strong support for the appointment, highlighting Zelanko’s background in managing multifaceted global projects as essential to helping ASCAP increase revenue and operational efficiency for its members. As one of the United States’ largest performing rights organizations, ASCAP represents over 1.1 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Zelanko expressed his enthusiasm for joining an organization with a forward-thinking approach, noting his commitment to applying his expertise in support of music creators. This move underscores a broader trend in which legacy music institutions are turning to executives with media and tech backgrounds to modernize royalty systems and adapt to fast-changing industry dynamics.