Suno & Udio Class Action: The Independent Artists' AI Lawsuit, Explained

What is the Suno and Udio class action lawsuit?

The Suno and Udio class action lawsuit is a set of cases brought by independent musicians against the AI music platforms Suno and Udio, alleging the companies trained their models on artists’ recordings without permission or payment. It is separate from the major labels’ cases: country artist Tony Justice, his label 5th Wheel Records, and My Heartland Publishing are named plaintiffs, suing on behalf of independent artists who released music on streaming services since 2021.

The suits were first filed in June 2025, led by Krystle Delgado of Delgado Entertainment Law, after a US Copyright Office report suggested AI training on music likely isn’t fair use. The complaints argue Suno and Udio “elected to simply steal the songs” rather than license them, and include stream-ripping claims under the DMCA over how the training data was collected.

How is it different from the RIAA Suno and Udio cases?

The RIAA cases were brought by Sony, Universal and Warner over their sound recordings. This case is brought by independent artists over their own catalogs. Different plaintiffs, different complaints, different lawyers, same core question: must AI companies pay for the music they train on?

The artists’ argument is that independent creators make up the bulk of the training data but were “left without a seat at the table” in the label litigation, so they built their own.

Who is suing Suno and Udio?

Independent musicians form the proposed class. Tony Justice, a full-time truck driver whose song “Last of the Cowboys” has topped 8 million streams, is the lead named plaintiff, alongside 5th Wheel Records and My Heartland Publishing. Krystle Delgado of Delgado Entertainment Law is lead counsel.

In June 2026, Hagens Berman joined as co-counsel and amended the Udio complaint. The firm is best known for a tobacco-industry settlement it values at $260 billion. “Working alongside a firm with the experience and track record of Hagens Berman strengthens our ability to pursue these claims and advocate for independent artists at scale,” said Delgado.

A second group of independent artists, led by songwriter David Woulard, filed its own class actions against Suno and Udio in October 2025 in the Northern District of Illinois, brought by Loevy & Loevy, adding Illinois biometric-privacy and right-of-publicity claims over the alleged use of artists’ voiceprints.

Which artists signed the statement against Suno and Udio?

Nearly 1,300 independent creators signed a public statement backing the lawsuits, including Benn Jordan, Anthony Fantano, Curtiss King, Venus Theory, DJ Pain 1, Kuddie Fresh and Sync My Music. The statement draws a careful line:

“We stand united not against AI itself, but against corporations that have built AI systems on stolen music without consent or compensation.”

It argues Suno and Udio “could have licensed music lawfully, as many responsible AI companies already do,” and “instead chose theft,” calling it an attack on the music community’s “most vulnerable and valuable members.” Affected artists can join as plaintiffs or follow updates through the campaign site.

What happens next in the Suno and Udio class action?

The cases are early. The addition of Hagens Berman signals the plaintiffs are building for a long fight, and an amended complaint widens the claims against Udio. Nothing has been decided, and class certification is still ahead. The throughline with every other AI-music case, from RIAA v. Suno to GEMA v. Suno, is the same: whether training on copyrighted music without a license is legal.