THE AI SYNC LAB / FIELD GUIDE

Music Licensing
in the Age of AI

A practical starting point for understanding AI workflows, documenting your music, and researching the right route to market.

FREE TO READ SIX PRACTICAL CHAPTERS

01

Start with what you actually made.

“AI music” covers very different creative processes. Before searching for a company, write a plain-language account of what you wrote, performed, generated, converted, arranged, and edited.

WorkflowWhat to document
Human-authored, AI-assistedThe human writing and performances, plus each tool’s role in production or editing.
Human-written song with AI vocalsLyrics and composition, source vocal material, conversion or generation tools, and relevant voice permissions.
Substantially or fully generatedGeneration tools and dates, relevant output licenses, human changes, and the exact elements generated.

A company may use different labels for the same process. Read its definition and describe your workflow accurately rather than relying on the word “assisted.”

02

Separate permission, protection, and acceptance.

Commercial-use permission from a tool, copyright protection, and a company’s willingness to accept a recording are separate questions. One answer does not settle the others.

The U.S. Copyright Office’s January 2025 report centers copyrightability on sufficient human authorship. AI assistance does not automatically disqualify human expression, while prompts alone do not establish authorship of generated expression. This is U.S. guidance; other jurisdictions require their own review.

Primary source: U.S. Copyright Office, January 29, 2025 ↗

Check the terms for your specific provider, plan, output, and relevant dates. Suno’s current help page describes commercial-use rights for songs downloaded while subscribed and explicitly separates those rights from copyright protection.

Primary source: Suno paid-subscription rights, edited September 3, 2026 ↗

03

Keep a small, organized evidence file.

Save the information a reviewer is likely to ask for: writing drafts, project files, stems, contributor details, generation or download dates, relevant plan receipts, output terms, and permissions for third-party material or identifiable voices.

Document what you control in the recording and composition, and any existing exclusivity or representation commitments. An invoice can be useful evidence of a plan; it does not, by itself, clear every element in a recording.

Explore the member Track Submission Kit
04

Match the route to your goal.

A sync company may represent selected music for media use. A marketplace can make tracks available to buyers. A distributor delivers releases to platforms. A label may develop and release artists. A free-use library may offer exposure with no conventional licensing payout.

Use the directory’s company-type filters to separate these models. For emerging platforms, distinguish a feature that is already operating from one announced for the future. For any company, confirm both AI eligibility and an actual outside-contributor route.

Research the company types ↗
05

Send a focused, transparent pitch.

Follow the recipient’s current submission process. Prepare concise listening links, accurate metadata, a clear rights contact, and a short description of the AI workflow. If requested, have instrumental versions, stems, and alternate edits ready.

For briefs, check the individual opportunity. A platform-level AI policy does not mean every buyer or brief accepts the same music. When the policy is ambiguous, ask the company about your exact workflow before uploading or paying.

06

Read what the deal actually asks of you.

Review fees, revenue definitions, exclusivity, the term, termination, rights granted, warranties, and indemnity language. Compare the promises you are being asked to make with the rights and evidence you actually have.

Distribution is also separate from automated rights claiming such as Content ID. Confirm eligibility for each service rather than assuming one approval covers all destinations.

Educational information, not a legal opinion or a determination that any particular recording is cleared. For a consequential agreement, a qualified music attorney can assess your specific rights and obligations.

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

Start with a company.
Finish with the evidence.

Explore the directory ↗