A coalition of 31 organizations representing artists, songwriters and music managers has published an open letter warning the world’s record labels and publishers to “stop the misuse” of creators’ rights in AI deals.
The letter was published on Monday (June 22) and coordinated by the European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA).
It was signed by groups including the Songwriters of North America and the US-based Music Artists Coalition, founded by Irving Azoff.
“Across the global music industry, record companies and publishers are negotiating AI deals that could shape the future of music,” the letter states. “Yet the artists and songwriters whose works, voices, performances, likenesses and creative identities make those deals valuable are not being meaningfully consulted.”
The coalition claims that artists and songwriters with existing recording and publishing deals are being told by major labels and publishers that they will be opted into AI-related uses by default.
The letter’s signatories also include the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance, the Artist Rights Alliance, the Black Music Action Coalition, and the Featured Artists Coalition.
Responding to the letter, a spokesperson for the IFPI, which represents the global recorded music industry, said: “Music companies are leading the fight to protect artists’ and songwriters’ rights in the age of AI.
“While our members have taken different approaches, they share the same fundamental objectives: combating the unauthorized use of music and establishing licensing models that return revenue to artists and songwriters.”
“While our members have taken different approaches, they share the same fundamental objectives: combating the unauthorized use of music and establishing licensing models that return revenue to artists and songwriters.”
IFPI spokesperson
The IFPI spokesperson added: “At a time when some tech companies large and small are engaging in the wholesale theft of virtually every song ever recorded, our members have sued infringers, pushed for legislation, and developed new licensing models, all to protect the interests of artists, songwriters and rightsholders and ensure they are compensated.”
The letter adds that artists and songwriters signing new deals are being presented with AI rights clauses as a standard condition of signing.
The letter argues that artists and songwriters “remain the primary holders of many of the rights at stake, including moral, neighbouring, image and personality rights.” Those rights, it says, are “not label or publishers assets to be licensed without clear authority, consent and accountability.”
It adds that artists and songwriters “should be (where applicable, through their managers) the primary parties approached by AI companies to discuss such rights.”
The open letter arrives just over two weeks after the American Federation of Musicians sued Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, alleging the two majors licensed their members’ recordings to Suno and Udio without paying or crediting the musicians who played on them.
Universal Music Group struck a deal with Udio in late October 2025, announcing a “compensatory legal settlement” plus license agreements for a new AI music platform set to launch in 2026.
Warner Music Group reached its own settlement and licensing deal with Udio in mid-November 2025.
Days later, WMG became the first major label to strike a deal with and settle its copyright lawsuit against Suno. The deal also saw the AI company acquire concert-discovery platform Songkick from Warner.
The orgs issuing the letter on Monday cite a WPI Economics study that reports rightsholders and AI developers across creative sectors had struck 274 commercial licensing agreements as of 2026, with music deals including platforms such as Suno, Udio and Spotify.
Elsewhere in the letter, the orgs say that AI can “create new opportunities for music,” but warn that “artists are not simply catalogue assets, and innovation cannot be used to override artists’ rights.”
The open letter sets out three principles that it says all parties must respect when AI deals are discussed.
On Consent & Control, it states that consent “cannot be imposed through default opt-ins” and should not be “a condition of signing a new deal,” adding that artists must be able to “say no without fear of penalisation.”
On Fair Compensation, it says it must be clear “which percentage of revenue goes to the creator, to the label and to the AI company.”
On Clarity & Transparency, it says creators must be given “clear, timely and understandable information” about any AI-related deal so they can make informed decisions.
The letter calls on companies entering AI music deals to make a public commitment: “No default opt-ins,” “No forced AI clauses,” and “No use of artists’ work, voice, performance, likeness or creative identity without meaningful consent, fair remuneration and full transparency.”
“The future of music,” the letter concludes, “must be built with artists, songwriters and their representatives, not imposed on them.”
“The music business is at a moment where it can build this properly, together. But that means genuine partnership with the people who make the music.
Ron Gubitz, MAC
“Amidst a flurry of AI deals, EMMA has coordinated this letter because of mounting concerns about the misappropriation and landgrab of artist and songwriter rights,” said Jess Partridge, EMMA’s Executive Director.
“Across the board, we are seeing major music companies acting unilaterally by agreeing global AI licensing agreements without entering into negotiations or requesting consent from the creative talent they work with,” Partridge added.
“This is no way to build a viable, artist-centric music sector. It also risks repeating the mistakes of the past,” said Partridge.
Azoff’s Music Artists Coalition raised similar questions after Universal Music Group settled its copyright lawsuit against Udio in late October 2025 and agreed to build a licensed AI platform with the company.
The day after that deal was announced, MAC publicly sought clarity on what share of revenue would reach artists and how their consent would work.
“On the issue of AI licensing, artists, songwriters and managers have stood shoulder to shoulder with the wider music industry on the principle of consent – and that LLM models must not be trained on other people’s rights,” said Annabella Coldrick, Chief Executive of the Music Managers Forum in the UK.
“With this open letter, we are simply requesting the same courtesy from our label and publisher partners,” Coldrick said. “These rights are not yours to sell.”
“Amidst a flurry of AI deals, EMMA has coordinated this letter because of mounting concerns about the misappropriation and landgrab of artist and songwriter rights.”
Jess Partridge, European Music Managers Alliance
“Songwriters must not be expected to sign away their rights without proper authorisation, fair remuneration and full transparency,” said Roberto Neri, CEO of The Ivors Academy.
“AI in music must be built on respect for creators’ rights, not on default opt-ins or terms imposed without genuine choice,” Neri added.
“Music is made by artists: songwriters, musicians, performers. The rights belong to those creators,” said Ron Gubitz, Executive Director of the Music Artists Coalition.
“The music business is at a moment where it can build this properly, together. But that means genuine partnership with the people who make the music,” Gubitz said.
Billboard reported in April that clauses granting labels the right to use recordings for AI training had begun appearing in record contracts, particularly in Germany and France.
You can read the letter in full below:
Artists And Songwriters Must Not Be Pressured Into AI Deals Without Meaningful Consent
Monday, 22 June 2026
Across the global music industry, record companies and publishers are negotiating AI deals that could shape the future of music.
Yet the artists and songwriters whose works, voices, performances, likenesses and creative identities make those deals valuable are not being meaningfully consulted.
Artists and songwriters remain the primary holders of many of the rights at stake, including moral, neighbouring, image and personality rights.
These rights are not label or publishers assets to be licensed without clear authority, consent and accountability.
This means that artists and songwriters should be (where applicable, through their managers) the primary parties approached by AI companies to discuss such rights.
We are increasingly concerned that artists and songwriters in existing recording and publishing agreements are receiving letters from major labels and publishers informing them that they will be opted in to AI-related uses by default, with little actual choice offered. At the same time, artists and songwriters signing new agreements are being presented with AI rights clauses as a standard condition of signing.
The result is a serious imbalance: artists and songwriters are being asked to give permission without sufficient information, clear terms or guaranteed remuneration.
We support innovation and recognise that AI can create new opportunities for music. However artists are not simply catalogue assets, and innovation cannot be used to override artists’ rights.
We therefore call on record companies, publishers, policy makers, AI companies, digital platforms and all industry partners to respect and consider three core principles:
Consent & Control
Artists and songwriters must actively and specifically consent before their works, voice, performance, likeness or creative identity is used in connection with AI. There must be clarity around what they are being asked to approve, and they must have control over how it will be used. It cannot be buried in broad catch-all contract language or include rights in perpetuity. Consent cannot be imposed through default opt-ins and it should not be a condition of signing a new deal. Artists and songwriters must be able to say no without fear of penalisation.
Fair Compensation
Where artists and songwriters choose to participate in AI-related uses, they must receive fair and meaningful remuneration. They must share in the value created by their works, and it cannot be considered a general label asset. Artists and songwriters must be consulted and it must be clear which percentage of revenue goes to the creator, to the label and to the AI company.
Clarity & Transparency
Requests must be purpose-specific. Artists, songwriters and managers must be given clear, timely and understandable information about any AI-related deal or proposal affecting their rights in order to make informed decisions. The information must encompass which rights it includes, what uses are permitted, the safeguards in place, duration of permission and how consent can be withdrawn.
We call on all companies entering into AI music deals to make a clear and public commitment:
- No default opt-ins.
- No forced AI clauses.
- No use of artists’ work, voice, performance, likeness or creative identity without meaningful consent, fair remuneration and full transparency.
At a time when policymakers are reviewing copyright rules in response to AI, the protection of artists’ and songwriters’ rights, voices and remuneration is not negotiable. The structures being created now will shape the music ecosystem for years to come. The future of music must be built with artists, songwriters and their representatives, not imposed on them.
Signed,
- European Music Managers Alliance
- European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA)
- Music Artists Coalition (USA)
- SONA – Songwriters of North America (USA)
- NITO – National Independent Talent Organisation (USA)
- IAO – International Artists Organisation
- Artists Rights Alliance (USA)
- Black Music Action Coalition (USA)
- Association of Artist Managers (Australia)
- Music Managers Forum Aotearoa (New Zealand)
- Music Managers Forum Canada
- Featured Artists Coalition (UK)
- The Ivors Academy (UK)
- EMMA members who have signed also directly:
- Music Managers Forum UK
- UMAN – Union des Manageuses et Managers de la musique (France) Music Managers Forum Netherlands
- NEMAA – Norwegian Entertainment Managers and Agents Association IGMAP – Polish Artists Chamber of Commerce.
- IMUC – Interessenverband Musikmanager & Consultants (Germany) Music Managers Forum Sweden
- AIM Ireland
- MMaF – Music Managers Federation (Flanders, Belgium) Music Managers Forum Finland
- ZEME – Hungarian Managers Forum (Zenei Menedzserek Egyesülete) Music Estonia Managers
- Danske Artist Managers
- Music Managers Forum Ukraine
- Music Managers Forum Iceland
- Music Managers Forum Suisse
- FORMA – Foro de Mánagers (Spain)
- Fédération des Bookers et Managers Unies (Wallonia, Belgium)
Music Business Worldwide