Amazon’s Alexa+ Adds Suno Integration Amidst Copyright Concerns
Amazon has announced the integration of Suno, an AI music generator, into its new Alexa+ smart assistant. This feature allows users to create songs from voice prompts. However, this partnership has raised eyebrows given Suno’s ongoing legal battles concerning copyright infringement.
Last week, Amazon unveiled Alexa+, an advanced version of its voice assistant incorporating generative AI. The goal is to create more natural and intuitive interactions. A key feature is the ability to use voice prompts to generate complete songs through integration with Suno.
Suno has recently been at the center of several legal challenges. In January, the German collection society GEMA sued Suno, alleging that the AI was trained on copyrighted material without permission. Major record companies have also pursued similar lawsuits against Suno and another AI music company, Udio, for the same reason. Suno has responded by claiming ‘fair use,’ stating that ‘learning is not infringing.’
Despite these legal issues, Amazon has chosen to partner with Suno. Panos Panay, SVP of Devices & Services, wrote on the Amazon blog, “Using Alexa’s integration with Suno, you can turn simple, creative requests into complete songs, including vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation. Looking to delight your partner with a personalized song for their birthday based on their love of cats, or surprise your kid by creating a rap using their favorite cartoon characters? Alexa+ has you covered.”
This move has raised questions, particularly given a recent “expanded global relationship” between Amazon Music and Universal Music. That deal addressed, among other issues, “unlawful AI-generated content.” Insiders report that Amazon’s music partners, including Universal, were not informed about the Suno partnership. The clash of interests between these companies could influence the future of Alexa+ integration and any plans for future Amazon partnerships.
As the lawsuits against Suno continue, the long-term impact of this partnership on Amazon’s Alexa+ remains uncertain.
