Sony Music Japan’s office in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. Photo Credit: Eurotuber
A Sony Music-Udio settlement appears unlikely for 2025: In keeping with early evidence that the companies would continue litigating, a previously scheduled status conference has officially been axed.
Technically, the major label and the AI music generator started December by asking the court to shelve their planned December 12th conference. In the same letter to the presiding judge, the parties, acknowledging “outstanding disputes,” requested yet another discovery document-production delay (the fifth overall).
Of course, discovery hurdles aren’t unheard of – especially in high-stakes legal battles involving well-equipped litigants and a multitude of moving parts. (For recent proof, look no further than Epidemic Sound’s years-running Meta showdown, which, far from resolving, now encompasses two distinct lawsuits.)
However, the request was noteworthy given that Universal Music and Warner Music had already settled with Udio, including delivering dismissal notices in November. That Sony Music and Udio were actively duking it out didn’t exactly support the idea of an imminent resolution.
Nevertheless, things can change quickly at the intersection of AI and litigation, and due to the UMG and WMG settlement terms, Udio has already implemented sweeping changes. Following these points to their logical conclusion, Sony Music and Udio will presumably put their dispute to rest (and hammer out a licensing pact) at some point.
For now, this possible settlement remains elusive. Judge Alvin Hellerstein just recently agreed to cancel the status conference – albeit without green-lighting the parties’ request for a February 3rd (or later) rescheduling.
“A new conference will be scheduled after the Court rules on the pending [discovery-extension] motion,” Judge Hellerstein wrote.
With that, it’ll be worth tracking the courtroom confrontation into the new year. Also unfolding: Multiple indie suits against AI giants, besides a Suno copyright complaint from Universal Music and Sony Music.
Thus far, Warner Music is the only major that’s announced a settlement with Suno. Interestingly, though, the Robert Kyncl-led company was still listed as a party to the action in a December 5th protective-order filing.
Furthermore, while nearly two weeks have passed since WMG unveiled its “groundbreaking” Suno partnership, a related stipulation of dismissal has yet to reach the docket.
For reference, UMG unveiled its Udio pact on October 29th, and its settlement notice followed one week later, compared to a November 19th announcement and a November 25th settlement confirmation for WMG.
