AI music company Suno has launched a new generation of artificial intelligence music models developed in partnership with Warner Music Group and BMG, marking a significant shift in the company’s approach to working with the traditional music industry. The new models are designed to allow users to create music inspired by licensed music from participating artists, as Suno moves toward a model that gives rights holders and artists a role in AI-generated music and related revenue opportunities.
The new generation, called Suno v6, includes three models: the flagship v6, the exploratory v6-Wild and the free v6-mini. Suno says the models are designed for different types of music creation, with v6 focused on more precise and reliable generation, while v6-Wild is intended for experimentation and exploring new musical ideas. The v6-mini model is available to users at no cost.
The company said v6 and v6-Wild will be available to subscribers on its Pro and Premier plans, while v6-mini will be available to all users for free. The new models replace Suno’s previous generation as the company transitions its platform to the v6 family. In the US, Suno’s Pro and Premier subscriptions are priced at $8 and $24 per month, respectively.
A major aspect of the launch is the involvement of music rights holders. Suno’s partnership with Warner Music and its licensing agreement with BMG are intended to establish a framework in which music can be used under licensed arrangements rather than relying solely on the contentious model-training practices that have triggered legal disputes across the AI music industry. Warner Music and Suno had previously reached a settlement that included plans for licensed AI music models and an opt-in mechanism for artists and songwriters.
Under the broader partnership approach, Suno is working toward experiences in which participating artists can choose to be involved in AI-generated music. Suno CEO Mikey Shulman said the company wants to develop opt-in experiences around individual artists, allowing artists to participate and receive compensation when they do. The company has described this as the next phase of its relationships with the music industry.
The move comes against the backdrop of growing tension between artificial intelligence companies and the music industry. AI music generators have faced criticism and legal challenges over the use of copyrighted recordings and concerns about whether musicians and rights holders are adequately compensated when their work contributes to AI systems. Suno itself has previously faced copyright litigation, including a case brought by Warner Music Group before the two companies reached their agreement.
The new model generation therefore represents an effort by Suno to establish a more structured relationship with music companies and artists. Rather than treating AI-generated music purely as a technology product, the company is seeking to create arrangements in which licensed catalogues, artists and rights holders can become part of new AI-powered music experiences.
Suno’s approach also includes restrictions on directly generating music in the likeness of known artists or songs. According to reporting on the launch, the company continues to block users from directly prompting its models to create a song in the likeness of a specific known artist or song. The company is instead working toward opt-in experiences in which artists can deliberately participate in AI-powered creation.
The launch follows Suno’s recent expansion and growing investor interest in AI-generated music. The company recently raised more than $400 million in a funding round that valued it at approximately $5.4 billion. The funding has strengthened Suno’s position as one of the major companies developing generative AI tools for music creation.
Suno has also grown its user base significantly as consumers increasingly experiment with AI-generated songs. The company has said that more than 100 million people have used Suno, highlighting the scale of interest in AI-powered music creation. The launch of v6 is aimed at expanding that audience while improving the quality, precision and range of music that users can generate.
The company’s latest move also reflects a broader change taking place across the music industry. Record labels, streaming platforms and technology companies are increasingly exploring ways to use AI while maintaining licensing arrangements and protecting the interests of artists and copyright holders. Spotify, for example, is developing an AI-powered remixing tool that would allow users to create new versions of licensed music while keeping the resulting content within its platform.
For Suno, the v6 launch represents an important step from simply offering AI-powered music generation toward building a business model that incorporates the traditional music industry’s rights and commercial interests. The company is seeking to demonstrate that AI music creation can generate new opportunities for artists and rights holders while giving users more powerful tools for creating and experimenting with music.
The success of this approach will depend on how artists, labels, songwriters and users respond to the new licensed model. With Warner Music Group and BMG participating in the company’s next generation of AI music development, Suno is positioning its v6 platform as a potential framework for closer collaboration between generative AI and the music industry.
