Suno launches new AI music models with Warner, BMG

Zoom in: The new v6 models are Suno's first developed under its music industry partnerships. Suno still blocks users from directly prompting its model to make a song in the likeness of a known artist or song, Brody says.

• Suno's new v6 generation includes three models — v6, v6-wild and the free v6-mini — which Brody says are faster, higher quality and better at following detailed instructions than its previous models.
• Users can make precise edits with natural language prompts such as changing a single lyric or chorus. They also can use text, audio, images and video as inputs.
• V6-wild is designed to produce less predictable results for musicians looking to experiment, while v6-mini is a faster, more efficient model available to free users.

Between the lines: Suno will retire its previous models.

• Brody says v6 was built from the ground up and trained on a combination of licensed Warner music and Suno user data. The company also incorporated technical and preference learnings from its earlier models.
• Music from participating Believe and TuneCore artists is now being added to the models, the companies announced Tuesday, along with music from BMG.

Zoom out: Suno is trying to transform its relationship with the music industry and create products that benefit artists. Brody says its agreements include revenue sharing with rightsholders, though he declined to disclose financial terms.

• "The wrong way to think about this partnership is to think of it as a deal about the data," Brody says. "It's really much broader than that. This is a deal about being able to build new products with rightsholders, with artists and with the industry."
• Believe's partnership marks a reversal. In April, the company blocked distribution of music created using Suno. Warner previously sued Suno. The label was part of Recording Industry Association of America's 2024 lawsuit, alongside Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group.
• Music publisher Round Hill filed a separate copyright lawsuit last month. Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell and other musicians last week filed a class action lawsuit accusing Suno of exploiting artists' identities without their consent. Suno said the claims are without merit.

Catch up quick: The stakes are growing. More than 100 million people have used Suno, according to the company.

• Suno has more than 2 million paid subscribers and surpassed $300 million in annual recurring revenue as of February. It raised a Series D in June at a $5.4 billion valuation.

The big picture: Even amid the lawsuits, some artists have incorporated Suno and other AI tools into the way they make music.

• Singer-songwriter Ali Gatie tells Axios he initially tried Suno several years ago out of curiosity and wasn't impressed, but returned as the technology improved. He now uses it to turn rough ideas into demos before finishing songs with his producers.
• "Overall, my stance on AI is that while it certainly has its faults, it is our job as artists to help ensure it becomes a net positive for music, rather than sitting on the sidelines complaining and pretending it doesn't exist," Gatie tells Axios.

What to watch: Suno's new deals are the start of opt-in AI experiences built around artists, where they can choose to participate and get paid. Brody calls these products "phase two" of Suno's industry partnerships.

• Gatie is already experimenting with the concept, allowing fans to remix his original music on Suno by changing lyrics and production styles.
• "I believe this interactive listening experience will be huge in the future, and if there is a way to monetize it, it will be a great benefit for artists as well," Gatie says.