OpenAI’s next move: making music and sparking creative mayhem

By Varun Mirchandani Published October 25, 2025

What’s happened? As per an exclusive report by The Information, OpenAI has quietly begun work on an AI model that can generate music, taking its next big leap beyond text and video. The company is reportedly training its systems using annotated music data from Juilliard students, which is a strong hint that it’s chasing quality and creative precision rather than simple generative output. The move positions OpenAI to rival AI-music pioneers like Suno and Udio, even as those startups face major copyright lawsuits from the music industry.

Why this is important: This isn’t just another feature, but the next battleground between creators and machines. By diving into music generation, OpenAI isn’t just aiming to stay ahead of rivals, but it’s also challenging who owns creativity and how we will consume it.

Why should I care? AI-generated music might sound like a novelty today, but it’s quietly redefining how creative industries operate. From the way ads are made to how indie musicians record demos, tools like this could reshape workflows, royalties, and even what it means to “make” music. But as we’ve seen with Sora’s deepfake controversy, power without permission is risky, and the same playbook could repeat here if guardrails don’t keep up.

Okay, so what’s next? One can expect OpenAI to push an announcement in late 2026 or 2027 outlining its music-generation tool, potentially integrated into ChatGPT or the Sora ecosystem. However, it won’t be smooth. In fact, one of the first things to watch is whether it secures licensing deals with major labels or whether it ends up in court alongside the likes of Suno. Simultaneously, the early backlash from Sora’s deepfakes illustrates that OpenAI’s guardrails are lagging behind its ambitions. As reported by Reuters, creator agencies like Creative Artists Agency are already warning the company about risk and rights. Safe to say, the beat won’t drop cleanly until the legal chaos and creator fury settle.