Photo by Blaz Erzetic
As copyright lawsuits from major companies mount, Suno is pressing ahead with its ambitions to reshape music creation through AI. The Massachusetts-based company has announced version 4.5+ of its AI music generator, introducing what it describes as “previously unimaginable capabilities” for generative, studio-quality music production.
The update delivers three new tools positioned as “first-of-their-kind professional audio production features.” Add Vocals enables users to layer vocal lines over instrumental tracks, while Add Instrumentals allows for AI-generated backing tracks to be added beneath vocal recordings. A third feature, Inspire, analyses user-curated playlists to create songs aligned with their musical tastes.
These developments follow Suno’s acquisition of WavTool in June, bringing browser-based DAW functionality (including VST support, live recording, stem separation, and AI-assisted MIDI generation) into the platform’s ecosystem. Earlier that month, Suno also introduced an enhanced editing interface, offering more granular control over stems and audio uploads.
The company’s latest moves suggest a deliberate pivot towards serving professional or semi-professional music creators, rather than solely catering to AI music hobbyists. While previous iterations focused largely on generating songs from text prompts, the new tools invite users to manipulate and develop existing recordings, aligning more closely with traditional music production workflows.
Alongside these technological developments, Suno is bolstering its industry credentials with the appointment of Paul Sinclair as Chief Music Officer. A former Warner Music Group executive, Sinclair will oversee how Suno’s AI tools are integrated into the songmaking process.
“This isn’t a minor upgrade; it’s a glimpse of the future,” said Mikey Shulman, CEO & Co-Founder of Suno. “We’re not just giving users a better model that makes better music — we’re introducing new workflows that change how music gets made.”
Suno claims the quality of Add Vocals and Add Instrumentals will improve over time through continued user engagement.
Having raised $125 million in 2024 at a $500 million valuation, with backers including Lightspeed Venture Partners and Founder Collective, Suno remains one of the highest-profile players in AI music. However, it has been facing serious legal scrutiny. In June 2024, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group jointly sued the company for alleged copyright infringement, claiming their recordings were used without consent to train Suno’s models. German rights body GEMA filed a similar lawsuit in January 2025, alleging unauthorized use of protected works by artists such as Alphaville and Modern Talking.
Both Suno and rival Udio have acknowledged training their AI on copyrighted music, maintaining their actions fall under fair use exemptions to copyright law.
Suno continues to court industry support. Timbaland was named a strategic advisor in October 2024, working closely with the company on product development. Meanwhile, reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal suggest the major labels remain in licensing talks with Suno and Udio, exploring content fingerprinting solutions and potential equity stakes.
Suno has indicated further updates to its platform are forthcoming.
