Topline
The controversial AI music generator Suno surpassed 2 million paid subscribers, its co-founder Mikey Shulman said, and more than 100 million people have used it to create music despite mounting industry backlash and a “Say No to Suno” campaign some artists rights groups launched earlier this week.
Suno says it surpassed $300 million in annual revenue. (Photo Illustration by Timon Schneider/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Key Facts
Shulman said Suno passed 2 million paid subscribers and $300 million in annual revenue in a post on LinkedIn, also saying more than 100 million people have used the platform, which also offers a limited free version.
Shulman called Suno the “entertainment platform of the future,” saying the company allows everyone to participate in the process of creating music.
Suno has grown quickly since its 2023 launch—despite facing various copyright lawsuits and backlash from some artists—with Billboard reporting in November Suno had 1 million paid subscribers at the time.
Billboard’s November report also said Suno users generate about 7 million songs daily, creating the equivalent of the entire catalog of music available on Spotify every two weeks.
Suno previously said in November it had raised $250 million in a funding round led by venture capital firm Menlo Ventures with participation from NVentures, Nvidia’s venture capital arm, valuing the company at $2.45 billion.
What Is “say No To Suno?”
Several artist rights groups launched a “Say No to Suno” campaign earlier this week, publishing an open letter co-signed by leaders of the Music Artist Coalition, European Composer and Songwriter Alliance, Artist Rights Institute and other organizations. The signatories accused Suno of “scraping the world’s cultural output without permission,” echoing the various copyright lawsuits Suno has faced, one of which has since been settled, which have accused the company of training its AI models on copyrighted music without permission. Suno responded to lawsuits by claiming the fair use doctrine protects Suno’s right to train its AI models under copyright law, also comparing its AI training to “a kid learning to write new rock songs by listening religiously to rock music.” The open letter further accused Suno of diluting royalties artists receive by flooding streaming platforms with “AI slop.” The letter compared Suno to the heist at the Louvre in October, in which more than $100 million worth of jewels were stolen. “Even as the Louvre continues to revamp its own approach to security, we in the arts must rise to confront those who would ‘smash-and-grab’ our creativity for their own benefit,” the letter says.
What Legal Challenges Has Suno Faced?
The Recording Industry Association of America and major record labels Warner Music, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group all sued Suno in 2024 over alleged copyright infringement. Warner Music settled with Suno in November, announcing it etched a partnership with the AI platform to launch “new, more advanced and licensed models” for song generation. The label, which represents major artists including Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran, said it would give artists “full control” over whether their name, voice and likeness could be used in AI-generated music. The other major lawsuits against Suno are still active, though Bloomberg reported last year the other labels are in talks with Suno to settle. Udio, another AI music generator, faced similar lawsuits from record labels, but Udio has since settled with Warner and Universal. Hundreds of artists—including Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry and Stevie Wonder—echoed these copyright concerns in an open letter in 2024, urging Suno and other AI companies to stop training models on copyrighted music.
Key Background
Suno allows users to input text prompts to generate music and vocals. The rise of Suno and other AI platforms have led to an explosion of AI-generated music online, with some songs garnering considerable success and making appearances on Billboard charts. Xania Monet, the AI-generated artist persona of songwriter Telisha “Nikki” Jones, topped a Billboard R&B song sales chart last year and became the first AI creation to appear on a radio airplay chart. Breaking Rust, an AI-generated country act, has also charted on Billboard and accrued 20 million Spotify streams for “Livin’ on Borrowed Time,” the act’s biggest hit. Despite facing some industry backlash, Suno scored a partnership with producer Timbaland, who said users can “put out great songs in minutes” using the tool. “God presented this tool to me,” Timbaland said, saying he “probably made a thousand beats in three months.”
Further Reading
AI Music Generator Suno Valued At $2.45 Billion—Here’s Why It’s Controversial (Forbes)
‘Say No to Suno’: Artist Rights Groups Push Back Against AI Music Company (Billboard)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2026/02/26/ai-music-platform-suno-reaches-2-million-subscribers-as-industry-backlash-grows/
