Photo Credit: Suno
Moments after announcing a Believe partnership deal, Suno is now rolling out its Warner Music- and BMG-backed v6 models – with an eye on expanding into “opt-in experiences built around individual artists.” The sudden shift marks a big departure from earlier, non-licensed content grabs, but is it too late for Suno to shift course?
Suno officially debuted its v6 offering, technically consisting of three distinct models, this morning. As described by the company, a main v6 “flagship model” is available to subscribers alongside the “less predictable” v6-wild. Most importantly, v6 marks a major shift towards licensed inputs and a departure from the sketchy unlicensed versions that are drawing massive lawsuits from major rights owners like Universal Music Group.
Meanwhile, free accounts can access v6-mini, billed as “a faster, more efficient version available to everyone” – albeit without support for downloads or “commercial rights.”
Unsurprisingly, Suno is touting the v6 suite as its “best yet,” with a particular emphasis on multi-song mashup options, the ability to generate audio based on “a vibe, genre or mix of inspirations,” seemingly robust isolation capabilities (“update a single lyric without rebuilding the entire song”), and more.
But as v6 is replacing Suno’s prior models, how does the existing userbase feel about the change?
Out of the gate, the reception appears mixed – with some customers lambasting the models and threatening to exit Suno altogether. But others are voicing comparatively positive assessments, and to reiterate an obvious-but-important point, it’ll be worth closely monitoring the largescale shift’s net subscribership impact.
Additionally, it should be easy enough to ascertain the deal’s revenue impact for Warner Music Group in forthcoming earnings reports.
In what looks to be an authentic internal email, CEO Robert Kyncl (who penned a similar X post) appears to have framed the v6 launch as “a milestone in our mission to protect our artists and songwriters and bring them opportunity in a rapidly changing world.”
“Starting today, our artists and songwriters will share in the revenue generated by Suno’s more than 2 million, and growing, paying subscribers,” the text reads.
“This new creation-based revenue stream will only grow as our other partners – from DSPs like Spotify to startups like Udio, Klay and Stability – launch their own AI-powered fan-engagement tiers and platforms that allow fans to remix and interact with music they know and love,” the document continues.
Notably, the email also stresses that Suno will shut “down the original model that it had trained on the works of artists and songwriters, including our own, without permission.”
As initially highlighted, artist-specific AI products are on the horizon for Suno as well. And while the precise timetable here is unclear – of course, artists must opt in first – the platform described the features as “next” on its roadmap.
“What comes next is a new kind of product we’re developing: opt-in experiences built around individual artists, where artists can choose to participate and get paid when they do, and fans get new ways to connect with the artists they love,” Suno relayed.
