Editorial: Why Suno’s CEO Doesn’t Get Musicians—And Why That Matters

When I first heard Suno CEO Mikey Shulman’s comments about music-making not being enjoyable, my first thought was: this guy has never made a song in his life. And as the CEO of a company like Suno, that tracks. His job is to sell a product—one that isn’t necessarily for musicians, but for people who just want to generate music quickly and easily. That’s fine. But in trying to justify Suno’s existence, he completely dismissed what it actually means to create music.

Suno, along with platforms like Udio, allows users to generate entire songs from simple text prompts. The industry is fighting back, with major labels suing Suno for allegedly using copyrighted music to train its AI models. But despite the controversy, AI in music isn’t just some passing trend. It’s already here, and it’s only going to get bigger. That’s why musicians and labels need to figure out how to work with it, not just fight against it.

Here’s the thing: Shulman is tripping. AI in music isn’t a replacement for real artistry. Yes, there are musicians using Suno, but they’re using it to enhance their creativity, not replace themselves. Timbaland is using AI. Kanye is using it. If Grammy-winning producers and artists are incorporating these tools, then who are we to not at least pay attention? That doesn’t mean we have to like everything about it, but ignoring it completely isn’t the move either.

My issue isn’t with Suno as a tool—it’s with how the CEO framed his argument. Saying people don’t enjoy making music is wild. If it were true, why would so many artists dedicate their lives to it? The real issue is that making music is hard, and not everyone wants to put in that level of work. That’s okay. But don’t act like the effort is a problem that needs fixing. The struggle, the craft, the passion—that’s what gives music its soul. And no AI model can replicate that.

The music industry has already shown it’s willing to experiment with AI, even if it won’t admit it outright. When Capitol Records signed FN Meka, an AI rapper, it blew up in their face. Was the backlash because people just hate AI music? Not necessarily. It had more to do with cultural appropriation and the industry’s shady attempt at pushing a soulless, corporate-controlled artist onto fans. But AI music itself? That’s not going anywhere. The difference is, real artists are now figuring out ways to use AI on their own terms, whether it’s for production, mixing, or even inspiration.

We’ve seen the same cycle with every technological leap in music. Drum machines were once seen as a threat to live drummers. Digital recording was supposed to kill analog. Streaming was supposed to destroy the album experience. And yet, music kept evolving. AI is just the latest tool in that progression. It’s up to musicians to control how it’s used, rather than let tech companies dictate the direction of the industry.

Personally, I’m not about to listen to fully AI-generated music. You can feel when something is missing—that human touch, that soul. But I’ll listen to artists who use AI as a tool in their production, because that’s just another form of innovation. The key is balance. AI should be a creative assistant, not a replacement for musicians.

But let’s be real: the business side of AI music is what’s going to cause the most tension. When major labels see an opportunity to cut costs by replacing human artists with AI-generated content, that’s when the fight really begins. The industry has never had a great track record of prioritizing artists over profits. AI just gives them another way to push musicians to the side in favor of an easier, cheaper alternative. That’s why musicians have to be proactive, not reactive.

If I could give Shulman one piece of advice, it’d be this: fire your PR team and put some real musicians on your board. Suno is doing cool things, but if they don’t want to alienate the real music community, they need to do better. AI is already a part of music, whether we like it or not. So instead of fearing it, artists should learn how to use it—on their own terms. The key is making sure AI serves the music, not the other way around.

The future of music is being shaped right now. The question is: are musicians going to lead the conversation, or let tech CEOs do it for them? The answer to that will determine whether AI is a creative revolution—or just another tool for corporations to profit at the expense of real artistry.