In the era of artificial intelligence, everything is possible.. even stealing millions of songs!
Imagine that you spent years composing a song, and suddenly you find an artificial intelligence that imitates your voice without your permission. This is exactly what happened to thousands of artists around the world, after leaks revealed that the Suno AI platform (the most popular music generation program using artificial intelligence) stole millions of songs from YouTube, Deezer, and Genius to train its models.
The story began when a hacker breached Suno’s servers and leaked source codes that prove the company relied on approximately 2 million audio tracks from YouTube Music and thousands of hours from Deezer and Genius, as well as other sites like Pond5 and Freesound. These leaks exposed the hidden face of the most popular artificial intelligence music platform.
What is the story of Suno AI exactly?
Suno AI is a platform that allows anyone to write song lyrics and generate complete music with a singer’s voice in seconds. The application has become very popular, but major record companies have filed lawsuits against it (including the RIAA in the US) for violating intellectual property rights.
The problem: Suno’s company always said that it was trained on “publicly available music from the internet”. But the new leaks show that they used special tools to bypass YouTube’s protection and download copyrighted songs. In fact, they hired an external company called Bright Data to help them extract songs from YouTube!
How does this apply in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia is witnessing a boom in the entertainment and music sector as part of Vision 2030. The Riyadh Season festivals and the General Entertainment Authority have contributed to the flourishing music scene. In light of this growth, important questions arise:
- Artificial intelligence and intellectual property: The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property has started regulating the digital copyright sector, and such cases put new legislation on the table.
- Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA): Recently launched the National Framework for Managing Artificial Intelligence Risks, and the illegal use of data is at the heart of these risks.
- Saudi artists: Many Saudi musicians have started publishing their work on YouTube and streaming platforms. Can their work be used without permission to train artificial intelligence models?
Important points you need to know
- The issue is not against artificial intelligence itself — the technology is useful, but the problem lies in the way the training data was obtained without permission.
- The scale of the theft is enormous: 2 million songs from YouTube + thousands of hours from Deezer and Genius + an attempt to download 1 million hours of podcasts!
- Suno’s response: defends itself with the argument of “fair use” (Fair Use), the same argument used by Google and Microsoft.
- The judiciary is the decisive factor: the outcome of these cases will determine the future of training artificial intelligence models worldwide, not just music.
- YouTube is also under fire: Google itself is accused of using YouTube content to train its voice models.
❓ Frequently asked questions about artificial intelligence and music
Who needs to use artificial intelligence music tools?
Anyone who wants to produce music quickly and without equipment: YouTube and TikTok content creators, game developers, advertisers, and even hobbyists who want to experiment. But professional artists are concerned about the impact on their rights.
Where can tools like Suno AI be used?
They can be used through a browser on any device — whether it’s a computer or a mobile phone.
Suno or Udio. Competitors like Udio and MusicLM from Google offer similar services. However, they all face similar legal challenges.
How much does Suno AI cost?
The free version is limited (generating 5-10 songs per day). Paid plans start from 10 dollars per month (approximately 38 Saudi Riyals) for the basic version, reaching up to 30 dollars for the professional version with unlimited songs.
How long does it take to generate a song?
Typically 30 seconds to two minutes, depending on the song length and required audio quality. You can sing the lyrics you wrote and get an almost final version immediately.
How do I start using AI to generate music?
Try free websites first: Suno.ai or Udio.com. Write your lyrics, choose the music style (pop, rap, classical), and let the AI do its work. But beware: the rights to the song you generate may be subject to legal disputes!
Conclusion
The case of Suno AI is not just a technical scandal — it is a legal battle that will determine the future of generative AI worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, with the entertainment sector evolving and SDAIA focusing on AI regulation, we must be aware of these issues. The technology itself is amazing and useful, but respecting the rights of creators and artists is a red line. Most importantly: before using any AI tool to generate content, ask yourself: were the data it was trained on collected legally?
