Swedish music rights company signs licensing agreement with AI company in ‘world first’

Published connected 09/09/2025 - 13:00 GMT+2 •Updated 14:36

A Swedish euphony authorities nine says it has signed nan world’s first licensing statement pinch an artificial intelligence institution (AI). 

The Swedish Performing Rights Society (STIM) said it signed nan statement pinch Songfox, a Stockholm-based start-up that lets fans and creators legally nutrient AI-generated compositions, connected behalf of nan group’s 100,000 artists. 

Under nan deal, Songfox will usage a third-party attribution exertion called Sureel to trace immoderate AI outputs backmost to nan original human-created activity truthful nan artists tin get gross from it.

This statement “makes revenues auditable successful existent clip and addresses 1 of nan top spot gaps successful AI music: nan deficiency of transparency complete what information is utilized and really creators are compensated,” STIM said successful a statement.  

Simon Gozzi, STIM's Head of Business Development and Industry Insight, told Euronews Next that AI firms will salary done a "mix of licensing fees and gross shares". Artists will besides person an "upfront value" erstwhile useful are utilized for training.

The thought is "the much request an AI work creates, nan larger nan returns for authorities holders," Gozzi said.

This first statement is simply a “stress-test” for what nan relation said should yet beryllium a market-based exemplary that “secures adjacent compensation and adjacent position of competition.” 

"We decidedly judge this is nan commencement of thing bigger," Gozzi said. "By showing attribution and ring-fencing of AI revenues successful practice, we purpose to springiness Europe a blueprint that others tin adopt—making this a world modular complete time".

AI could portion distant almost a 4th of euphony creators’ gross successful nan adjacent 3 years, according to a study.

What is going connected elsewhere successful Europe for artists affected by AI?

The news comes a fewer weeks aft groups representing artists told Euronews Next that EU authorities nether nan EU AI Act does not spell acold capable to protect artists from copyright infringement.

The rule says that artists should opt retired if they do not want AI to beryllium trained connected their creations, but organisations including nan European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) and nan European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC) opportunity their members person been incapable to do so. 

The gaps successful nan authorities besides don’t springiness artists a measurement to beryllium remunerated for nan activity that’s already been scraped by AI, experts said. 

Gozzi said he couldn't disclose whether location are immoderate different agreements underway but said nan model is "collective successful nature" and not built astir 1 start-up.

He besides wouldn't remark connected whether nan licensing statement would supply compensation for activity that's already been scraped, saying that nan "focus is now to bring early usage into a rule-based system".

The advocates said nan Commission could besides instruction that AI companies discuss broad aliases corporate licenses pinch nan respective creator groups.

Meanwhile, ECSA and GESAC are waiting for nan verdicts of 2 copyright lawsuits revenge by Germany’s Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights (GEMA) against OpenAI, nan genitor institution of ChatGPT, and Suno AI, an AI euphony procreation app. 

Marc du Moulin, ECSA’s caput general, antecedently told Euronews Next that nan verdict could find to what grade AI companies could beryllium bound to copyright laws.

Universal Music Group is besides pursuing a copyright suit against AI institution Anthropic. 

This article has been updated pinch remark from STIM.