BMG, Suno strike global AI music partnership covering recordings and publishing

The agreement forms part of Suno’s planned launch of its first music model developed in partnership with the music industry. It will also resolve previous uses of BMG’s recorded and published works by Suno.

Under the agreement, BMG artists and songwriters who choose to participate will retain control over their rights and receive compensation for the use of their music. The companies said the partnership will also explore new ways for artists and fans to interact with music.

“We believe the future of music will be more participatory, creating entirely new ways for artists and fans to connect,” Suno co-founder and CEO Mikey Shulman said. “Building that future responsibly means working directly with the people who make music and the companies that represent them.”

He added that the partnership would allow the companies to develop experiences that provide artists and songwriters with greater choice and new revenue opportunities.

BMG executive vice-president of Global Marketing and Streaming Celine Joshua said the agreement was intended to ensure that artists and songwriters remained central to the development of AI in music.

“The future of AI in music will be defined by whether artists and songwriters remain at the centre of the opportunity and share in the value it creates,” Joshua said. “Choice is the guiding principle.”

The partnership comes amid continuing debate over the use of copyrighted music to develop generative AI systems. Music rights holders and technology companies have increasingly sought licensing arrangements intended to establish how copyrighted works can be used to train and operate AI music tools.

Suno published updated principles for the responsible development of AI music on 6 August, including safeguards intended to make AI-generated music easier to identify and reduce the mass production and distribution of inauthentic or low-quality content. The companies said these principles would inform the new products and experiences developed under their agreement.

The BMG-Suno deal covers both recorded music and publishing rights, making it broader than arrangements focused solely on individual recordings or AI-generated works. It also establishes a framework for participating BMG artists and songwriters to benefit financially from the use of their work.

BMG, founded in 2008 and wholly owned by Bertelsmann, represents more than three million songs and recordings across 16 offices in 13 markets. Suno develops AI-based music creation tools and has positioned its technology as a platform for artists, songwriters, producers and other users to create music.