Suno admits it obtained YouTube audio to coach its AI – however challenges UMG and Sony’s standing to convey ‘stream ripping’ declare
Suno has admitted in a court docket submitting that it obtained audio information from YouTube to be used as coaching information.
The admission seems within the AI music firm’s reply to the primary amended grievance from UMG Recordings, Capitol Data, and Sony Music Leisure.
Suno additionally alleges that the labels have engaged in “anticompetitive actions that reach an illegal monopoly” over music.
And it challenges whether or not they have standing to convey their YouTube “stream ripping” declare.
The 26-page doc was filed on September 1 within the US District Court docket for the District of Massachusetts and reviewed by MBW. You possibly can learn it in full right here.
“Suno admits that audio information was obtained from YouTube to be used as coaching information utilizing YT-DLP,” the submitting states in response to paragraph 49 of the labels’ grievance.
That paragraph alleges Suno used two instruments, YT-DL and YT-DLP, to “circumvent YouTube’s encryption and scrape copyrighted recordings from YouTube.”
Suno‘s response names solely YT-DLP.
Suno‘s second affirmative protection argues that the labels’ claims are barred in entire or partly by copyright misuse and unclean fingers – language it has pleaded, phrase for phrase, since its first reply in August 2024.
“On data and perception, Plaintiffs have engaged in anticompetitive actions that reach an illegal monopoly over the manufacturing and commercialization of music,” reads Suno‘s second affirmative protection.
“Suno admits that audio information was obtained from YouTube to be used as coaching information utilizing YT-DLP.”
SUNO, IN ITS ANSWER TO THE FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT
“To the extent there’s copying of copyrightable expression, that copying constitutes truthful use pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 107,” reads Suno‘s first affirmative protection. “Suno’s AI device makes use of a back-end technological course of, invisible to the general public, within the service of making an finally non-infringing new product.
“That is quintessential truthful use.”
Decide F. Dennis Saylor IV granted the labels go away to convey the stream-ripping declare on August 18, beneath the anti-circumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, as MBW reported.
Suno had requested the court docket to throw the declare out in October 2025, arguing that the statute bars circumventing controls on entry to a copyrighted work moderately than controls on copying it.
Its attorneys referred to as the declare “a gambit to attempt to evade utility of the truthful use doctrine to Suno‘s know-how improvement course of.”
Suno argues within the reply that the labels lack standing to convey the circumvention declare, saying “a number of” of them fail the check beneath Article III of the US Structure.
It says the labels usually are not “particular person[s] injured” inside the that means of Part 1203(a), and due to this fact can’t preserve a civil motion over any alleged circumvention.
Each defenses are restricted to the circumvention declare, and don’t contact the 2 copyright infringement claims the labels additionally convey.
These two defenses are the one grounds on which Suno contests the court docket’s material jurisdiction.
Suno instructed the labels in Might 2025 that it had downloaded audio recordsdata from YouTube, and that it had used open-source instruments akin to YT-DL and YT-DLP, in keeping with Saylor‘s order.
The September 1 reply restates that disclosure as a proper admission in Suno‘s personal pleading.
The reply repeats at 5 additional factors that Suno “obtained audio information from YouTube” to be used as coaching information.
Suno denies the remaining allegations, and says others comprise authorized conclusions requiring no response.
Udio, the rival AI music firm sued alongside Suno in 2024, filed its personal reply to Sony Music on April 29.
Udio used the identical wording on truthful use and copyright misuse, right down to the phrase “quintessential truthful use.”
The 2 AI corporations share the identical authorized counsel: Latham & Watkins filed each solutions, with Andrew M. Gass, Brittany N. Lovejoy, and Sarang V. Damle named on every.
Udio‘s submitting carries a second agency, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, that doesn’t seem on Suno‘s.
Amongst its 13 affirmative defenses, Suno argues that any infringement was harmless, which it says would permit the court docket to cut back statutory damages to as little as $200 per work.
The labels are looking for as much as $150,000 per work throughout the 560 recordings in go well with, after Saylor denied their bid so as to add 61,026 extra with out prejudice.
Suno additionally argues that some or all the materials the labels declare copyright over is within the public area, that the registrations are invalid, and that they’ve suffered no provable harm.
Elsewhere, Suno “admits that Plaintiffs don’t look like alleging that the outputs” of its mannequin infringe the recordings in go well with.
Suno denies that similarities between these outputs and the labels’ recordings “betray that the fashions have been educated on the Copyrighted Recordings.”
On the know-how on the middle of the declare, Suno says it “presently lacks data or data enough to kind a perception” about YouTube‘s “intent in designing any specific know-how.”
On the dimensions of its coaching, Suno admits that its mannequin was constructed by exhibiting this system “tens of tens of millions of cases of various sorts of recordings gathered from publicly out there sources.”
In its first reply, filed in August 2024, Suno mentioned its coaching information included “primarily all music recordsdata of affordable high quality which are accessible on the open Web.”
That submitting named no supply and pleaded 11 affirmative defenses, none about standing.
The brand new reply admits that over 12 million customers have generated music recordsdata utilizing Suno‘s product, and that its Professional and Premier plans price $8 and $24 monthly.
Warner Music Group settled its case towards Suno in November 2025 and struck a licensing deal, leaving UMG, Capitol and Sony Music because the remaining plaintiffs.
Truth discovery closes on September 30, with each side anticipated to maneuver for abstract judgment on the truthful use query.
Suno requested the court docket to enter judgment in its favor, dismiss all claims with prejudice, and award its attorneys’ charges and prices.
Away from the litigation, the platform mentioned on August 10 that it might “introduce a brand new technology of Suno fashions, developed in partnership with the music trade,” and that “all prior fashions will probably be retired” when these launch.
The Suno weblog added that the fashions are “higher than something we’ve ever launched” on “each metric we’ve ever measured,” and would “ship larger constancy audio.”
Suno‘s assertion gave no launch date and no model quantity.
A video posted to Suno‘s Instagram account in early September carries the identify V6 and the phrases “New fashions. Coming quickly.”
Requested by an Instagram consumer about stems, the Suno account mentioned “v6 has lowered bleeding and higher timing on stems, plus larger constancy general with fewer artifacts.”
Requested about musical key, Suno mentioned “v6 may have stronger adherence to musical key so you possibly can name it out proper in your immediate.”
MBW reported in March 2026 that no new mannequin had launched, after Suno pledged on settling with Warner Music Group that its present fashions could be deprecated when licensed fashions arrived in 2026.
Suno signed a licensing take care of BMG on August 12, masking the corporate’s recorded music and publishing repertoire.
BMG says it’s a participant, alongside Warner Music Group, within the creation of Suno‘s upcoming fashions.
BMG was not a plaintiff within the 2024 lawsuit, and says the deal settles Suno‘s prior use of its works.
Beginning September 3, Suno is capping month-to-month downloads at 20 for Professional subscribers, 60 for Premier, and 7 in whole without spending a dime customers.
Suno‘s new Phrases of Service, printed on August 10, prohibit acquiring an output by any means apart from its personal obtain channel, and provides “recording or stream ripping” as examples.Music Enterprise Worldwide
