Suno says it will watermark AI-made songs and limit downloads

In short: Suno says it will start adding watermarks to songs made on its AI music platform, and it plans new limits and rules to reduce misuse.

What happened

Suno, a service that lets people create songs using AI, says it will begin watermarking and fingerprinting audio made on its platform. Think of a watermark as a hidden signature inside the sound (like an invisible stamp) that can help identify where a track came from.

The company says the goal is to reduce misuse on other streaming platforms. One issue, according to Suno, is people uploading AI-made songs elsewhere and trying to game the system to earn money.

Suno did not say whether it will use an existing watermarking system such as Google’s Synth ID, or build something new. It also did not share a timeline for when watermarking will roll out.

Suno also said it signed an agreement with lyrics company Musixmatch to use its “Sentinal” system for copyright detection. Copyright detection is a way to flag content that may copy protected work.

Separately, Suno says it plans a new download policy to stop “mass distribution” of songs onto streaming platforms, but it did not share details. The company also updated its community guidelines to ban “deceptive audio presented as real” and using a real person’s voice or likeness without permission.

Why it matters

These changes come while Suno faces multiple legal fights with record labels and artist groups, including a lawsuit involving Universal Music Group and Sony Music Group, and a German court ruling tied to copyright. For everyday listeners and creators, watermarking and tighter rules could make it easier to tell where a song came from, and harder for bad actors to upload lookalike tracks or impersonate someone else.

Source: TechCrunch AI