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AFM Sues Universal and Warner Over AI Music Licensing, Putting Session Musician Compensation in Focus

  • Jul 6
  • 1 min read

The American Federation of Musicians has sued Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group over AI-related music licensing. The case focuses on whether session musicians should be compensated and informed when recordings they performed on are licensed for AI training or AI music products. As labels move from litigation toward licensing, the rights of performers behind the recordings are becoming a central music-business issue.

What the Lawsuit Centers On

According to Pitchfork, AFM alleges that the labels violated collective bargaining obligations by licensing recordings for AI-related use without properly compensating or informing session musicians. The issue is not only whether AI companies can access music catalogs, but also how the performers who helped create those recordings are treated in the licensing chain.

Source: Pitchfork.

Why It Matters

Licensing may be a more sustainable path than unauthorized training, but a deal between a rightsholder and an AI company does not automatically resolve every performer-related claim. Session musicians are often less visible than featured artists, yet their performances are part of the economic value being licensed.

ZEN Editorial View

For Japanese artists, producers, and independent labels, the lesson is practical: AI-use clauses, secondary licensing, additional compensation, and credit treatment should be explicit before music is distributed or licensed. The lawsuit shows that AI music rights cannot be solved only at the label-versus-platform level.

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