ElevenLabs Launches AI Music Generator with Commercial Rights, Expanding its AI Audio Portfolio

ElevenLabs launches an AI music generator, which it claims is cleared for commercial use | TechCrunch

This move marks ElevenLabs' expansion beyond its main focus thus far in its three years of existence, which has been building AI audio tools. ElevenLabs is a leader among companies making text-to-speech AI products, and it has expanded into conversational bots and tools that translate speech into other languages. Alongside the launch, Eleven Labs shared samples of its AI-generated music. One features a synthetic voice rapping about how it "came up through the cracks with ambition in my pocket" and left its hometown, traveling from "Compton to the Cosmos." It's unsettling to hear a computer reflect the influence and language of artists like Dr. Dre, N.W.A., and Kendrick Lamar, who actually lived the experiences that this technology is attempting to emulate. Given these concerns around what material AI music generation tools are trained on, it's not so straightforward for startups to delve into music generation. Last year, Suno and Udio were sued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the trade organization that represents the U.S. music industry. These lawsuits allege that Suno and Udio trained their music-generation models on copyrighted material. The companies are now reportedly discussing licensing deals with major record labels. ElevenLabs also announced deals with Merlin Network and Kobalt Music Group, two digital publishing platforms for independent musicians, to use their materials for AI training. According to Merlin's website, the company represents major artists like Adele, Nirvana, Mitski, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Phoebe Bridgers; Kobalt represents stars like Beck, Bon Iver, and Childish Gambino. The terms of these deals are not known, nor whether these artists' music has been included in training data.

ElevenLabs launches its own royalty-free AI music service

AI startup Eleven Labs just announced a service called Eleven Music, which generates fake songs that are cleared for commercial use. It's a prompt-based affair, so it can create just about anything users dream up. The songs can feature vocals and lyrics. The Washington Post gave examples of prompts like "a smooth jazz song with a '60s vibe and powerful lyrics, but relaxing for a Friday afternoon." The service reportedly only takes a few minutes to generate music. The company has been quietly testing the platform for some time, with WSJ indicating it has given 20 of its customers access to the model and that they've used it to make stuff for films, TV shows, video games and apps. ElevenLabs hasn't specified who the 20 customers are, likely because people get angry about AI slop. As for training, the company has inked deals with two digital rights agencies for smaller music labels called Merlin Network and Kobalt Music Group. ElevenLabs co-founder and CEO Mati Staniszewski says he's aiming to get major labels on board. He also says that "the model is strictly created on data that we have access to." This is good news for the company, as other music-generation platforms like Suno and Udio have been sued for alleged use of copyrighted works. AI-generated music is having something of a moment right now. The "band" Velvet Sundown is completely made up and managed to amass millions of listens on Spotify. It remains to be seen how much of that interest was based on actual fandom or morbid curiosity. ElevenLabs is primarily known for its voice-generation technology. It created a news app that reads stories to consumers with AI-generated voices based on celebrities like Judy Garland and James Dean. One of its tools was used to emulate Joe Biden's voice in robocalls urging voters not to participate in a primary. It's also been used to create deepfakes for other celebrities.

ElevenLabs reveals AI music generator -- and it has full commercial rights

ElevenLabs, a popular AI voice generator, has taken a new route with its latest product. The company is now offering an AI music generator, and it is completely free to use commercially. That means that any music generated using the tool can be used in commercial settings like YouTube videos, movies, and advertising. Alongside the launch itself, ElevenLabs shared some examples of music made using this new generator. There are some examples of slow indie music, Latin reggaeton, and hip-hop with clear vocals. As part of this new tool and its training process, ElevenLabs partnered with Merlkin Network and Kobalt Music Group. These are two digital publishing platforms supporting smaller artists. "Our clients benefit directly from this agreement in several key ways: it opens a new revenue stream in a growing market, includes revenue sharing so they participate in the upside, provides strong safeguards against infringement and misuse, and offers favorable terms comparable to other publishing and recording rightsholders," a representative from Kobalt told TechCrunch. To use the tool, users simply enter a prompt, similar to the way that you would use a chatbot or image generator. For example, "create an early 2000s pop song with lyrics about a romantic date". Like many other areas of generative AI, this is a world that comes with a lot of legal issues. Previous music generators have had criticism from record labels and, even though Elevenlabs has the support of the record labels it is training on, this could still be problematic. Compared to chatbots, as well as image and video generators, there aren't many competitors in this space right now. In fact, Elevenlabs as a whole operates in a less-explored world of AI voice recreation. Offering up the added incentive of commercial use with its songs, Elevenlabs could find itself in a strong position going forward. The Elevenlabs team also claims to have built-in safeguarding on this new model. It prevents the model from creating songs with artists' names or specific lyrics from another album. It also blocks lyrics that could incite violence or be seen as hateful.

ElevenLabs launches AI music tool with commercial rights

ElevenLabs launched a new artificial intelligence model on Tuesday, enabling users to generate music and claiming the output is cleared for commercial use. This marks an expansion beyond the company's established focus on AI audio tools, including text-to-speech products, conversational bots, and speech translation tools. The company shared samples of its AI-generated music, which included a synthetic voice rapping about personal experiences. Previous concerns around the training data for AI music generation tools have led to legal challenges for other startups. Last year, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) initiated lawsuits against Suno and Udio, alleging they trained their music-generation models on copyrighted material. Suno and Udio are reportedly engaged in licensing discussions with major record labels. ElevenLabs has also announced agreements with Merlin Network and Kobalt Music Group, both digital publishing platforms for independent musicians. These agreements permit the use of their materials for AI training. Merlin's website indicates representation for artists such as Adele, Nirvana, Mitski, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Phoebe Bridgers. Kobalt represents artists including Beck, Bon Iver, and Childish Gambino. A Kobalt representative informed TechCrunch that artists must voluntarily opt-in for their music to be licensed for AI use. The representative stated, "Our clients benefit directly from this agreement in several key ways: it opens a new revenue stream in a growing market, includes revenue sharing so they participate in the upside, provides strong safeguards against infringement and misuse, and offers favorable terms comparable to other publishing and recording rightsholders."

AI-Generated Music? Why This $3.3 Billion Company Is Betting on Song Creation

Another AI company just entered the music generation space -- and this one says it's covered by copyright protections. GenAI audio startup ElevenLabs just unveiled an AI music generation tool. Called Eleven Music, the tool allows users to create music using natural language prompts. Eleven Music users can control the genre, style and structure of music, choose whether they want their music to include vocals -- as well as what language those vocals come in. It also allows users to edit the music. "We really tried to create something where you can do one song, but do it extremely well. Even though it sounds good from the start, you can still keep iterating and making it better," says CEO and co-founder Mati Staniszewski. ElevenLabs launched in January 2023 to conduct research and develop products in the AI audio space. Initially, Staniszewski says, that meant developing models that convert text to human-sounding speech. The company later moved on to converting speech into text, generating sound effects, and now music. Eleven Labs also works in agentic AI, allowing customers to build AI voice agents for a variety of applications including call centers and customer support. Eleven Music is now part of the company's creative platform, which Staniszewski says is designed for both creators and media and entertainment companies that are "building in a gaming space, in TV, radio and wider entertainment." Together with the launch of Eleven Music, the company also released a selection of samples of music made with the tool. One called "Echoes of Midnight," for example, was created using the language prompt: "Dreamy, psychedelic, slow Indie Rock, reverb-soaked vocals, retro keys, catchy chorus, analog, phased guitars, liminal, nostalgic feeling, anthem." Another track it describes as "conscious hip hop with jazzy beats, sharp transients, and experimental flow," features a voice rapping about Compton, California, famously the hometown of several hip-hop heavyweights including Kendrick Lamar. Another described as "slow latin reggaeton with charismatic Spanish MC, dancehall vibes" seems to be capitalizing on the massive popularity of reggaeton, amplified by artists like Bad Bunny. Staniszewski says those artists were not used to train Eleven Labs models, although the company does have partnerships to train on fully licensed data with Merlin Network, Kobalt Music, Source Audio, and LANDR. The first model, Staniszewski says, is mostly trained on Source Audio and LANDR. Eleven Labs also grants users of its music platform commercial rights to the songs they create. "When you generate a lot of the music, and as you think about the artists overall, some of the genres or some of the tropes will keep repeating," Staniszewski says. "So some of the music might seem similar to some genre of the music, and people might feel they are hearing something, but usually it is actually very different." Eleven Music isn't the first to delve into generative AI for music. Platforms like Suno AI and Udio have come under fire from the Recording Industry Association of America, which alleged that the companies trained their models on copyrighted music, TechCrunch reported. ElevenLabs says that in addition to licensing for the music it creates, it has certain safeguards in place. Users are, for example, blocked from recreating specific lyrics from famous songwriters and from borrowing from music the company doesn't have the rights to. Staniszewski says, however, that the blurring of lines between human and machine in the creation of art is not a new idea, and that it could perhaps serve to enhance the art of music creation. ElevenLabs' ambitions are as broad as its expanding scope -- and investors are taking note. The company first achieved unicorn status after its $80 million series B round of funding, announced in January 2024, that pushed its valuation at about $1 billion. A year later in January 2025, ElevenLabs announced a $180 million series C that pushed its valuation to $3.3 billion. It boasts a star-studded roster of investors including Andreessen Horowitz's a16z, ICONIQ Growth, Sequoia Capital, NEA and more, TechCrunch reported. "I hope we'll be the voice of the technology, so as the AIs are developing, I hope we'll make computers speak," says Staniszewski. The final deadline for the 2025 Inc. Power Partner Awards is this Friday, August 8, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

Eleven Music : Create Stunning Songs in Seconds with AI

What if you could create a professional-grade songs or soundtracks with nothing more than a few words? Imagine typing "a dreamy piano melody with soft strings" and instantly receiving a custom composition that perfectly matches your vision. Thanks to Eleven Music, an innovative tool by ElevenLabs, this is no longer a futuristic fantasy -- it's a reality. With its text-to-music AI technology, Eleven Music is transforming how creators, developers, and brands approach music production, making it faster, more accessible, and endlessly customizable. Whether you're a seasoned musician or a complete beginner, this walkthrough will show you how to harness the power of AI to craft music that feels uniquely yours. In this step-by-step guide by ElevenLabs, you'll discover how to turn simple text prompts into rich, dynamic soundscapes, customize tracks to fit your creative needs, and even add AI-generated lyrics or voiceovers. Along the way, we'll explore the platform's intuitive tools for refining compositions, managing projects, and exporting your work in versatile formats. But this isn't just about convenience -- it's about unlocking creative possibilities you never thought possible. Ready to find out how Eleven Music can help you bring your ideas to life? Let's explore the tools and techniques that are redefining music creation. At the heart of Eleven Music lies its text-to-music AI technology, which allows you to generate music by simply entering a descriptive prompt. The AI interprets your input and produces a composition that aligns with your vision. Whether you need a cinematic score, a relaxing lo-fi beat, or an energetic pop track, the platform delivers results that match your creative intent. For example, entering a prompt like "a mellow acoustic guitar melody with soft percussion" will result in a track that embodies this mood and instrumentation. This capability makes it an invaluable tool for creators seeking to enhance their projects with custom music. Eleven Music offers a suite of customization features to help you refine your compositions and achieve the desired sound. These tools allow you to: Additionally, the platform supports AI-generated lyrics and voiceovers, allowing you to create fully automated tracks or guide the process with detailed instructions. This flexibility ensures that your music aligns perfectly with your artistic goals, whether you're producing a podcast, video, or standalone track. Check out more relevant guides from our extensive collection on AI music generator that you might find useful. Eleven Music is designed to streamline the music creation process with features that enhance project management. The platform allows you to: These tools are particularly useful for collaborative projects, where multiple stakeholders may need to review and refine the music. By keeping your work organized and accessible, Eleven Music helps you stay productive and focused on your creative objectives. Once your composition is complete, Eleven Music provides versatile options for exporting and sharing your work. You can export tracks as MP3 files, making sure compatibility with a wide range of platforms and devices. The platform also includes an audio visualizer creation tool, which allows you to generate visually engaging videos that pair seamlessly with your music. This feature is especially valuable for content creators looking to enhance their social media presence or add a professional touch to their projects. By combining audio and visuals, you can create dynamic content that captures your audience's attention. Eleven Music's intuitive interface ensures that it is accessible to users of all experience levels. Whether you're a professional musician or a beginner exploring AI-generated music for the first time, the platform simplifies the process, allowing you to focus on creativity rather than technical challenges. Its user-friendly design makes it easy to navigate the tools and features, empowering anyone to create high-quality music with minimal effort. A key feature of Eleven Music is its dedication to intellectual property rights. The platform has been developed in collaboration with artists, labels, and publishers to ensure that all generated content adheres to legal and ethical standards. This approach fosters trust among users and safeguards the rights of creators, making it a reliable choice for professionals and hobbyists alike. Eleven Music represents a significant advancement in the field of AI-driven music creation. By combining text-to-music technology, robust customization options, efficient project management tools, and user-friendly features, it provides a comprehensive solution for generating high-quality music. Whether you're a content creator, developer, or brand, this platform enables you to bring your musical ideas to life while maintaining respect for intellectual property rights.

Eleven Music: AI music generator for all, with no fear of copyright strikes

Safe, ethical AI music for creators, YouTubers, brands, and moreElevenLabs launches mobile app for AI voice generation: Here's how it works and how to use it I've never used a song I have generated with AI. Until now, the idea always seemed cool in theory to me, almost futuristic, but I didn't trust it enough to actually use it. Not because the tech wasn't impressive, but because of one big, looming question: Who actually owns this music? And more importantly, could I use it without risking a copyright strike? That's the fear that hangs over anyone who creates content online. Whether it's a YouTube video, a podcast, a short film, or even an Instagram reel, background music is a minefield. One wrong track and you're facing takedowns, demonetization, or muted audio. But now, Eleven Music, the newest product from ElevenLabs, claims to remove that fear altogether. And this time, I'm listening. Also read: ElevenLabs launches mobile app for AI voice generation: Here's how it works and how to use it Eleven Music is an AI-powered music generator that lets anyone - brands, creators, musicians, or total beginners - make near studio-quality tracks just by typing in what they want. Need an upbeat synth-pop tune with Korean vocals? Or a dark, cinematic orchestral piece with no vocals? You can just describe it and generate it in minutes. No production experience needed. But what makes Eleven Music stand out isn't just the quality. It's the fact that the music you generate is cleared for commercial use from the start. That's a huge deal. Unlike other AI tools that have trained on copyrighted data without asking permission (leading to some big lawsuits), ElevenLabs is partnering with the music industry to do things differently. They've already struck deals with Merlin and Kobalt, two major players that represent indie and mainstream artists globally. That means Eleven Music is built with the music community, not against it. As someone who spends a lot of time around content creators, some friends, some professionals, I've seen how frustrating the copyright system can be. Even when you try to play by the rules, things slip through the cracks. You pay for a royalty-free track, and it still gets flagged. Or worse, a song you used months ago suddenly becomes restricted. With Eleven Music, that entire risk seems to vanish. Everything generated is original, not sampled or cloned from existing songs. The model is trained with consent, and more importantly, it's designed with guardrails to prevent unintentional copyright issues. The promise is simple: if you make it through Eleven Music, you can use it. What impressed me most, though, wasn't just the tech, it was the approach. ElevenLabs isn't trying to bulldoze its way into the industry. It's working with musicians, publishers, and rights holders to build something sustainable and fair. And in a time where AI often feels extractive or exploitative, that collaboration is refreshing. Also read: Meet Velvet Sundown: The AI music band with over 10 lakh Spotify listeners As Kobalt's CEO said, they're ensuring that songwriters and artists have a say in how their work or their data is used in the age of AI. That kind of transparency makes a difference. I'm still someone who's never generated music with AI. But with Eleven Music, that might change. The idea that I could describe a mood or a sound and get a clean, usable track without tripping legal wires is honestly exciting. Whether you're a YouTuber, indie game dev, or small business owner trying to avoid copyright headaches, this feels like a moment. Not just for the tech, but for the way it's being built - with trust, not shortcuts. Eleven Music is available now, and it looks like the beginning of something much bigger. A world where music isn't just accessible but safe to use. And maybe, just maybe, I'll make a Formula 1 edit with a track I have generated really soon - without copyright issues.