Amid legal battles, Suno says it will start watermarking songs
AI music generation platform Suno has unveiled a suite of new measures aimed at curbing the misuse of its technology, including the implementation of audio watermarking, stricter download limitations, and updated community guidelines. These strategic shifts arrive as the company finds itself embroiled in a series of high-stakes legal challenges from major record labels and industry organizations.
Enhancing Transparency and Curbing Misuse
In a recent blog post, Suno co-founder and CEO Mikey Shulman outlined the company’s vision for the future, emphasizing a commitment to fostering original creative expression while providing the necessary guardrails for its AI-powered tools. A primary driver for these updates is the ongoing issue of users uploading AI-generated tracks to streaming services to artificially inflate play counts and siphon off revenue.
To combat this, Suno is rolling out a combination of audio watermarking and fingerprinting technologies. While the company has remained tight-lipped regarding whether it is utilizing established solutions like Google’s SynthID or developing a proprietary system, the intent is clear: to ensure tracks can be identified and tracked across digital platforms.
Furthermore, Suno has entered into a partnership with the lyrics provider Musixmatch, integrating its Sentinal system to bolster copyright detection capabilities.
“These tools are designed to be durable and resistant to tampering, without affecting the listening experience. They are also not intended to pass judgment on whether a song is good, meaningful, or sufficiently human,” Shulman stated. “Ultimately, we believe it should be up to artists and platforms to decide what they want to disclose.”
Stricter Policies and Community Standards
Beyond technical safeguards, Suno is tightening its operational policies:
- Download Restrictions: The company plans to introduce a new policy aimed at preventing the mass distribution of AI-generated content on streaming platforms, though specific details remain forthcoming.
- Updated Guidelines: The platform has explicitly amended its community rules to prohibit the creation of “deceptive audio presented as real” and the unauthorized use of a person’s voice or likeness.
A Challenging Legal Landscape
These updates come at a pivotal moment for the startup, which secured $400 million in Series D funding this past June. Despite its financial backing, Suno is navigating a turbulent legal environment:
- Copyright Litigation: The company is currently defending itself against lawsuits filed by the Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony Music Group, a case coordinated by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
- International Rulings: Late last month, a German court ruled in favor of GEMA, a government-mandated licensing agency, determining that Suno’s operations violated existing copyright regulations.
- Data Security Concerns: Following a report by 404 Media, it was revealed that a November 2025 data breach exposed that Suno had scraped platforms like YouTube, Deezer, and Genius to train its models. The breach, which the service Have I Been Pwned noted affected 55 million users, has also triggered a class-action lawsuit in Massachusetts alleging that the company prioritized profit over essential security infrastructure.