The Lawsuit That Could End AI Music
The RIAA sued Suno and Udio on June 24, 2024, for copyright infringement. The music industry declared war on AI music generation.
On June 24, 2024, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sued Suno and Udio—the two leading AI music generation companies.
The charge: massive copyright infringement for training on copyrighted music without permission.
Billions in damages were at stake. The future of AI music hung in the balance.
The Allegations
The RIAA claimed:
- Unlicensed training: Used copyrighted music to train AI
- Output infringement: Generated music mimicking protected works
- Commercial harm: Competing with artists they stole from
- Willful violation: Knew it was wrong, did it anyway
The lawsuit mirrored the New York Times case but for music.
The Stakes
For the companies: Existential threat if they lose For artists: Compensation and control over their work For AI: Precedent on training data legality For consumers: Future of AI music generation
The outcome would reshape the industry.
The Defense
Suno and Udio argued:
- Fair use: Training is transformative use
- No infringement: Output is original, not copies
- Technical necessity: Need diverse training data
- Innovation: AI music is new art, not theft
The courts will decide.
Where Are They Now?
The lawsuit continues as of early 2025. Both companies remain operational while fighting the case.
June 24, 2024 was when AI music generation faced its legal reckoning—a battle that will determine whether AI can train on creative works or must license everything.