Earlier this month, Timbaland introduced TaTa, the first signee of the AI entertainment company Stage Zero that he co-founded with Rocky Mudaliar and Zayd Portillo. Now he's catching heat online after allegedly using producer K Fresh's music to train Suno AI. After K Fresh threatened legal action, Timbaland shared an apology on social media.
“We are writing at a time when musicians feel unseen, unheard, and unprotected,” K Fresh and his attorney's letter began. “As the producer whose work was taken without permission, and as an entertainment attorney who advocates for musicians’ rights, we are speaking up for the music community and for all creators being pushed aside by AI-driven innovation.”
It continued:
Last week, Timbaland, who serves as Suno’s strategic advisor and public ambassador, shared a troubling video in which he took K Fresh’s original song, uploaded it into Suno’s AI platform, and released an unauthorized AI remix. There was no credit. No consent. No apology.
Timbaland dismissed the public outrage by calling it a "remix" and a "demo" to showcase Suno’s capabilities. But with over 30 years of music in his own catalog, he had every opportunity to use something he actually owns. Instead, he used someone else’s work without permission.
This wasn’t just unethical. It violated U.S. copyright law and breached Suno’s own Terms of Use, which require users to own any uploaded content. As a result, K Fresh’s music is now permanently part of Suno’s training model without his consent. Suno’s continued silence is just as troubling.
The letter demanded, within 24 hours:
1. A public apology to K Fresh
2. Proof that K Fresh’s music has been removed from Suno’s model and training data
3. A plan to prevent future violations by users and company representatives, including Timbaland
4. A commitment to implement an artist opt-out process
5. A promise that Suno and Timbaland will not use unlicensed music in future demos
Timbaland responded less than four hours later. He wrote:
Recently, I shared a post where I used a song that I believed was fully owned by the artist who sent it to me. Out of pure excitement to explore, transform, and collaborate, I ran it through Suno to show how this tech can open creative possibilities. I didn’t monetize it, release it, or try to claim ownership.
I was genuinely inspired and wanted to demonstrate what’s possible. But now I understand that the song’s beat was produced by a producer named K Fresh, who didn’t give consent, and that’s on me.
I’d like to formally apologize to K Fresh. I should have done my due diligence before using it. Regardless of intent, I recognize that not everyone involved was aware or inboard, and I take full responsibility for that oversight. If you know me, you know I’ve spent years collaborating with artists across all levels. My goal has always been to empower creatives, not to take from them.
The narrative that I’m out here stealing music couldn’t be further from the truth, but I understand how this moment caused concern. The post has already been taken down and I’m committed to continuing to learn, listen, and lead with respect for the craft and community.
At Stage Zero, the AI media company I’m building, nothing happens without people. Our focus is on building tools with creators, not at their expense.
He does, however, maintain that he "did not violate the law." He continued, "But here's what a lot of people don't realize: under the current law, even if a company removes the content, they're not required to delete anything the AI may have learned from it. That part of the law hasn't caught up yet, and no court has said otherwise."
Earlier this month Billboard published a story about the talks between Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group and AI music companies Suno and Udio. The labels are apparently looking to license their works as training data, even though they sued the two startups for infringement “on an almost unimaginable scale” last summer.
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