News UMG Sony Suno Settlement Impasse April 2026

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Universal Music Group and Sony Music have hit a settlement impasse with AI music startup Suno, Inc., as their copyright infringement lawsuit continues in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts while Warner Music's landmark deal with Suno reshapes the AI music licensing landscape.<ref name="dmn-impasse">Digital Music News: Suno and Universal Hit Settlement Impasse Over Fees and Equity</ref><ref name="dmn-latest">Digital Music News: Suno and Universal Music Lawsuit — Latest Updates</ref>

Background

UMG, Sony, and Warner sued Suno on June 24, 2024, alleging the AI company trained its music generation models on copyrighted sound recordings without authorization. Warner settled with Suno in November 2025, becoming the first major label to transition from litigation to partnership.<ref name="happycapy">HappyCapy: Suno, UMG, Sony Licensing Stalemate</ref>

Settlement Impasse

As of April 2026, UMG and Sony are seeking details of the Warner-Suno deal as part of ongoing litigation, but settlement talks between UMG/Sony and Suno have stalled over disagreements on fees and equity terms.<ref name="dmn-impasse" />

Key sticking points include:

  • Licensing fees: Disagreement over the per-track rate and structural terms
  • Equity stake: Whether UMG/Sony would receive an equity position in Suno, and at what valuation
  • Scope of license: Terms governing Suno's continued use of UMG/Sony catalogs in training data

April 2026 Procedural Developments

On April 6, 2026, a U.S. Magistrate Judge issued an order on multiple discovery disputes. Key rulings included:

  • Defendant's custodian requests denied: Suno's requests to add Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer and UMG Executive Vice Chairman Lucian Grainge as custodians were denied for lack of substantial need.
  • Plaintiffs' expanded discovery granted in part: Plaintiffs' requests to expand Suno's document collection dates to January 1, 2022, and to add custodians including Suno employee Helena Caldwell were granted in part.
  • WMG-related discovery: The order references Suno's settlement and licensing agreement with Warner Music Group, confirming WMG's separate settlement, while UMG and Sony seek expanded discovery about Suno's post-WMG licensing terms and AI market positioning.<ref name="casemine">Casemine: UMG v. Suno — Magistrate Order on Discovery Disputes, April 6, 2026</ref>

On April 23, 2026, the parties submitted dueling letter briefs addressing Judge Hellerstein's denial of a motion to dismiss DMCA claims in the related Sony Music Entertainment v. Uncharted Labs (Udio) case. Suno challenged the judge's analysis, while UMG argued the ruling supports their position that DMCA anti-circumvention claims can proceed against AI companies.<ref name="chatgptiseating">ChatGPTIsEatingTheWorld: Parties in UMG v. Suno Quibble Over Judge Hellerstein's Denial of DMCA Motion to Dismiss</ref>

See Also

References

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