Sony Music sues AI startup Udio over 30,000 songs

Sony Music Entertainment has filed a new, expansive copyright lawsuit against artificial intelligence music startup Udio, alleging the company used more than 30,000 copyrighted recordings without permission to train its song-generating models. The complaint, filed on July 20, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, significantly escalates the legal battle between the major label and the AI firm.

The lawsuit alleges Udio obtained the recordings by "ripping" audio from YouTube and feeding it into its AI systems, which can produce music based on user prompts. Sony claims the infringed works include music by prominent artists such as Alicia Keys, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Beyoncé, and Michael Jackson. The company is seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work, which could total billions of dollars, and is requesting a jury trial.

This new legal action follows a procedural ruling on June 29, where a judge denied Sony's request to add these same recordings to an existing lawsuit it filed against Udio in 2024 alongside Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. The judge ruled that expanding the original case would unduly delay...