Warner Music Group CEO Pens Memo About Suno Partnership: ‘This Is a Smart Win’
Robert Kyncl says this marks "the first time our talent has been able to participate in revenue from music creation in addition to music consumption."
Warner Music Group (WMG) CEO Robert Kyncl wrote an internal memo on September 9, expressing enthusiasm for Suno's latest AI music model, v6. Kyncl emphasized that this is the first time that WMG talent has been able to participate in revenue from music creation in addition to consumption. The new v6 models were developed in partnership with WMG, BMG, and Believe, and will be compensated through a revenue share system.
Kyncl highlighted that these models must be fully licensed, in accordance with the terms of their agreement, and they replace the original Suno model that had been trained on artists' and songwriters' works without permission. Kyncl stated that licensing is a crucial tool in protecting artists and songwriters, and that it is part of WMG's broader 3-L strategy, which also includes litigation and legislation.
In June 2024, WMG joined forces with Universal Music Group and Sony Music in a lawsuit against Suno for copyright infringement. However, they reached a settlement in late 2025, with Suno agreeing to make changes to its platform, including launching new licensed models and deprecating the existing ones. Suno has complied with all these stipulations, except for maintaining a seven-download limit for free users.
Kyncl sees this as the beginning of many new income streams as AI music develops, and WMG is committed to pursuing litigation and legislation to shape the future of AI in the industry.
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