Suno Admits to Ripping YouTube Audio for AI Training in Major Label Lawsuit

Suno has formally admitted in court that it pulled audio directly from YouTube to train its generative AI models. In a 26-page legal response filed in Massachusetts federal court against Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Capitol Records, the company confirmed it used the open-source tool YT-DLP to scrape audio data across the platform. While Suno conceded to grabbing the files, the startup is aggressively pushing back against the majors' amended complaint. According to reporting from Music Business Worldwide, Suno’s defense argues that copying expression on the backend constitutes fair use, while also claiming the record giants lack the constitutional standing under Article III to pursue DMCA stream-ripping violations. To flip the pressure back onto the industry titans, Suno filed affirmative defenses accusing the labels of anticompetitive behavior aimed at preserving an unlawful monopoly over commercial music. The lines are drawn, and neither side is backing down from this fight.