Tech Desk: In a significant move to enhance transparency and combat fraud, AI music generator Suno is introducing new “transparency tools,” including Suno audio watermarks and strict download limits for songs created on its platform. This decision comes amidst escalating legal battles and mounting pressure from the global music industry to address concerns over AI-generated content.

Suno co-founder and CEO Mikey Shulman confirmed that the platform will adopt advanced audio watermarking and fingerprinting technology. While specific details remain vague, the aim is to make AI-generated songs easily identifiable even if they appear on other platforms, similar in principle to Google’s SynthID. Shulman emphasized that the ultimate discretion to communicate AI creation should rest with artists and platforms.

Beyond watermarks, Suno will impose new download limits to curb the mass distribution of AI songs on streaming services. This directly responds to calls from major labels like Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group to disqualify “AI slop tracks” from music charts, tackling the influx of potentially infringing content.

The company has faced multiple copyright infringement lawsuits, accused of training models on unauthorized music. Although Warner Music recently reached a licensing agreement with Suno, a German court just ruled against the platform for using protected music without rights. Suno maintains it doesn’t use artist names in its training data and restricts specific artist prompts.

To further its commitment, Suno is collaborating with content recognition and data companies, including Audible Magic and Musixmatch, to screen uploaded audio files and lyrics for potential misuse. These measures underscore a growing industry-wide effort to balance AI innovation with ethical practices and legal compliance.