# US Musicians Union Urges Court to Reject Universal and Warner Bid to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Suno and Udio Deals

_Legal · published 2026-07-22_

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) is pressing a court to deny motions to dismiss its lawsuit against Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, arguing that the labels' licensing agreements with AI music companies Suno and Udio triggered contractual "new use" provisions. Under those provisions, the union contends, the labels were obligated to compensate member musicians whose recorded performances were included in the licensed material.

The case puts a spotlight on how existing musician contracts intersect with the emerging practice of licensing recorded music catalogs to AI training pipelines. If the court allows the suit to proceed, it could set a significant precedent for how "new use" clauses in legacy agreements apply to AI-era licensing deals across the industry.

## Sources
- [Music Business Worldwide](https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/us-musicians-union-urges-court-to-reject-universal-and-warner-bid-to-dismiss-lawsuit-over-suno-and-udio-deals/)
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