Suno Gets TuneCore Distribution Back Through Opt-In Music Licensing Deal

Suno’s music can again move through TuneCore, the distributor whose owner had previously restricted it. Under a new partnership with Believe Music and TuneCore, artists and labels can choose whether their music is used for Suno’s next model, while tracks created on Suno can return to TuneCore distribution. The deal puts consent over training and access to distribution on separate tracks.

Two choices inside one agreement

The partnership covers music from participating Believe and TuneCore artists and labels. Suno says that music will be included in an upcoming model trained exclusively on licensed music. Believe owns TuneCore, the music-distribution platform involved in the deal.

TuneCore artists must explicitly agree before their recordings are used for training. That makes the training side opt-in: an artist can decide whether to contribute music to the forthcoming model.

It now gives them a meaningful choice over how they can participate, protect their rights and enables them to share the value created by innovative responsible AI technologies.

Denis Ladegaillerie, Believe founder and CEO

A reversal at the distribution gate

The other half of the deal changes what happens after a song is made. Tracks created on Suno will again be allowed through TuneCore, restoring a distribution route that Believe had cut off in an April policy update.

In that earlier policy, Believe said it would block AI-generated songs made on what it called “pirate platforms.” The new partnership carves Suno out of that position. Distribution eligibility is therefore not presented as a reward for putting an artist’s recordings into the training pool.

A new partner, with old disputes still present

Suno and Believe say participating rights holders will be compensated for their music and that their rights will be protected. The companies did not describe the compensation structure in the statement reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

The Hollywood Reporter described this as Suno’s first partnership with an independent music distributor. Believe joins Warner Music Group and BMG as partners for Suno’s upcoming licensed model. Suno also faces lawsuits from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Round Hill and musician Jason Isbell, keeping its legal disputes separate from this commercial agreement.