Click here to read the full article.
Suno, the controversial AI music generating platform, continues to make moves toward legitimacy in the music industry: After striking licensing deals with Warner Music and BMG (arguably the third and fourth largest
music companies in the world), on Tuesday it has announced a deal with France-based independent music company Believe. The deal also covers TuneCore, Believe’s digital distribution division.
Under the agreement, music from participating Believe and TuneCore artists and labels will be included in the new music models that Suno is launching in partnership with the music industry, and artists and labels can choose to opt in to new, licensed music products that the companies will create together, the announcement states. Artists who consent to participate will be compensated for their music and their rights will be protected, it continues. They will also benefit from Suno’s training protections and recently announced transparency tools and download limits.
All tracks created by artists using Suno’s new industry partner model will become eligible to distribute through Believe and TuneCore. This change from Believe’s April 2026 decision to block the distribution of Suno’s then-current models reflects the progress achieved in recent months for artists.
“For 20 years, we have been helping artists and labels reach their full potential, and increasingly that means working with new technology like AI, while ensuring that responsible innovation translates into greater opportunities and value-generation for artists. The partnership we worked on with Suno for Believe and TuneCore unlocks powerful tools for all artists and labels. It now gives them a meaningful choice over how they can participate, protect their rights and enables them to share the value created by innovative responsible AI technologies”, said Denis Ladegaillerie, Founder and CEO of Believe.
“We have always shared a common goal with Believe to support independent artists at all stages of their careers. This partnership will significantly expand opportunities for independent artists, giving them access to creative tools, new paths to distribute their music through Believe and TuneCore, and more exposure”, said Mikey Shulman, CEO of Suno. “We’ve been laying the foundation for the next generation of Suno, strengthening our safeguards, expanding our industry partnerships, and learning from artists testing our upcoming music models. We’re thrilled to work with Believe on innovative product experiences that will give their artists new ways to earn and build even deeper connections with their fans.”
Suno, which has had a highly combative relationship with the music industry in recent years. Despite its licensing deals with Warner (which previously sued it) and recently BMG, it is in ongoing legal action with Universal and Sony over unauthorized use of their copyrighted material, and was sued earlier this week by Grammy-winning Americana singer Jason Isbell and others, who claim the company has allowed users to produce tracks based on musicians’ identities with its models without their consent. Last month a German court found that the company was violating U.S. and German copyright laws.
