Sept 9 (Reuters) - Sweden's music rights organisation

has introduced a licence that allows artificial intelligence

companies to legally use copyrighted songs for training their

models, while ensuring that songwriters and composers are paid.

The move announced by rights group STIM on Tuesday responds

to a surge in generative AI usage across creative industries

that has prompted lawsuits from artists, authors, and rights

holders. The creators allege AI firms use copyrighted material

without consent or compensation to train their models.

The licence developed by STIM, which represents more than

100,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers, allows AI

systems to train on copyrighted works while paying royalties to

creators.

According to the International Confederation of Societies of

Authors and Composers (CISAC), AI could reduce music creators'

income by up to 24% by 2028.

"We show that it is possible to embrace disruption without

undermining human creativity. This is not just a commercial

initiative but a blueprint for fair compensation and legal

certainty for AI firms," Lina Heyman, STIM's acting CEO, said in

a statement.

By 2028, generative AI outputs in music could approach $17

billion annually, according to CISAC.

Sweden has previously set industry standards for platforms

such as Spotify ( SPOT ) and TikTok, and the new licence includes

mandatory technology to track AI-generated outputs, ensuring

transparency and payments for creators.

Songfox, a Stockholm-based startup, is the first company to

operate under the licence, allowing users to create legal

AI-generated songs and covers.