Suno, one of the most prominent AI music generation companies in the industry, has hired former Atlantic Records general manager/executive vice president Paul Sinclair as chief music officer, the company announced on Monday.
In the company’s announcement Monday, Suno said Sinclair had already been advising the company “for a few months,” adding that in his role as CMO, Sinclair “will guide how Suno’s AI-powered tools are integrated into the process of songmaking, helping to empower creators of all skill-levels to make music, expand creative expression and unlock new experiences between artists and fans.”
“I am so excited that Paul is joining Suno as Chief Music officer,” Suno CEO and co-founder Mikey Shulman said in a statement. “The unique perspective he brings to music and technology and his incredible optimism about the future of music will be invaluable as we embark on the next chapter of the Suno adventure.
AI continues to be the most pressing issue in music and the broader entertainment industry, as shown as recently as last week as an AI band called The Velvet Sundown had courted significant attention going viral on Spotify. It remains a particularly controversial topic, both from consumers and artists who deplore its use, and in the business due to copyright disputes on how AI generation services train their models.
The major record labels sued both Suno and rival AI music generator Udio last year on allegations of massive copyright infringement, and while the suit is still ongoing, the Wall Street Journal reported last month that the labels are negotiating potential licensing agreements to settle the legal matter.
Sinclair had previously worked at Atlantic for over 17 years, first joining the company in 2006 as head of innovation and digital strategy. He left at the end of 2024 amid the wider shakeup at the famed label after Elliot Grainge took the helm and other long-tenured executives including Julie Greenwald left.
“Having spent my career at the intersection of music, technology, and artist development, this next journey brings all of that together in a new and inspiring way,” Sinclair wrote on Instagram on Monday. “Suno’s technology is extraordinary, but what excites me even more is the opportunity to help shape how it’s used, in ways that empower artists, songwriters and producers of all abilities, expand creative expression, and build new bridges between music and fans.”
Sinclair further wrote that his new role is “about the healthy music ecosystem that we help to build.”
“How we connect the past with what’s to come,” Sinclair wrote. “How we foster experimentation. How we imagine the future of music in a world where AI will be one of many tools in the creative process, empowering artists and enabling more people to experience the joy of creating songs.”
