AI music platform Suno has announced a new incubator program for independent musicians, the company’s latest target in courting the artist community as artificial intelligence remains among the most controversial topics among creatives.
The new program, called Spark, will include grants, mentorship and marketing support, Suno said, with the company saying it looks forward to “helping more artists turn ideas into finished projects, connect these projects with fans, and build new opportunities to grow their careers inside and outside of Suno.”
“Making it as an independent artist is not easy,” Paul Sinclair, Suno’s chief music officer and head of creator economy and monetization Rosie Nguyen, said in a blog post published Thursday morning. “Every day, we meet talented artists who have great ideas, unique perspectives, and a clear vision for their music, but who may not have the resources or connections to take the next step. At Suno, we want to help create a future where more artists have the opportunity to develop their craft, find their audience, and build sustainable creative careers.”
Sinclair and Nguyen said potential applicants for Spark must be at least 18 years old, be musicians releasing music under their own name and must be an unsigned independent act.
Suno has plunged the music industry into a major controversy, with all major record labels suing the company over allegations of mass copyright infringement over Suno’s AI training model. Suno reached a settlement and partnership with Warner Music Group last year, and has since been looking to strengthen its position with music creators as a partner. (Suno is still in litigation with major labels Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.)
“One of the best parts of working in music is discovering artists at the beginning of their journey,” Sinclair and Nguyen wrote. “We can’t wait to meet the talented creators joining Spark, hear what they’re working on, share their stories, and learn from them along the way.”
Despite the legal dispute, Suno has continued to grow larger, with the company recently closing a $400 million financing round that valued the company at $5.4 billion.
While Suno is looking to position itself as an artist-friendly tool, there is so far no shortage of artists who are adamantly against AI music creation. Over the weekend, SZA took to social media to harshly criticize hundreds of her songs used to train AI models, writing: “So you’re a musician and you support this degenerate bullshit? You’re disgusting and there’s absolutely nothing you can say to me to make this right.”
Likewise, Doja Cat denounced AI this week after she said fans mistook some AI songs online as hers. “Fuck AI for real,” Duja wrote.
