Suno AI Music Unfazed by Lawsuit, Launches iOS App

Apple device users can now more easily become music composers after Suno, the artificial intelligence company that made generating lyrics to music a reality, released its iOS app despite legal battles with record labels over copyright infringement.

The launch of the mobile app coincided with CEO Mike Shulman’s announcement that 12 million customers have used Suno AI Music to “express themselves, connect, educate, and have fun,” which is two million more than the number of app users since May.

New app features

The iOS app works similarly to the browser version, allowing users to convert text prompts into any song with instrumental, vocal, and arrangement in a matter of moments. There are also a few additional features that allow customers to incorporate their voice into the artificial intelligence (AI) music production, present prompts in the library, and match songs to their mood.

Suno offers users a free and pro plan for the app, which runs on Suno 3.5, previously available only to paid subscribers. The free plan awards 50 credits that reset every day, while the pro version can cost $10 per month for 2,500 credits per day or $30 per month for 10,000 credits per day.

Both paid plan options allow users to retain commercial rights to the songs they create, while Suno owns the music produced by users using the free version.

The app is currently only available for download in the United States via the Apple Store on iOS, but a global version for Android is expected in the next few days as the company looks to reach a wider audience.

Legal battles

Amid these milestones, Suno and his AI music company Udio are facing legal hurdles after a major record label filed a large-scale copyright infringement lawsuit against them.

The labels include Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, represented by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which claims the companies modeled their AI data using the work of top artists without their licenses.

In a statement released by CEO Mitch Glazier, the RIAA acknowledged that AI can be used sustainably to create tools that put inspiring artists and songwriters in the driver’s seat, but also stressed that “unlicensed services like Suno and Udio are undermining the promise of truly innovative AI for (everyone).”

Record labels are demanding that AI companies admit to stealing copyrighted material without permission and pay damages of $150,000 for each infringed song, after discovering striking similarities between AI-generated songs and popular tracks produced by real singers such as Abba, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson and James Brown.

When asked about these claims, CEO Shulman insisted that Suno’s use of music data to train its AI is legal under fair use. “Our technology is designed to generate entirely new results, not to memorize and repeat pre-existing content,” he added, completely denying accusations that it stole copyrighted music.

The ruling could set a precedent for the future of the AI-powered music industry, as it could determine whether companies will be able to continue to operate under fair use protections or restrict the development of these technologies.