Suno v6 update copyright controversy fuels industry lawsuits
Suno v6 update copyright controversy: lawsuits, training data questions, and Reddit backlash shaping AI music.
The Suno v6 update copyright controversy centers on Suno’s release of its v6 model update, which aims to strengthen safeguards across the industry and to create a healthier musical ecosystem. The v6 update was developed in partnership with Warner Music Group, BMG and Believe, and its rollout has coincided with public and legal challenges to Suno’s training practices.
German courts ruled in August that Suno used protected songs without permission, Suno admitted in the US District Court of Massachusetts that audio data was obtained from YouTube for use as training, and on September 18 Sony and Universal Music Group filed a new 45-page lawsuit alleging v6 still infringes their catalog.
Separately, Reddit users have described v6 as unusable and posted comments such as “Every song comes out flat, the voices are muddy, the sound is abysmal”, while some users said Suno’s 5.5 voices cannot be used and that v6 sounds nothing like v5.5.
Suno released the v6 model update, which aims to strengthen safeguards across the industry and to create a healthier musical ecosystem. The v6 update was developed in partnership with Warner Music Group, BMG and Believe. German courts ruled in August that Suno used protected songs without permission. Suno admitted in the US District Court of Massachusetts that “audio data was obtained from YouTube for use as training” its software.
On September 18, Sony and Universal Music Group filed a new 45-page lawsuit against Suno. The new lawsuit claims v6 still infringes on Sony and UMG’s catalog, arguing training on infringing content is not a fresh start and still creates infringement. Reddit users have described v6 as unusable, posting comments such as ‘Every song comes out flat, the voices are muddy, the sound is abysmal.’ Some users said Suno’s 5.5 voices cannot be used and that v6 sounds nothing like v5.5. Prior lawsuits against Suno began in 2024 over alleged large-scale copyright infringement.
Reddit users have described Suno’s v6 update as unusable and have posted direct criticisms of its audio output, with one comment stating, “Every song comes out flat, the voices are muddy, the sound is abysmal.”
Another Reddit post described the latest update as “the death of Suno,” reflecting strong negative reaction within the community. The Reddit discussion includes multiple first-hand reports of frustration when generating music with v6.
Some community members specifically contrasted v6 with previous voice models, claiming that Suno’s 5.5 voices cannot be used and that v6 “sounds nothing like v5.5,” with one user writing, “[Suno] claims we can still use the 5.5 voices – not true – they sound nothing like in v5.5. The songs come out so bad [that] I won’t be able to use Suno at all.”
A separate Reddit post asserted, “The new update comes with your own personal representatives,” adding that representatives from Sony, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group would watch screens live and could suspend accounts. These direct quotes and comparisons emphasize user dissatisfaction with usability and the quality differences between v6 and earlier versions.
Prior legal actions against Suno began in 2024 with lawsuits alleging large-scale copyright infringement. In August, German courts ruled that Suno used protected songs without permission. Suno later admitted in the US District Court of Massachusetts that “audio data was obtained from YouTube for use as training” its software. The company subsequently released the v6 model, which the company says aims to strengthen safeguards across the industry and to create a healthier musical ecosystem.
On September 18, Sony and Universal Music Group filed a new 45-page lawsuit against Suno. That new lawsuit claims v6 still infringes on Sony and UMG’s catalog and argues that training on infringing content is not a fresh start and still creates infringement. The filings include statements that “Training a ‘new’ model on the outputs of an infringing model does not eliminate the infringement; it launders it.” The complaints further state that “V6 is not a fresh start; it is the fruit of the same poisoned tree.”
German courts ruled in August that Suno used protected songs without permission. Suno admitted in the US District Court of Massachusetts that “audio data was obtained from YouTube for use as training” its software. Prior lawsuits against Suno began in 2024 over alleged large-scale copyright infringement.
Suno released the v6 model. The company says v6 aims to strengthen safeguards across the industry and to create a healthier musical ecosystem. The v6 update was developed in partnership with Warner Music Group, BMG and Believe.
On September 18, Sony and Universal Music Group filed a new 45-page lawsuit against Suno. The new lawsuit claims v6 still infringes on Sony and UMG’s catalog and argues that training on infringing content is not a fresh start and still creates infringement. The filings include statements that “Training a ‘new’ model on the outputs of an infringing model does not eliminate the infringement; it launders it.” The complaints further state that “V6 is not a fresh start; it is the fruit of the same poisoned tree.”
Reddit users have posted direct comments describing v6 as unusable and poor quality, with quotes such as “Every song comes out flat, the voices are muddy, the sound is abysmal,” and one post calling the update “the death of Suno.” Some users also said Suno’s 5.5 voices cannot be used and that v6 “sounds nothing like v5.5,” while another post claimed representatives from Sony, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group would watch screens live and could suspend accounts.
Suno’s release of the v6 update, developed in partnership with Warner Music Group, BMG and Believe, has coincided with public backlash and ongoing litigation. German courts ruled in August that Suno used protected songs without permission, and Suno admitted in the US District Court of Massachusetts that “audio data was obtained from YouTube for use as training” its software.
On September 18, Sony and Universal Music Group filed a new 45-page lawsuit claiming v6 still infringes their catalog and arguing that training on infringing content is not a fresh start. At the same time, many Reddit users have described v6 as unusable, posting comments such as “Every song comes out flat, the voices are muddy, the sound is abysmal,” and some users say v6 sounds nothing like prior 5.5 voices.
The tension between Suno’s stated aim that v6 will strengthen safeguards and create a healthier musical ecosystem, widespread user dissatisfaction, and continuing copyright claims remains unresolved.
