Sony Music Sues AI Generator Udio Over 30,000 Song Copyrights
Sony Music sued Udio for unauthorized use of 30,000 songs in AI-generated music.
Why it matters: This case could set critical legal precedents for AI involvement in music copyright infringement. It may influence future licensing and enforcement strategies against AI content platforms.
- Sony Music filed the lawsuit in New York on July 20, 2026, targeting Udio's AI music generator.
- Over 30,000 songs, including Elvis Presley’s 'Hound Dog' and Beyoncé’s 'Say My Name,' are alleged infringements.
- Udio admitted scraping publicly available audio to train its AI models.
- Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein denied Sony’s motion to expand the lawsuit scope from 333 to over 30,000 recordings.
- Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group previously settled similar copyright suits with Udio in 2025.
Sony Music Entertainment has legally challenged Udio, an AI music generator, accusing it of copyright infringement involving more than 30,000 songs. Some iconic works cited include 'Hound Dog' by Elvis Presley, 'Say My Name' by Beyoncé, and 'As It Was' by Harry Styles. The lawsuit was officially filed in a New York court on July 20, 2026.
During proceedings, Udio conceded it scraped audio from publicly available sources to train its AI music generator, raising concerns over the legality and ethics of such data collection for AI training as detailed here.
Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein ruled against expanding Sony Music's lawsuit to include the bulk of the 30,000 songs, citing the late stage of discovery and the significant increase in case complexity. He noted that adding these works would "require substantial additional production and review, generate further disputes, and materially alter the scope of the case before me," in a decision reported on July 2, 2026.
Previously, Udio reached settlements with two other major record labels: Universal Music Group in October 2025 and Warner Music Group in November 2025, reflecting ongoing industry efforts to manage AI’s impact on music copyright enforcement, as detailed in this report.
The outcome of Sony’s case with Udio remains a closely watched development for legal professionals focused on intellectual property and artificial intelligence, with potentially wide-reaching implications for how AI-generated content is licensed and policed in the music industry.
By the numbers:
- 30,000+ songs alleged to be infringed by Udio
- 333 original works currently in the lawsuit after limited expansion
- October 2025 — Universal Music Group settled with Udio
- November 2025 — Warner Music Group settled with Udio
Yes, but: Although Sony sought to include over 30,000 songs, the judge restricted the lawsuit to 333 works, potentially narrowing the case's impact.
What's next: Watch for further legal developments and potential appeals as Sony Music pursues infringement claims against Udio.