Suno Lawsuit: Warner Settled, UMG and Sony Are Suing Twice
Questions about this case?
AI Legal Assistant · free · answers in seconds · general information, not legal advice
The Suno lawsuit in the news is a second complaint: on September 18, 2026 Universal Music and Sony Music sued Suno again in Boston, over 60,202 recordings and its new V6 model. Warner settled with Suno in November 2025. Udio is a separate company with separate cases. None of this is a consumer class action — there is no settlement fund and no claim form for users or listeners.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Labels and Artists Allege
Suno is an AI service, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that turns a text prompt into a finished song. The original Suno lawsuit, filed June 24, 2024, alleges that Suno built its model by copying the labels’ sound recordings without a license. The complaint listed a sample of 560 recordings and asks for statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work infringed if the copying is found willful.
Suno has not denied training on copyrighted music. In its answer it admitted that the “tens of millions of recordings” its model was trained on “presumably included” the plaintiffs’ recordings. Its defense is that this use is fair use under U.S. copyright law — the central question no court has decided in this case.
The second complaint alleges that Suno’s V6 model, launched September 9, 2026, is the “fruit of the same poisoned tree” because it was built partly on outputs and user interactions from the earlier models. It also alleges Suno circumvented YouTube’s technical protections to get the music.
Case Details
Suno, original case: UMG Recordings, Inc. v. Suno, Inc., No. 1:24-cv-11611 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, before Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, with Magistrate Judge Paul Levenson handling discovery. Remaining plaintiffs: UMG and Sony. Warner’s entities left the case (Dkt. 183).
Suno, second case: filed September 18, 2026 in the same court by UMG and Sony over 60,202 recordings. Its docket number was not yet confirmed in public records we could access.
Udio: Sony Music Entertainment v. Uncharted Labs, Inc. d/b/a Udio.com, No. 1:24-cv-04777 in the Southern District of New York, before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein. UMG and Warner dismissed their Udio claims in November 2025 (ECF 138 and 140). Sony filed a second suit, No. 1:26-cv-06120, on July 20, 2026.
Independent artists: a proposed class action by country artist Tony Justice and other independent artists is pending against Suno in the same Massachusetts court. A separate proposed class action by four musicians over the use of artists’ names and voices was filed there on August 31, according to trade reporting.
Status: One Label Settled, Two Still Suing
On August 18, 2026, per case trackers and trade reporting, the court let UMG and Sony add a claim under DMCA § 1201(a) but refused to add 61,026 more recordings to the 2024 case, because that would disrupt the schedule. The labels then filed the second suit on September 18, 2026.
Udio is different. UMG settled with Udio on October 29, 2025, including a “compensatory legal settlement” and licenses. Warner followed in November 2025. Sony is still suing Udio in New York in two cases. No settlement amount has been made public in any of these deals.
Follow this case
There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
Are You Affected?
If you use Suno or Udio: you are not a party and not a class member. These are copyright suits between record companies and the AI services. Nothing here pays users, and nothing requires users to file anything. What changed for users came from the deals: per Warner’s announcement, Suno is moving to licensed models in 2026, retiring the older ones, and limiting downloads to paid accounts.
If you are a signed artist: the label settlements are between the labels and the AI companies. Whether any money reaches you depends on your own record or publishing contract. Warner says its artists get an opt-in before their name, image, likeness, voice or compositions are used in new AI songs; ask your label how it applies to your catalog.
If you are an independent artist: no label deal covers your recordings. The Justice proposed class would cover “all independent recording artists” in the U.S. whose recordings have been on a streaming service since January 1, 2021. The class has not been certified. You do not need to sign up to be included if it ever is.
Is There Any Money?
The $150,000 figure is the statutory maximum per work for willful infringement that the labels ask for. It is a demand, not an award. No court has found Suno or Udio liable. In the indie artist case, Judge Saylor ruled on August 20, 2026 that most claims can proceed to discovery. That is a step toward a possible recovery, not a payment.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 56,816 federal civil cases of this typeclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025:
- 20.1% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 57.3% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 20.1% and 77.4%.
- 2.1% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 310 reached a trial (0.3%), after a median of 29.4 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 4.3 months.
- Only 1,959 of them (3.4%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $35,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal copyright cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Suno and Udio Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
June 24, 2024 — Labels Sue Suno and Udio
UMG, Sony and Warner file coordinated suits: against Suno in Massachusetts and against Udio in New York.
- 2
October 29, 2025 — UMG Settles With Udio
UMG and Udio announce a settlement and licenses for a new platform trained on licensed music. Warner settles with Udio in November.
- 3
November 25, 2025 — Warner Settles With Suno
Warner and Suno announce a licensing partnership that settles their case. Suno also buys Songkick from Warner.
- 4
April 6, 2026 — Warner Terms Stay Sealed
The magistrate judge refuses to give UMG and Sony the Warner settlement agreement.
- 5
August 18–20, 2026 — Two Rulings
The court adds a DMCA claim to the labels’ case but bars 61,026 more recordings. Two days later it lets most of the indie artist class action proceed.
- 6
September 18, 2026 — Second Suno Lawsuit
UMG and Sony sue Suno again over 60,202 recordings and the V6 model. As of October 2026 all remaining cases are active.
Three Things to Watch For
Big numbers and the word “settlement” in headlines attract offers that sound official:
“Claim your share of the Suno settlement”
There is no Suno settlement fund for users, listeners or independent artists. A site asking for your login, bank details or a fee to “register your songs” is not connected to any court.
Royalty-recovery services for indie artists
Some offers promise to recover “AI training royalties” from the label deals for an upfront fee. Those deals cover label catalogs, not independent recordings. A real class settlement would be run by a court-appointed administrator, at no charge.
“Your Suno account is part of the lawsuit”
Messages telling users their songs or account are at risk unless they pay or verify are false. Users are not defendants. Account and download changes come from Suno itself — check inside the app, not through a link.
Suno Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Why is the Suno lawsuit in the news right now?
On September 18, 2026, UMG and Sony filed a second lawsuit against Suno in Massachusetts federal court over 60,202 recordings and the V6 model. The court had refused in August to add a large group of newly identified recordings to the original 2024 case.
Did Suno settle?
Only with Warner Music Group, announced November 25, 2025, as a licensing partnership. UMG and Sony are still suing Suno, in two cases. The settlement amount is not public.
Is Udio part of the same case?
No. Udio, run by Uncharted Labs, was sued separately in New York (No. 1:24-cv-04777). UMG settled with Udio on October 29, 2025 and Warner in November 2025. Sony is still suing Udio, including in a second case filed July 20, 2026.
I use Suno. Do I have to do anything?
No. Users are not parties or class members, and there is no claim form. Changes you may notice, such as new models and download limits, come from Suno’s licensing deals, not from a court order.
I am an independent musician. Were my songs used, and can I get paid?
Suno admitted it trained on “tens of millions” of recordings, but no public list exists. The proposed Justice class action seeks to represent U.S. independent artists whose music has been on streaming services since January 1, 2021. It is not certified and has no settlement. If that changes, notice would come from a court-appointed administrator.
What does the copying claim mean in musical terms?
The artists argue some outputs are derivative works that reproduce protected elements of their songs. That turns on concrete musical material — melody, rhythm, harmony and arrangement. If you want the vocabulary behind that, this music theory overview walks through intervals, keys, chords and progressions. Whether any Suno output actually crosses the line is still to be proven.
Could Suno really owe billions?
The labels ask for up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement. That is a statutory ceiling, not a likely result. Suno’s defense is fair use, and no court in these cases has ruled on it.
Is a settlement with UMG or Sony coming?
Nothing has been announced as of October 2026. Both labels are actively litigating against Suno, and Sony against Udio. Any future deal between companies would not by itself create a claim process for users or independent artists.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.