The Swedish Performing Rights Society (STIM) has reportedly signed what it calls the world’s first licensing agreement with an artificial intelligence company that generates music, marking a landmark step in bridging the gap between AI and copyright holders.

The deal, announced on Wednesday, September 9, is with Stockholm-based startup Songfox, which allows fans and creators to legally produce AI-generated compositions. Representing 100,000 artists, STIM said the agreement ensures rights holders will be compensated when their work is used to train or influence AI outputs.

Songfox will deploy a third-party attribution system, Sureel, to trace AI-generated music back to original human-created works. STIM said this approach “makes revenues auditable in real time and addresses one of the greatest trust gaps in AI music: the lack of transparency over what data is used and how creators are compensated.”

Under the arrangement, AI firms will pay a mix of licensing fees and revenue shares, with artists also receiving an upfront value when their works are used in training. “The more demand an AI service creates, the larger the returns for rights holders,” said Simon Gozzi, STIM’s head of business development and industry insight.

STIM described the deal as a “stress-test” for what could become a global model of fair compensation and equal competition in AI music. “We definitely believe this is the start of something bigger,” Gozzi said. “By showing attribution and ring-fencing of AI revenues in practice, we aim to give Europe a blueprint that others can adopt — making this a global standard over time.”