The unnamed software will be built around licensed music from UMG artists willing to participate.
Universal Music Group and ElevenLabs have announced a new multi-year licensing agreement and “broader strategic collaboration” that will see them launch a new AI-powered licensed music platform.
The deal with UMG is the first ElevenLabs has made with a major label, and the new platform will be separate from its ElevenMusic AI music generation software. The two companies also intend to collaborate on new AI audio products that can be used by artists, UMG wrote in a press release.
The AI creation software, which apparently does not yet have a name, is still in development and no release date is mentioned. It will primarily be aimed at music fans who want to make remixes and mashups of music from participating and “fairly compensated” artists signed to the label. ElevenLabs’ tools will also be able to create “new interpretations of songs and personalized vocal experiences.”
The music industry has had a complicated relationship with the emergence of AI. Just a few months ago, a coalition of major labels including UMG issued a collective call for AI slop tracks to be banned from global charts, while various legal battles between labels and AI companies like Suno and Udio over accusations of copyright infringement have been well documented in recent years.
However, a number of these lawsuits, like the one Warner filed against Udio in 2024, ultimately resulted in settlements and the conclusion of licensing agreements. And just this week, Suno said the launch of its new v6 AI music models marks the official start of its relationships with labels like Warner and BMG.
