STOP THE AI SELLOUT
This pledge is in response to the recent announcement of major label licensing deals with AI companies Suno, Udio, and others: https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/25/warner-music-signs-deal-with-ai-music-startup-suno-settles-lawsuit/
Please attend our demonstration/rally Jan. 16 at noon in NYC.!
We the undersigned artists and songwriters stand in solidarity with the musicians, DJ/producers, and non-featured artist band members who have performed on our recordings, and with recording musicians everywhere, against unfair and harmful AI exploitation of our work.
Our consent to the AI companies’ exploitation of our work cannot be purchased by the promise of some “royalty” for the few–nor can our demand for economic justice be satisfied–while the record companies licensing our music reap untold NDA protected fortunes and the AI companies to which they license it attract billions in investments… at the expense of tens of thousands of working musicians who will be displaced, the devaluation of our music, and the degradation of our art form.
WE PLEDGE that we will not sign our consent to the ingestion of our recorded work for the purpose of training any generative AI model without the consent, credit, and compensation of every musician, DJ/producer, and non-featured artist band member who has performed on it.
WE DEMAND:
>Transparency from our record companies: full disclosure of all financial aspects of AI company licensing deals. There can be no discussion of fair compensation– either individual or collective– while corporate profits remain hidden in NDA protected “black boxes”.
>Consent, Credit, and Compensation: NO Ingestion for the purpose of training large language model generative AI systems without consent and compensation of and credit to ALL who performed on it: ; including sidemusicians, DJ/Producers, and non-featured artist band members
>NO licenses with Data-Scraping AI companies: we call on our labels to refuse collaboration of any kind with any AI company continuing to ingest music from any source without consent.
>Protection of the public: full disclosure information–accessible in all platforms– on all works created in whole or in part through generative AI.
>We call for 10% of all record company profit from AI licensing deals and 10% of all AI licensee corporate profit to be donated to a new fund established for the purpose of providing music workers and recording technicians displaced by AI with the dignity of work, and providing the public with continued access to the joy of human artistry.
From our industry’s brightest stars, hit songwriters, and most respected legacy artists… to our as yet undiscovered young artists and most cutting edge new arrivals; the community of recording music workers stands united in demanding a future for young musicians, a place in the world for the human art form we love, and economic justice for all.
This Pledge is sponsored by the “We Need a Union campaign”, supported by Music Workers Alliance, Austin Texas Musicians Organization, and Indie Musicians Caucus of the AFM; and (in addition to members of the above organizations), includes members of the American Federation of Musicians, and United Musicians and Allied Workers.
wnucampaign@gmail.com
