Warner Music Group (WMG) has struck a settlement with AI music startup Suno, paving the way for a joint venture that lets users create AI-generated music using the voices, names, and likenesses of artists who opt in.

The agreement ends a landmark legal battle that began last year, when Warner, along with Sony Music and Universal Music, sued Suno and a similar platform, Udio, alleging the AI services profited from copying existing songs.

Critics argued that AI-generated music could undermine human songwriters.

Under the new partnership, Suno will launch advanced, licensed generative-AI models in 2026.

Users will be able to create music from simple descriptions, with paid downloads required for full audio, while free-tier tracks remain playable and shareable.

Warner called the venture a “first-of-its-kind partnership” aimed at opening “new frontiers in music creation” while ensuring artists and songwriters are compensated.

Creators will have full control over whether and how their names, images, voices, and compositions are used in AI-generated music.

Suno, launched two years ago, currently serves around 100 million users. Warner did not disclose which artists have opted in to the program.

The deal also formally settles previous litigation between the companies.

The legal battle followed industry-wide concerns, with more than 200 artists, including Billie Eilish and Nicki Minaj, calling for limits on what they described as predatory AI use in music.

Supporters of AI contend that generative models learn much like humans do, by studying previous works.