Sony sues Udio over 30,000 copyrighted songs in expanded copyright dispute

Sony Music Entertainment escalated its copyright dispute with Udio on July 20 by filing a new lawsuit in New York court alleging infringement of more than 30,000 songs. The filing represents a dramatic expansion from the original 2024 case, which named only 333 works when filed jointly by Sony, Universal Music Group, and Warner Records. According to The Verge, Sony’s enlarged list includes catalog staples from Elvis Presley, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Britney Spears, and Johnny Cash, though the company characterizes the expanded roster as representing “only a small portion” of its total infringed works.

How Sony Identified the Additional Violations

The scale of the new claim hinges on Sony’s access to Udio’s training data during discovery in the original 2024 litigation. Using audio fingerprinting techniques, Sony identified an additional 30,000+ songs it says were “copied and ingested into its generative AI models.” According to The Verge, Sony also cited Udio’s own admission that its models were “constructed by showing the program a vast amount of different kinds of sound recordings,” including material sourced from YouTube. However, the company’s legal pathway has already faced setbacks: a judge previously rejected Sony’s motion to add these same songs to the original 2024 lawsuit, forcing Sony to pursue the expanded claim separately.

Damages and Settlement Dynamics

Sony is seeking an injunction to block Udio from further infringement, along with statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work infringed—a calculation that could yield liabilities in the billions if the court accepts Sony’s framing. The Verge notes that Sony has signaled openness to expanding the lawsuit further. The litigation unfolds against a backdrop of diverging industry responses: while Sony pursues aggressive enforcement, both Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group have settled with Udio and now operate as partners in the platform’s music-generation ecosystem.

Why This Matters

Sony’s pivot to a separate, expanded lawsuit signals a shift from negotiation toward enforcement at scale. If the court accepts the audio fingerprinting methodology and the 30,000-song roster as valid claims, it could establish precedent for rapid identification of infringement across vast AI training datasets—a procedural advantage in future disputes. Conversely, if the judge applies similar reasoning as in the prior rejection, Sony’s claim faces skepticism about both legal viability and remedies. The simultaneous settlement by rival labels creates competitive pressure: Sony’s refusal to reconcile may be untenable if Udio becomes an accepted partner with two-thirds of the major label ecosystem. Teams evaluating AI music tools face increased legal uncertainty, and vendors building on or licensing from Udio may now confront reputational and liability risks tied to the expanded claims.