Musicians Union is suing Universal and Warner over the use of AI

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM), a union for session musicians, is suing Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music Group (WMG) for violating their collective bargaining agreement over the use of their music by AI programs. In the lawsuit filed Friday (June 5), AFM alleges that major labels’ recent licensing training sessions with Suno and Udio, two well-known AI music companies, did not share proceeds with the union as required by their agreement to compensate members for “new uses” of their music.

“The AFM brings this lawsuit because Defendants, two of the largest music companies in the world, licensed sound recordings on which AFM-represented musicians worked to two AI companies without compensation or credit,” the lawsuit states. “At the same time, they have refused to provide the AFM with information about which recordings and whose work are being licensed.”

It continues: “While the defendants were protecting their own interests and…