Suno fights to make Apple testify on whether Apple Music could survive without UMG and Sony, claiming the majors use their catalogs ‘as a cudgel’ to win anti-AI concessions

Suno is asking a California federal court to require Apple to answer questions under oath in a copyright dispute with Universal Music Group and Sony Music. The AI music company says Apple Music is relevant because the labels claim AI-generated tracks are eroding their market share and diluting royalties on streaming services.

Suno still seeks live testimony on four topics: Apple’s licensing talks with the labels, whether Apple Music could operate without either catalogue, streaming fraud, and communications about Suno. It argues the evidence could support its fair-use defence, including whether AI music harms the market for original recordings. The labels’ first lawsuit covers 560 recordings and carries a theoretical maximum of about $84 million in damages; a second suit concerns 60,202 recordings, with a theoretical maximum above $9 billion. Apple says the requested topics are irrelevant, too broad and disproportionate.