Can I Use Suno AI Music Commercially? License Terms Explained (2026)

Hey everyone, I run a YouTube channel with about 45k subs doing tech reviews. I've been using Suno to generate background music for my videos because licensing real music is expensive and the YouTube audio library stuff is so overused.

The tracks I'm making sound really good honestly. Way better than I expected. But now I'm starting to get brand deals and I need to make sure I'm not going to get hit with copyright claims or worse.

Can I sell Suno music? Or at least use it in monetized YouTube videos? What's the deal with their license? I'm on the free tier right now but willing to upgrade if needed.

Good question and this comes up a lot. Let me break down Suno's licensing tiers as of January 2026:

Free Tier:

• You get 50 credits per day (roughly 10 songs)
• NO commercial use allowed - this is explicit in their TOS
• You can share on social media for non-commercial purposes only
• Cannot monetize videos using free tier music

Pro Plan ($10/month):

• 2,500 credits per month
• Full commercial license included
• You can monetize YouTube videos, podcasts, etc.
• Can sell products featuring the music

Premier Plan ($30/month):

• 10,000 credits per month
• Same commercial rights as Pro
• Priority generation during peak times

For your situation @MusicMakerMike - if you're monetizing YouTube videos, you NEED at least the Pro plan. Using free tier music in monetized content violates their TOS and could result in account termination.

I've been using Suno Pro for my podcast intro and outro music for about 8 months now. No issues whatsoever.

My show is monetized through Spotify and Apple Podcasts, plus I have Patreon supporters. Total revenue is around $3k/month. I specifically asked Suno support about this use case and they confirmed Pro covers it.

What I did:

1. Generated about 20 variations of my intro music concept
2. Picked the best one and did some light editing in Audacity
3. Kept a record of the prompt and generation date
4. Downloaded the stems separately so I could adjust levels

The $10/month is nothing compared to what a custom jingle would cost. A friend paid a composer $800 for something similar.

One thing people need to be SUPER careful about - and I learned this the hard way - is using prompts like "in the style of Drake" or "sounds like Taylor Swift".

I generated a track using "upbeat pop song in the style of The Weeknd" for a client video. The track sounded great but my client's legal team flagged it immediately. They wouldn't use it because of potential likeness/style infringement concerns.

Here's the thing: Suno's TOS makes YOU responsible for the prompts you use. If you generate something that sounds too close to a copyrighted song or mimics a specific artist too closely, that's on you, not Suno.

Prompts to avoid:

• "In the style of [any specific artist]"
• "Sounds like [song name]"
• "Cover of [song]" - this is especially risky
• Any lyrics from existing songs

Safer alternatives:

• "Upbeat synth-pop with 80s influence"
• "Ambient electronic with piano melody"
• "Acoustic folk with fingerpicking guitar"

Describe the SOUND you want, not the artist you want to copy.

@JamieWrites raises a critical point. I want to expand on why music copyright is actually MORE complex than AI image copyright:

Key differences between AI music and AI images:

1. Melody copyright is stronger than visual style copyright

• You can't copyright an art "style" - that's why "in the style of Van Gogh" is generally safe for images
• But melodies CAN be copyrighted, and music copyright holders are notoriously aggressive
• The "Blurred Lines" case showed even subconscious similarity can lead to huge damages

2. Content ID is more sophisticated for audio

• YouTube's Content ID can detect melodic similarities, not just exact matches
• Even AI-generated music can trigger false positives if it happens to sound similar to existing tracks
• I've seen clients get claims on 100% original Suno tracks - you have to dispute them

3. The training data lawsuits are different

• Major record labels (UMG, Sony, Warner) sued Suno and Udio in 2024
• They allege the AI was trained on copyrighted recordings without permission
• This is still being litigated - outcome could affect commercial use rights

For now, Suno's commercial license appears valid, but keep records of everything. If the lawsuits go badly, things could change.

Since we're talking about monetization, let me share what I know about platform-specific rules:

YouTube:

• Suno Pro/Premier music is fine for monetized videos
• You might still get Content ID claims - dispute them with your Suno license
• Keep your generation receipts as proof of license

Spotify/Apple Music (distributing tracks):

• This is where it gets murky
• Technically Suno's license allows it, but distributors like DistroKid have started flagging AI content
• Spotify has an AI policy requiring disclosure
• Some AI tracks have been removed from streaming platforms

Twitch:

• Generally fine for stream background music
• VOD issues are the same as YouTube - potential Content ID problems

TikTok/Instagram Reels:

• Commercial use allowed with paid Suno plan
• Short clips rarely trigger detection systems

The safest commercial use is in your own content (videos, podcasts, games). Trying to release AI music as standalone tracks on streaming platforms is riskier territory right now.

This is exactly what I needed. Just upgraded to Pro.

So my takeaways:

• Free tier = no commercial use, period
• Pro ($10/mo) = commercial license for YouTube, podcasts, client work
• Avoid "style of [artist]" prompts - describe the sound generically instead
• Keep records of generations in case of disputes
• Might get Content ID claims but can dispute with license proof
• Don't try to release AI music on Spotify as a "song" - use it as background/production music

Thanks @EntLaw_Rebecca and @MusicLaw_Daniel for the legal breakdown. And @PodcastCarl good to hear real-world experience.

One more question - is there any difference in rights if I edit the Suno track significantly? Like if I chop it up, add my own drums, layer multiple generations together?

@MusicMakerMike - great question. This parallels the AI image copyright discussion.

Short answer: Yes, human modifications strengthen your position.

Longer answer:

Under current copyright law, purely AI-generated works likely aren't copyrightable (same issue as AI images). The Copyright Office has been consistent on requiring "human authorship."

However, if you:

• Significantly edit the AI output
• Combine multiple AI elements with human arrangement
• Add your own recorded elements (vocals, instruments)
• Make creative mixing/mastering decisions

...then the FINAL work has a stronger copyright claim because of your human creative contribution.

This doesn't change your Suno license (you still need Pro for commercial use), but it gives you better legal standing if someone copies your work. A raw Suno generation might not be protectable, but your edited/arranged version likely is.

Best practice: treat Suno output like raw material and put your creative stamp on it. Better for copyright AND makes your content more unique.