Warner Music Group agrees to acquire AI attribution firm Sureel

The agreement was announced on 10 June. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

According to Warner Music Group, Sureel’s technology enables rights holders to monitor how AI models use creative works during both training and content generation. The company said the acquisition supports its efforts to ensure that artists, songwriters and rights holders are compensated when their work is used by AI systems.

Sureel’s platform uses patented attribution technology to create what it describes as an “AI DNA” for individual works. The system analyses creative content at a granular level and tracks how specific elements are referenced or utilised by AI models.

In addition to music attribution, Sureel provides intellectual property provenance, compliance reporting, AI analytics and tools designed to monitor the use of names, images, likenesses and voices in AI-generated content. The company also tracks AI-generated voice clones, digital avatars and stylistic reproductions.

Warner Music Group said Sureel maintains a registry containing millions of music assets and has the capability to expand its attribution technology to video and image content. The company added that Sureel will continue operating as a standalone platform serving the wider music and AI industries.

Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl said the acquisition reflects the growing importance of identifying and protecting human-created content in the age of AI.

“AI powers a large fan engagement and value creation opportunity for our industry, while making the human provenance of music more important than ever.”

Kyncl said the deal would strengthen Warner Music Group's ability to protect, control and monetise intellectual property.

“Bringing Sureel into WMG strengthens our capability for protection, control and monetization and ensures that the creative community remains in control of its intellectual property, name, image, likeness and voice. We look forward to working with Tamay and his team to advance all of their incredible work.”

Sureel AI CEO and founder Tamay Aykut said the company’s technology was developed to improve transparency around AI's use of copyrighted works.

“Rightsholders deserve to know how AI interacts with their work, and to share fairly in the value it creates.”

He added: “Sureel was built to make that possible, and with WMG’s backing, we can deliver on our mission at scale, building a more transparent and fair future and driving value growth for the whole music and entertainment ecosystem.”

Founded by Aykut, a former visiting assistant professor at Stanford University, Sureel has focused on developing attribution systems that allow rights holders to identify and track the use of their catalogues by AI platforms.

The company gained industry attention in 2025 when Swedish collecting society STIM selected Sureel as its preferred attribution provider for what it described as the world's first collective AI licence for music. The company also partnered with BeatStars in 2025 to help prevent unauthorised AI training on music hosted on the platform.

The acquisition continues Warner Music Group’s recent expansion in the AI sector. In late 2025, the company reached licensing agreements with AI music platforms Suno and Udio while resolving copyright disputes with both companies.

The transaction also follows Warner Music Group’s agreement earlier this year to acquire Revelator, a business-to-business music technology platform specialising in distribution, rights management and royalty accounting services for independent labels.