Suno launches v6 AI music models trained on licensed songs, as copyright lawsuits keep coming
The startup says its new model family uses only data licensed from record labels. That is a first for Suno, but legal trouble from Sony, Universal and others is far from over.
Key points
- Suno launched three new AI music-generation models on Wednesday under the name Suno v6.
- The company says v6 was trained exclusively on music licensed from partners including Warner Music Group and BMG, unlike earlier Suno models.
- Suno settled copyright suits with Warner Music Group and BMG before this release, but still faces active lawsuits from Sony, Universal Music Group and individual artists.
- Suno has raised more than $819 million in total funding, according to data from financial research firm PitchBook.
- The company admitted the day before this announcement that it had used YouTube videos to train previous models.
Suno, the startup that lets people type a text prompt and get back a finished song, just replaced its entire lineup of AI music models, the software that turns words into audio. The new family is called Suno v6, and the company says every track of training data behind it came from licensed deals with music labels and distributors.
That is a meaningful shift. Suno's older models landed the company in court, with record labels accusing it of training on copyrighted recordings without permission. Suno settled with Warner Music Group last year and reached a deal with BMG last month. The v6 models, the company says, start clean.
What are the three new models, and who can use them?
There are three versions, aimed at different needs. The base Suno v6 is built for reliable, predictable results and is available to paying subscribers. Suno v6 Wild is an experimental version, also for paid users, designed to produce surprising or unconventional outputs when you want to explore ideas rather than finish a track. Suno v6 Mini is faster and lighter, and is free for all users. Older Suno models will be retired.
| Model | Who can use it | Main purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Suno v6 | Paying subscribers | Controlled, reliable output |
| Suno v6 Wild | Paying subscribers | Creative exploration |
| Suno v6 Mini | All users (free) | Fast generation |
The new models let you edit a specific part of a song using a prompt or a lyric change, pull a single instrument out of a sample and build a new beat around it, and even use an image or a short video as the creative starting point for a track.
What does this mean for artists and rights holders?
Suno is not just making peace with labels through settlements. It is building a revenue-sharing layer into the platform itself. The company plans a new opt-in programme that would allow artists, working through their labels, to let Suno use their songs as the basis for AI-generated remixes. Artists who join would receive a share of revenue from those derivative tracks.
Chief product officer Jack Brody told TechCrunch that creating new income streams for rights holders is central to this release. "The music ecosystem and our partners are always looking for ways to create more revenue opportunities," he said.
Should users be worried about the legal picture?
Active lawsuits from Sony and Universal Music Group remain open, as does a case brought by singer-songwriter Jason Isbell and a separate suit from users who allege Suno prioritised growth over security. None of those are settled.
The day before Wednesday's launch, Suno also acknowledged it had trained earlier models on YouTube videos, adding another layer of scrutiny to its past practices.
For ordinary users, the practical upshot is straightforward: the new models are available now, the free Mini tier carries no subscription cost, and the watermarking system Suno announced last month is still coming to help identify AI-generated tracks.
Common questions
Do I have to pay to use the new Suno v6 models?
Suno v6 Mini is free for all users. The full Suno v6 and the experimental Suno v6 Wild are available only to paying subscribers.
What is a licensed training dataset, and why does it matter?
A licensed dataset means Suno paid for or negotiated permission to use the music in building its AI, rather than scraping it without consent. It matters because training on copyrighted recordings without permission is the basis of the ongoing lawsuits against the company.
Can my favourite artist's music be used to generate remixes?
Only if the artist explicitly opts in to Suno's new programme. The feature is not live yet, and participation is voluntary through the artist's label or distributor.
