Skip to content

Music news, business and culture.

Join Newsletter

Believe and Suno sign global AI music licensing deal

Believe and Suno have announced a global licensing partnership covering participating Believe and TuneCore repertoire.

Believe and Suno global licensing partnership

Believe and Suno have entered a global licensing partnership, the companies announced Tuesday (September 8). The agreement covers participating repertoire from Believe and TuneCore, its platform for self-releasing artists, and marks a reversal of Believe’s April 2026 block on distributing tracks created with Suno’s artificial intelligence (AI) music platform.

Believe confirmed the partnership is global in scope. Under the deal, music from participating Believe and TuneCore artists and labels will be included in new music models that Suno is launching with industry partners.

Opt-in terms and distribution#

Believe and TuneCore artists and labels can choose to opt in to new licensed music products created jointly by the companies. All tracks made by artists using Suno’s new industry partner model will become eligible for distribution through Believe and TuneCore.

The announcement covers only output from that new model. Tracks made on Suno’s existing models, which the company has said will be retired when the new models launch, are not included.

Participating artists who consent will be compensated for their music and have their rights protected, the release said. They will also benefit from Suno’s training protections and recently announced transparency tools and download limits.

Download limits#

Suno confirmed the download limits in August. They took effect on September 3.

  • Pro subscribers: 20 song downloads per month
  • Premier subscribers: 60 song downloads per month
  • Suno Studio production suite users: no cap

Policy reversal#

Believe set out its earlier policy on April 30, when it began automatically blocking the distribution of tracks made on unlicensed platforms, a category in which it placed Suno. The companies said the change from that decision reflects progress achieved in recent months for artists.

Executive comment#

Denis Ladegaillerie, founder and CEO of Believe, said: “For 20 years, we have been helping artists and labels reach their full potential, and increasingly that means working with new technology like AI, while ensuring that responsible innovation translates into greater opportunities and value-generation for artists.”

He added: “The partnership we worked on with Suno for Believe and TuneCore unlocks powerful tools for all artists and labels. It now gives them a meaningful choice over how they can participate, protect their rights and enables them to share the value created by innovative responsible AI technologies.”

Mikey Shulman, CEO of Suno, said: “We have always shared a common goal with Believe to support independent artists at all stages of their careers. This partnership will significantly expand opportunities for independent artists, giving them access to creative tools, new paths to distribute their music through Believe and TuneCore, and more exposure.”

Shulman added: “We’ve been laying the foundation for the next generation of Suno, strengthening our safeguards, expanding our industry partnerships, and learning from artists testing our upcoming music models. We’re thrilled to work with Believe on innovative product experiences that will give their artists new ways to earn and build even deeper connections with their fans.”

Other Suno agreements#

The deal adds to licensing agreements Suno has struck with Warner Music Group and BMG. Warner Music Group settled its copyright lawsuit against Suno in November 2025.

Sponsored

ToneGrid: deliver your music globally. White-label distribution, royalties and analytics for labels and distributors.

More like this

Pick your tempo

Who owns what, who got paid, and who is about to. The business behind African music, told like it is actually interesting (because it is).

  • The deals and catalogue sales nobody put out a press release for
  • Chart moves and streaming numbers we actually fact-checked (wild, we know)
  • Fresh names added to the directory, vetted before you ever see them

Free forever Ghost us anytime, one click

Get the inside track from Afrobeats Wire

Choose your speed. We will handle the rest.

How fast do you want it?

Your inbox is sacred. This address is used for the newsletter and nothing else, never sold, never passed on. Privacy policy.