


STIM Announces ‘World’s First AI License for Music”
It allows AI companies to train their platforms legally on copyrighted music
Sweden-based collection society STIM has launched what it calls “the world’s first collective AI license for music.”
How it works:
As per STIM’s release, the license covers a selection of works by creators who have “explicitly” given their consent for their music to be used for training by AI models.
STIM claims the human creators receive royalties during the training process, during the use of the AI service, and when the music it generates is used.
This is achieved through independent attribution technology, which allows AI-generated music to be traced back to the human-created works that influenced it.
The launch:
The license is being launched as a pilot project in partnership with the startups Songfox and Sureel.
As per Music Business Worldwide, Songfox is a Stockholm-based startup that allows creators to legally produce covers and AI-generated compositions.
Sureel is STIM’s “preferred attribution provider,” allowing the AI output to be traced back to the human-created source.
Only a limited number of works – all from STIM-affiliated rights holders who have explicitly opted in – are included in the first phase as a way of “stress-testing its framework in a controlled setting.”
STIM’s license is structured as an “open framework” that will be available to any AI company that meets STIM’s criteria of achieving “fair licensing practices” across the sector.
What they said:
Lina Heyman, Acting CEO of STIM: “We are establishing a scalable, democratic model for the industry. With the world’s first collective AI license, we show that it is possible to embrace disruption without undermining human creativity. This is not just a commercial initiative but a blueprint for how rights and innovation policies can align, delivering fair compensation for creators and legal certainty for AI firms.”
Sweden-based collection society STIM has launched what it calls “the world’s first collective AI license for music.”
How it works:
As per STIM’s release, the license covers a selection of works by creators who have “explicitly” given their consent for their music to be used for training by AI models.
STIM claims the human creators receive royalties during the training process, during the use of the AI service, and when the music it generates is used.
This is achieved through independent attribution technology, which allows AI-generated music to be traced back to the human-created works that influenced it.
The launch:
The license is being launched as a pilot project in partnership with the startups Songfox and Sureel.
As per Music Business Worldwide, Songfox is a Stockholm-based startup that allows creators to legally produce covers and AI-generated compositions.
Sureel is STIM’s “preferred attribution provider,” allowing the AI output to be traced back to the human-created source.
Only a limited number of works – all from STIM-affiliated rights holders who have explicitly opted in – are included in the first phase as a way of “stress-testing its framework in a controlled setting.”
STIM’s license is structured as an “open framework” that will be available to any AI company that meets STIM’s criteria of achieving “fair licensing practices” across the sector.
What they said:
Lina Heyman, Acting CEO of STIM: “We are establishing a scalable, democratic model for the industry. With the world’s first collective AI license, we show that it is possible to embrace disruption without undermining human creativity. This is not just a commercial initiative but a blueprint for how rights and innovation policies can align, delivering fair compensation for creators and legal certainty for AI firms.”
Sweden-based collection society STIM has launched what it calls “the world’s first collective AI license for music.”
How it works:
As per STIM’s release, the license covers a selection of works by creators who have “explicitly” given their consent for their music to be used for training by AI models.
STIM claims the human creators receive royalties during the training process, during the use of the AI service, and when the music it generates is used.
This is achieved through independent attribution technology, which allows AI-generated music to be traced back to the human-created works that influenced it.
The launch:
The license is being launched as a pilot project in partnership with the startups Songfox and Sureel.
As per Music Business Worldwide, Songfox is a Stockholm-based startup that allows creators to legally produce covers and AI-generated compositions.
Sureel is STIM’s “preferred attribution provider,” allowing the AI output to be traced back to the human-created source.
Only a limited number of works – all from STIM-affiliated rights holders who have explicitly opted in – are included in the first phase as a way of “stress-testing its framework in a controlled setting.”
STIM’s license is structured as an “open framework” that will be available to any AI company that meets STIM’s criteria of achieving “fair licensing practices” across the sector.
What they said:
Lina Heyman, Acting CEO of STIM: “We are establishing a scalable, democratic model for the industry. With the world’s first collective AI license, we show that it is possible to embrace disruption without undermining human creativity. This is not just a commercial initiative but a blueprint for how rights and innovation policies can align, delivering fair compensation for creators and legal certainty for AI firms.”
STIM
Songfox
Sureel
Lina Heyman
AI In Music
AI and Copyright
AI Music Licensing Models
Collection Society Modernization
Ethical AI Music Sourcing
Growth Of AI Music Creation Tools
Protecting Artists From AI
AI's Role in Music Creation and IP
AI Music Creation
Music Licensing
AI Training Licensing
AI Music Attribution
Ethical AI Training
Royalty Payouts
Company Launches
Collection Society
Sweden
Stockholm, SE
👋 Disclosures & Transparency Block
- This story was written with information sourced from STIM and Music Business Worldwide.
- We covered it because it’s news relating to the ethical use of AI in the music industry.
📨 Subscribe to NIF
Get news dropped in your inbox 👇
📨 Subscribe to NIF
Get news dropped in your inbox 👇
Related Articles

Tech & Innovation
Sep 10, 2025
1 min read
Spotify Announces Long-Awaited Lossless Audio Streaming
The feature has been in the works since 2021

Tech & Innovation
Sep 9, 2025
1 min read
New Fully-Licensed Streaming Service Coda Music Launches
Seeks to “restore the middle class in music”

Tech & Innovation
Sep 1, 2025
1 min read
Bandcamp Introduces Curated Subscription Service, Bandcamp Clubs
It’s designed to encourage music discovery and community

Spotify Announces Long-Awaited Lossless Audio Streaming
The feature has been in the works since 2021

Harry Levin
Tech
Sep 10, 2025

New Fully-Licensed Streaming Service Coda Music Launches
Seeks to “restore the middle class in music”

Rod Yates
Tech
Sep 9, 2025

Bandcamp Introduces Curated Subscription Service, Bandcamp Clubs
It’s designed to encourage music discovery and community

Rod Yates
Tech
Sep 1, 2025

Beatoven.ai Launches New Fully Licensed AI Creation Platform
The platform is called Maestro, and it was developed alongside several major music rightsholders

Harry Levin
Tech
Aug 28, 2025

Guild Raises $2m to Help Creators Own and Monetize Their Work
The social support platform is launching in public beta

Rod Yates
Tech
Aug 28, 2025

Apple Music Expands Its Transfer Tool Rollout
The feature allows users to import music from other streaming services

Rod Yates
Tech
Aug 27, 2025