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Suno, an AI-driven music generation company, has announced the launch of its new AI tool, Suno V4, which the company claims heralds "a new era of AI music generation." This announcement comes hot on the heels of a lawsuit from major record labels accusing Suno of using copyrighted music for training its AI models without permission.

Jack Brody, the former Head of Product at Snap Inc., has recently joined Suno as Chief Product Officer. Brody expressed enthusiasm for his new role, stating his eagerness to help reshape how music is created and experienced. Brody's hiring follows closely after Grammy-winning artist and producer Timbaland joined Suno as a strategic advisor, after reportedly being an avid user of the platform for several months.

Suno V4 is designed not only for musicians but also for content creators, game developers, and marketers. The AI tool can generate unique background music for various media formats including videos, podcasts, and social media content. Additionally, it offers dynamic soundtracks and sound effects tailored for gaming, enhancing interactive experiences with background music, sound effects, and environment sounds. For marketers, Suno V4 provides professional audio solutions for advertisements, corporate videos, and brand identities.

One of the standout features of Suno V4 is its ability to generate human-like vocal performances, making them nearly indistinguishable from real human voices. This advancement has sparked conversations within the music industry, with some experts suggesting it could have significant implications for the sector.

Despite its technological advancements, Suno is embroiled in a legal conflict with major record companies such as Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. These companies have sued Suno and another AI music generator, Udio, alleging that they trained their AI models using copyrighted music without authorization. Suno and Udio have responded by arguing that their use of copyrighted material constitutes "fair use" under US copyright law—a defense yet to be tested in court.

Suno's user base has seen significant growth, now boasting 12 million users, up from 10 million earlier this year. This rapid expansion is partially driven by a recent funding round in which Suno raised $125 million, bringing its valuation to $500 million. The company offers both a free version with limited track creation capabilities and a paid version that allows unlimited track creation with full rights over the generated music.

As Suno continues to innovate and expand its offerings, all eyes will be on the legal system to determine the future implications for AI-driven music creation and copyright law.