Sony seeks to add 30,000 recordings to Udio copyright lawsuit
Sony Music moved to add more than 30,000 copyrighted recordings to its lawsuit against Udio, Music Business Worldwide reported. The case is part of the major labels' broader fight over whether AI music platforms used protected recordings to train their models. Sony's expanded claim raises the scale of alleged infringement far beyond a handful of test tracks. The filing arrives days after new platform deals and hiring moves showed music companies trying to build licensed AI products while suing unlicensed ones. The message from rightsholders is that opt-in licensing and unauthorized training will be treated as separate markets.
THE BREAKDOWN
Artists should treat AI training consent as a specific right, not a vague digital use. Managers need to add AI model training, voice cloning, output similarity, and audit language to recording and publishing agreements. Brands using AI music in campaigns should demand proof that the model and output are licensed for commercial use. If a track is generated by an unlicensed system, the brand may inherit takedown risk after the campaign is live. The safest negotiation posture is to reserve AI rights unless the fee and controls are explicit.
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