Quick answer
Traditional music royalties pay songwriters, performers, publishers, and labels. AI music has none of those, so the royalty model doesn't fit. Who gets paid when an AI song plays depends on three things: (1) the AI tool's terms (Suno Pro grants you commercial rights; Boulevard does not), (2) the platform you publish on (YouTube, Spotify, TikTok all have AI-content policies now), and (3) the laws of your jurisdiction (most AI music can't be copyrighted in the U.S.). Practical playbook below.
How traditional music royalties work
Quick recap for context. A song that plays on Spotify pays out across these buckets:
| Royalty type | Who gets paid | Typical share |
|---|---|---|
| Recording (master) | Performer, label | ~40 to 50% |
| Mechanical | Songwriter, publisher | ~15% |
| Performance (PRO) | Songwriter via ASCAP/BMI/SESAC | ~10 to 15% |
| Platform | Spotify, Apple, etc. | ~25 to 30% |
Numbers are rough, but the principle is clear: a human team gets paid, and royalty flows are administered by mature institutions (PROs, publishers, distributors).
Where AI breaks this
An AI-generated song has no human performer (the AI doesn't perform). It often has no human songwriter (the AI made the lyrics). There's no label and no publisher of record. So:
- Master royalty has no recipient by default.
- Mechanical and PRO royalties don't apply (no songwriter).
- The "owner" of the track is determined by terms of service, not copyright.
The result is a system where the AI platform owns the catalog, or the user owns the track via terms of service, and the traditional royalty pipes have nothing to fill them with.
The practical playbook for creators using AI music
If you're making content with Suno or Udio
On Suno Pro or Udio Standard/Pro, your generations come with commercial rights. You can:
- Publish the song on YouTube, TikTok, Spotify (as an artist), and earn standard streaming royalties as the song's claimed owner.
- Use it in your own ads, podcasts, courses, paid content.
- License it to others (small print: check the specific terms; some platforms restrict re-licensing).
On Suno Free or Udio Free, you do not have commercial rights. Use the free tier for personal exploration only.
If you're publishing AI songs on Spotify or Apple Music as your own artist
Both platforms allow it. They require disclosure when you upload. Spotify in particular has tightened its AI content rules in 2024 and 2025:
- You must disclose AI-generated content when distributing through an aggregator (DistroKid, TuneCore, etc.).
- Voice clones of real artists are explicitly prohibited.
- Mass-uploaded AI catalog ("track farms") is being aggressively de-listed.
If you publish AI songs through a distributor as your artist project, you get the same per-stream rates as any other artist. Roughly $0.003 to $0.005 per Spotify stream. The catch: your songs are not copyrighted in the U.S. (because they're pure AI output), so your "ownership" rests on the platform's terms, not on copyright law.
If you're using AI music in YouTube videos
Different game. YouTube's Content ID does not flag most AI music (yet). Your AI track plays in your video without monetization issues. If you released the AI track as your own artist on Spotify first, you can also use Content ID to claim your own video plays. This is one of the cleaner monetization paths for AI music creators in 2026.
If you're a songwriter using AI as a tool
Your human-authored work (lyrics, performances, arrangement decisions) remains copyrightable. The AI-generated portions you build over are not. Standard practice: register your work with a disclaimer for the AI components.
Where Boulevard fits
Boulevard is the AI alternative to Spotify. We're a listening app, not a creator tool. We don't sell "use this song commercially" rights. If you want commercial AI music, the cleanest paths in 2026 are:
- Suno Pro ($10/mo): commercial rights, broad commercial use.
- Udio Standard/Pro ($10 to $30/mo): commercial rights, better vocals.
- AIVA Pro ($33/mo): explicit film/TV/YouTube licensing.
- Stable Audio Pro ($11.99/mo): commercial rights, best for instrumental and sound design.
The royalty system AI music will eventually need
The current "platform owns by terms of service" model is a stopgap. It works for now because AI music is small relative to the licensed industry. As AI music's share grows, two things will probably happen:
- AI music will get its own royalty flow. Probably a pool funded by AI tools and distributed to creators based on play data. Some form of this already exists for sample libraries and stock music.
- Hybrid songs (human plus AI) will become the most lucrative category. Copyrightable human portions plus AI tooling. The songwriters who learn to use AI well will outearn songwriters who pretend the tools don't exist.
Bottom line
- Pure AI music isn't copyrighted in the U.S. Ownership rests on terms of service.
- For commercial use, pay for the AI tool's paid tier (Suno Pro, Udio Pro, etc.) so the terms grant you rights.
- For Spotify or Apple Music distribution, you can release AI music as your artist project. Disclose AI content. Don't clone real artists.
- The traditional royalty system is not set up for AI music yet. It will be, eventually. In the meantime: read terms carefully.
For the underlying copyright law, see our legal explainer. For the lawsuits that may change everything, see RIAA v. Suno and Udio.
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