Believe and Suno Sign Global AI Music Licensing Deal

Believe has formed a strategic partnership with AI music platform Suno, reversing a policy it set just over four months ago. The global agreement, announced on September 8, covers participating repertoire from Believe and its self-release platform TuneCore.

Under the deal, music from artists and labels who choose to participate will be included in the new, licensed music models Suno is developing with the industry. All tracks created using this new partner model will become eligible for distribution through Believe and TuneCore. This marks a shift from Believe's April 30 decision to automatically block distribution of tracks made on Suno, which it had classified as an unlicensed platform.

The announcement applies only to output from Suno's forthcoming industry partner model. Tracks generated using Suno's existing models, which the company says will be retired, are not covered. The companies stated that participating artists will be compensated, have their rights protected, and benefit from Suno's training safeguards, transparency tools, and download limits.

Suno's Download Limits and Artist Protections

Suno confirmed its download limits in August, which took effect on September 3. The caps vary by subscription tier, as outlined below.

Denis Ladegaillerie, Founder and CEO of Believe, framed the partnership as part of a two-decade mission to help artists. "The partnership we worked on with Suno for Believe and TuneCore unlocks powerful tools for all artists and labels," he said. "It now gives them a meaningful choice over how they can participate, protect their rights and enables them to share the value created by innovative responsible AI technologies."

Expanding Industry Partnerships

Mikey Shulman, CEO of Suno, said the partnership aligns with a shared goal of supporting independent artists. "This partnership will significantly expand opportunities for independent artists, giving them access to creative tools, new paths to distribute their music through Believe and TuneCore, and more exposure," Shulman stated. He added that Suno has been laying the foundation for its next generation by strengthening safeguards and expanding industry partnerships.

The deal with Believe follows similar licensing agreements Suno has struck with Warner Music Group and BMG. Warner Music Group settled its copyright lawsuit against Suno in November 2025 in a partnership that also saw Suno acquire concert-discovery platform Songkick. BMG signed a deal on August 12, described as a global alliance covering its recorded and publishing repertoire, which also settled past use of BMG's material.

Ongoing Legal Challenges

Despite these partnerships, Suno faces significant ongoing litigation. Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment remain in a US lawsuit against Suno, alleging copyright infringement in the training of its past models. The labels filed an amended complaint on August 25, adding a claim that Suno circumvented a technological measure controlling access to recordings on YouTube.

In a separate order on August 18, District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV denied the labels' bid to add 61,026 recordings to the 560 already part of the suit. Elsewhere, four musicians filed a proposed class action against Suno on August 31, claiming the platform captures and monetizes musicians' names, voices, and identities. Suno called those claims "without merit."

Internationally, Suno lost a copyright case in Germany on July 31, with the Munich Regional Court ordering it to disclose revenue and pay damages. The company said it disagreed with the ruling and was considering an appeal. Cases brought by Denmark's Koda in November 2025 and Canada's SOCAN on September 2 are also ongoing. Suno raised over $400 million in June 2026 at a $5.4 billion valuation and reports more than 100 million users.