Suno Seeks Apple Testimony on Whether Apple Music Could Survive Without UMG and Sony, Alleging Majors Use Catalogs as Anti-AI Leverage

AI music startup Suno is pushing to compel Apple to testify in its ongoing litigation with major record labels, arguing that Universal Music Group and Sony Music use their catalog dominance as a "cudgel" to extract anti-AI concessions from streaming platforms like Apple Music. Suno contends that understanding the power labels hold over streaming services is central to its legal defense against the majors' licensing demands.

As part of the effort, Suno is also seeking an Apple witness to speak to the company's current licensing negotiations with both UMG and Sony, as well as to the issue of streaming fraud on Apple Music. The move signals that Suno intends to frame the lawsuit not just as a copyright dispute, but as a broader challenge to how major labels wield market leverage against emerging AI music technologies.