IMPEL and IMPF Launch AI Attribution Sandbox with Sureel AI

Two global independent music publishing bodies, IMPEL (the international collective of independent music publishers) and IMPF (the Independent Music Publishers International Forum), have partnered with Sureel AI to launch a sandbox project that will test how the company’s attribution technology traces musical works in generative AI systems.

The initiative will allow participating publishers to examine Sureel’s capabilities in a secure, closed environment using selected repertoire. The goal is to understand how the technology detects when works are used to train AI models, how that usage is measured, and how resulting attribution data can support fair compensation for songwriters and publishers. No musical works will be made available for AI training or any purpose beyond the defined scope of the trial.

Why the sandbox matters

The project is designed to equip the independent publishing sector with practical insights for negotiating licensing deals with AI companies and platforms that may distribute AI-generated music. By testing attribution methods directly, publishers aim to move toward evidence-based licensing rather than relying on unverified claims.

Sarah Williams, CEO of IMPEL, said: “We are excited to be working with Sureel on this sandbox. Handled correctly, AI can be a value creation opportunity for the music industry. This is why we are engaging so constructively. However, we are in uncharted territory and must do everything in our power to ensure that music, and more particularly the song, receives its due. AI content has its place as long as the diverse forms of human artistry and musical culture that inform it are respected and remunerated. Now is the time to set precedents that are fair and scalable, and to embed within the accepted licensing architecture, mechanisms that can be trusted to attribute value on an empirical basis.”

Annette Barrett, President of IMPF, added: “Songwriters pour their hearts into their work, and it’s only right that independent publishers and the songwriters they represent see a fair return when that work helps generative AI systems create something new. This sandbox is a real opportunity to test attribution technology together, in a safe and controlled way, and to genuinely understand what it can and can’t do. We believe that only with the use of a vetted attribution engine will generative AI licensing support fair, transparent and evidence-based licensing. We want independent music publishers and their songwriters to approach AI licensing with confidence and clarity, not guesswork, and to know that the value their creativity generates is recognised and fairly shared. We’re happy to do this work alongside IMPEL, and we look forward to what we’ll learn together.”

Sureel AI’s role

Dr. Tamay Aykut, Founder and CEO of Sureel AI, said: “There’s no more important step right now than songwriter and publisher organisations testing attribution technology for themselves. Independent publishers and their writers shouldn’t have to take anyone’s word for it, they should be able to see and verify the evidence directly. That’s why we’re working in a trusted partnership with IMPEL, IMPF and their members to put that transparency in their hands, so they can make informed licensing decisions on their own terms. Our role is to provide a neutral, trusted calculation layer that supports any choice, including opt-out. Attribution only works if rightsholders can trust it.”

IMPEL is a collective management organisation owned and controlled by its members, which include independent music publishers such as Bucks Music Group, Beggars Music, Reservoir Music, Kassner Music, CTM, ABKCO, Truelove Music, Faber Music, Mute Song, Budde UK, Median Müzik, TRO Essex, Phrased Differently, Red Brick Songs and Warp Music. Its repertoire spans works recorded by artists including Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Dua Lipa, David Bowie, Ray Charles, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Calvin Harris, Elvis Presley, Joni Mitchell and Miles Davis.

IMPF is the global trade body representing more than 300 independent music publishing companies worldwide. Its members collectively hold a 26% share of the global music publishing market.

Sureel AI provides attribution and provenance infrastructure for the AI economy. Its patented “AI DNA” technology measures how AI models use recordings, compositions and artist name, image and likeness during training and generation, enabling rightsholders, AI companies, publishers, PROs and distributors to track, control and monetise intellectual property across the AI stack.