Suno, Udio Lawsuit Update: AI Firms Admit to Copying Tens of Millions of Songs

Top music attorney and longtime independent artist advocate Miss Krystle is leading a major class action lawsuit against AI music companies Suno and Udio, accusing them of systematic copyright infringement that targets independent music creators on a massive scale.

In a recent video update, Krystle explained that the lawsuit stems from clear admissions made by the companies themselves — that they scraped and copied “tens of millions of publicly available songs” to train their AI systems, many of which belong to working, independent artists. “This is outright copyright infringement,” she said. “Once an AI has trained on your music, it is stored in neural networks. It’s not capable of deletion or retraction.”

Though Suno and Udio have argued that their practices fall under “fair use,” the U.S. Copyright Office recently issued guidance stating that training AI with copyrighted works for commercial products is likely not protected by fair use. Krystle emphasized that once music is used to train an AI model, it is essentially impossible for creators to reclaim their work or prevent further exploitation.

Protecting the Rights of Independent Creators

Krystle’s firm, Delgado Entertainment Law, has partnered with class action firm EKSM Law, as well as attorneys known publicly as Attorney Tom and America’s Attorney, to file the lawsuit on behalf of independent artists. While major labels have been negotiating licensing deals with the AI companies, Krystle pointed out that independent creators — the lifeblood of the music industry — are once again being excluded from those talks.

“We know the entire music industry is built on the backs of independent artists and music creators,” she said. “Yet again, they have no seat at the table.”

The lawsuit also addresses broader risks for artists using AI platforms. Many musicians unknowingly grant sweeping rights when uploading content to these platforms — rights that are difficult, if not impossible, to revoke. Even if someone uploads another artist’s music without consent, AI systems can still process and repurpose it, creating an even bigger threat to creators’ rights.

The case also spotlights allegations surrounding producer Timbaland, who serves as a creative adviser to Suno. Krystle referenced reports that Timbaland used an independent producer’s track, fed it into the platform, and created a derivative version — an example of the type of misuse the lawsuit seeks to combat. “They’re not going after big mainstream hits,” she said. “They’re targeting independent creators whose work won’t trigger flags.”

Sending a Message to the Industry

The lawsuit’s lead plaintiff is country artist Tony Justice, who has sold over 100,000 albums and earned more than 21 million YouTube views through a grassroots, direct-to-fan approach. His inclusion underscores the broad impact these practices are having across all genres of independent music.

“This is about getting artists paid, but more importantly, it’s about sending a message to these companies to think twice before exploiting independent music creators,” Krystle said. “We’re here to make sure these abuses stop.”

Independent artists who want to get involved or follow the case can visit indieailawsuit.com sign up or learn more.