Universal Music Group and AI Startup Udio Settle Copyright Lawsuit, Partner on New AI Music Platform

Universal partners with AI startup Udio after settling copyright suit

Universal Music Group says it has made "industry-first strategic agreements" to "settle copyright infringement litigation" with AI startup Udio and license music for a new AI-powered music platform. The move is one of several anticipated licensing deals expected to land in the next few weeks as the sector grapples with how to handle AI. The deal includes some form of compensation and "will provide further revenue opportunities for UMG artists and songwriters," Universal says. Udio, the company behind "BBL Drizzy," will launch the platform as a subscription service next year. Universal, alongside other industry giants Sony and Warner, sued Udio and another startup Suno for "en masse" copyright infringement last year. Universal -- whose roster includes some of the world's biggest performers like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and Ariana Grande -- says the new tool will "transform the user engagement experience" and let creators customize, stream, and share music. There's no indication of how much it will cost yet. Udio's existing music maker, which lets you create new songs with a few words, will remain available during the transition, though content will be held "within a walled garden" and security measures like fingerprinting will be added.

AI song generator Udio offers brief window for downloads after Universal settlement upsets users

Artificial intelligence song generation platform Udio said it would give its frustrated users 48 hours starting Monday to download their songs before the company shifts to a new business model to comply with a legal settlement. The short reprieve comes after Udio on Wednesday said it had settled copyright infringement claims brought by Universal Music, a label with artists including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and Kendrick Lamar. AI companies are now fighting so many copyright lawsuits that a tech industry lobby group, the Chamber of Progress, last week called on President Donald Trump to sign an executive order directing federal attorneys "to intervene in legal cases" to defend the industry's practice of building generative AI tools by feeding them on copyrighted works. Citing more than 50 pending federal cases, the group asked for help stopping court fights leading to "potentially company-killing penalties" that threaten AI innovation. But artists have warned that AI tools built on their works also threaten their livelihoods. In the biggest settlement so far, AI company Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion -- or $3,000 per book -- to settle claims from authors who alleged the company illegally pirated nearly half a million of their works to train its chatbot. Udio and Universal didn't disclose the financial terms of their new music licensing agreements. They also said they will team up on a new streaming platform. As part of the agreement, Udio immediately stopped allowing people to download songs they've created, which sparked a backlash and apparent exodus among paying users. "We know the pain it causes to you," Udio later said in a post on Reddit's Udio forum, where users were venting about feeling betrayed by the platform's surprise move and complained that it limited what they could do with their music. Udio said it still must stop downloads as it transitions to a new streaming platform next year. But over the weekend, it said it will give people 48 hours starting at 11 a.m. Eastern time Monday to keep their "past creations." "Udio is a small company operating in an incredibly complex and evolving space, and we believe that partnering directly with artists and songwriters is the way forward," said Udio's post. The settlement deal was the music industry's first since Universal, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. Udio and Suno pioneered AI song generation technology, which can spit out new songs based on prompts typed into a chatbot-style text box. Users, who don't need musical talent, can merely request a tune in the style of, for example, classic rock, 1980s synth-pop or West Coast rap. Record labels have accused the platforms of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. In its lawsuit filed against Udio last year, Universal sought to show how specific AI-generated songs made on Udio closely resembled Universal-owned classics like Frank Sinatra's "My Way," The Temptations' "My Girl," ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and holiday favorites like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Jingle Bell Rock." A musician-led group, the Artist Rights Alliance, said Friday that the Universal-Udio settlement represents a positive step in creating a "legitimate AI marketplace" but raised questions about whether independent artists, session musicians and songwriters will be sufficiently protected from AI practices that present an "existential threat" to their careers. "Licensing is the only version of AI's future that doesn't result in the mass destruction of art and culture," the group said. "But this promise must be available to all music creators, not just to major corporate copyright holders."

Universal Music and AI song generator Udio settle lawsuit and partner on new AI music platform

LONDON (AP) -- Universal Music Group and AI song generation platform Udio have settled a copyright infringement lawsuit and agreed to team up on new music creation and streaming platform, the two companies said in a joint statement. Universal and Udio said Wednesday that they reached a "compensatory legal settlement" as well as new licensing agreements for recorded music and publishing that will "provide further revenue opportunities" for the record label's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the $20 billion music streaming industry. Record labels accuse the platforms of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. The deal is the first since Universal, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. "These new agreements with Udio demonstrate our commitment to do what's right by our artists and songwriters, whether that means embracing new technologies, developing new business models, diversifying revenue streams or beyond," Universal CEO Lucian Grainge said. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed. Udio and Suno pioneered AI song generation technology, which can spit out new songs based on prompts typed into a chatbot-style text box. Users, who don't need musical talent, can merely request a tune in the style of, for example, classic rock, 1980s synth-pop or West Coast rap. The tools have fueled debate over AI's role in music while raising fears about "AI slop" -- automatically generated low quality mass produced content -- highlighted by the rise of fictitious bands passing for real artists. Udio and Universal, which counts Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar, among its artists, said the new AI subscription service will debut next year. It will let users "customize, stream and share music responsibly on the Udio platform" and be trained on "authorized and licensed music." Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez said the deal "empowers artists and fans" and unites "AI and the music industry in a way that truly champions artists."

AI music platform Udio and Universal Music strike a deal -- is this AI music's Spotify moment?

The deal signals a major shift in how generative music could coexist with copyright law. Universal Music Group has reached a peace treaty, or at least an armistice, in its war against AI-generated music. The world's largest record label has settled its enormous copyright infringement lawsuit against AI music startup Udio. Not only that, but the two companies are launching a licensed, commercial AI music platform together at some point next year. The label behind many of the most listened-to songs in the world now wants to help you listen and make songs with AI. UMG is singing in a very different key than it was a year ago after accusing Udio and other AI music developers of "mass infringement." Now, while Udio's existing product will stick around in a more limited fashion for the moment, the focus will be on collaborating to make a streaming-friendly platform where AI-generated songs can be customized, licensed, and shared legally and with artist royalties built in. "These new agreements with Udio demonstrate our commitment to do what's right by our artists and songwriters, whether that means embracing new technologies, developing new business models, diversifying revenue streams or beyond," UMG CEO Sir Lucian Grainge said in a statement. "[T]ogether, we can foster a healthy commercial AI ecosystem in which artists, songwriters, music companies and technology companies can all flourish and create incredible experiences for fans." Both companies are hyping their plan as more than a new app, but a major turning point in how music is created and heard. Think of it as the AI equivalent of Spotify's impact on streaming music. Streaming music services had been around for years, but it was Spotify that arguably made listening to songs that way the default choice for many people and mainstreamed the idea of tapping into a virtual collection of music at will rather than buying it physically or digitally. Opinions went from Napster panic to Spotify dominance as file sharing became common. Now there could be a service that sounds a lot like Spotify with a prompt box. For everyday listeners, this could open the door to some weirdly wonderful new experiences. Want a dance-pop track with Korean lyrics and a mariachi horn section? Or a lullaby in the style of Bon Iver, sung by a ghostly children's choir in a cave? Udio can already sort of make variations on those themes. But they become easier to share once it's legal. And artists themselves might be the ones prompting the machine. The key point here isn't that AI music is new. Udio and competitors like Suno have been turning text prompts into full-length songs for a while. But the seal of legitimacy from a major rights holder is no small matter. That it happened after many months of legal battles is a testament to how well UMG thinks it and its artists will come out from the new service and how valuable Udio believes setting up a legitimate way to access UMG's data and connections is to its plans. "This moment brings to life everything we've been building toward - uniting AI and the music industry in a way that truly champions artists," Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez said. "Together, we're building the technological and business landscape that will fundamentally expand what's possible in music creation and engagement." Udio isn't UMG's only AI-related deal. It has recently made deals around AI with YouTube, TikTok, Meta, and others. The idea isn't to chase pirates endlessly through the courts. It's to stake a claim in how music gets made. And the timing couldn't be better. In the background, there's increasing speculation that OpenAI is preparing its own audio-focused AI tool, a Sora for music. If that lands before Udio's licensed platform launches, the entire ecosystem could shift again, with the same forces that reshaped video creation now taking aim at audio,

Universal and AI music firm settle lawsuit and launch new platform

A legal wrangle over alleged copyright infringement between Universal Music and AI firm Udio has ended with a settlement and a new partnership for a platform to make AI music more accessible to everyday users. A new step has been taken in the tumultuous relationship between artificial intelligence and the music industry. Universal Music Group and AI song generation platform Udio have reached a settlement in a copyright infringement lawsuit and have agreed to collaborate on new music creation, the two companies said in a joint statement. Universal and Udio say they have reached "a compensatory legal settlement" as well as new licence deals for recorded music and publishing that "will provide further revenue opportunities for UMG artists and songwriters." Financial terms of the settlement haven't been disclosed. Major record labels Universal, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. The suit alleged that specific AI-generated songs made on Udio closely resembled Universal-owned classics like Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and The Temptations' "My Girl." It was filed just weeks after more than 200 artists signed an open letter calling for the "predatory" use of AI in the music industry to be stopped. Universal CEO Lucian Grainge said "these new agreements with Udio demonstrate our commitment to do what's right by our artists and songwriters." The two companies have also agreed to launch a new AI-powered music creation platform in 2026. The feature should allow users to remix and mash up their favourite songs with AI, and possibly create new music in an artist's distinct style. Universal artists, which include Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish, will be able to give permission for how their music can be used, Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez said in a statement. Participating artists will receive financial compensation. These AI-powered creations will however be unavailable to download. AI songs made on Udio will be "controlled within a walled garden" as part of the transition to the new service, the two companies said in their joint announcement. This collaborative deal is the first its kind in the ongoing power struggle between AI companies and the music industry. Earlier this month, streaming platform Spotify said it was teaming up with Universal and Warner music groups to develop "responsible AI products" but gave no additional details.

AI song generator Udio offers brief window for downloads after Universal settlement upsets users

Artificial intelligence song generation platform Udio said it would give its frustrated users 48 hours starting Monday to download their songs before the company shifts to a new business model to comply with a legal settlement. The short reprieve comes after Udio on Wednesday said it had settled copyright infringement claims brought by Universal Music, a label with artists including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and Kendrick Lamar. AI companies are now fighting so many copyright lawsuits that a tech industry lobby group, the Chamber of Progress, last week called on President Donald Trump to sign an executive order directing federal attorneys "to intervene in legal cases" to defend the industry's practice of building generative AI tools by feeding them on copyrighted works. Citing more than 50 pending federal cases, the group asked for help stopping court fights leading to "potentially company-killing penalties" that threaten AI innovation. But artists have warned that AI tools built on their works also threaten their livelihoods. In the biggest settlement so far, AI company Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion -- or $3,000 per book -- to settle claims from authors who alleged the company illegally pirated nearly half a million of their works to train its chatbot. Udio and Universal didn't disclose the financial terms of their new music licensing agreements. They also said they will team up on a new streaming platform. As part of the agreement, Udio immediately stopped allowing people to download songs they've created, which sparked a backlash and apparent exodus among paying users. "We know the pain it causes to you," Udio later said in a post on Reddit's Udio forum, where users were venting about feeling betrayed by the platform's surprise move and complained that it limited what they could do with their music. Udio said it still must stop downloads as it transitions to a new streaming platform next year. But over the weekend, it said it will give people 48 hours starting at 11 a.m. Eastern time Monday to keep their "past creations." "Udio is a small company operating in an incredibly complex and evolving space, and we believe that partnering directly with artists and songwriters is the way forward," said Udio's post. The settlement deal was the music industry's first since Universal, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. Udio and Suno pioneered AI song generation technology, which can spit out new songs based on prompts typed into a chatbot-style text box. Users, who don't need musical talent, can merely request a tune in the style of, for example, classic rock, 1980s synth-pop or West Coast rap. Record labels have accused the platforms of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. In its lawsuit filed against Udio last year, Universal sought to show how specific AI-generated songs made on Udio closely resembled Universal-owned classics like Frank Sinatra's "My Way," The Temptations' "My Girl," ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and holiday favorites like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Jingle Bell Rock." A musician-led group, the Artist Rights Alliance, said Friday that the Universal-Udio settlement represents a positive step in creating a "legitimate AI marketplace" but raised questions about whether independent artists, session musicians and songwriters will be sufficiently protected from AI practices that present an "existential threat" to their careers. "Licensing is the only version of AI's future that doesn't result in the mass destruction of art and culture," the group said. "But this promise must be available to all music creators, not just to major corporate copyright holders."

AI song generator Udio offers brief window for downloads after Universal settlement upsets users

Artificial intelligence song generation platform Udio said it would give its frustrated users 48 hours starting Monday to download their songs before the company shifts to a new business model to comply with a legal settlement. The short reprieve comes after Udio on Wednesday said it had settled copyright infringement claims brought by Universal Music, a label with artists including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and Kendrick Lamar. AI companies are now fighting so many copyright lawsuits that a tech industry lobby group, the Chamber of Progress, last week called on President Donald Trump to sign an executive order directing federal attorneys "to intervene in legal cases" to defend the industry's practice of building generative AI tools by feeding them on copyrighted works. Citing more than 50 pending federal cases, the group asked for help stopping court fights leading to "potentially company-killing penalties" that threaten AI innovation. But artists have warned that AI tools built on their works also threaten their livelihoods. In the biggest settlement so far, AI company Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion -- or $3,000 per book -- to settle claims from authors who alleged the company illegally pirated nearly half a million of their works to train its chatbot. Udio and Universal didn't disclose the financial terms of their new music licensing agreements. They also said they will team up on a new streaming platform. As part of the agreement, Udio immediately stopped allowing people to download songs they've created, which sparked a backlash and apparent exodus among paying users. "We know the pain it causes to you," Udio later said in a post on Reddit's Udio forum, where users were venting about feeling betrayed by the platform's surprise move and complained that it limited what they could do with their music. Udio said it still must stop downloads as it transitions to a new streaming platform next year. But over the weekend, it said it will give people 48 hours starting at 11 a.m. Eastern time Monday to keep their "past creations." "Udio is a small company operating in an incredibly complex and evolving space, and we believe that partnering directly with artists and songwriters is the way forward," said Udio's post. The settlement deal was the music industry's first since Universal, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. Udio and Suno pioneered AI song generation technology, which can spit out new songs based on prompts typed into a chatbot-style text box. Users, who don't need musical talent, can merely request a tune in the style of, for example, classic rock, 1980s synth-pop or West Coast rap. Record labels have accused the platforms of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. In its lawsuit filed against Udio last year, Universal sought to show how specific AI-generated songs made on Udio closely resembled Universal-owned classics like Frank Sinatra's "My Way," The Temptations' "My Girl," ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and holiday favorites like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Jingle Bell Rock." A musician-led group, the Artist Rights Alliance, said Friday that the Universal-Udio settlement represents a positive step in creating a "legitimate AI marketplace" but raised questions about whether independent artists, session musicians and songwriters will be sufficiently protected from AI practices that present an "existential threat" to their careers. "Licensing is the only version of AI's future that doesn't result in the mass destruction of art and culture," the group said. "But this promise must be available to all music creators, not just to major corporate copyright holders."

AI Song Generator Udio Offers Brief Window for Downloads After Universal Settlement Upsets Users

Artificial intelligence song generation platform Udio said it would give its frustrated users 48 hours starting Monday to download their songs before the company shifts to a new business model to comply with a legal settlement. The short reprieve comes after Udio on Wednesday said it had settled copyright infringement claims brought by Universal Music, a label with artists including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and Kendrick Lamar. AI companies are now fighting so many copyright lawsuits that a tech industry lobby group, the Chamber of Progress, last week called on President Donald Trump to sign an executive order directing federal attorneys "to intervene in legal cases" to defend the industry's practice of building generative AI tools by feeding them on copyrighted works. Citing more than 50 pending federal cases, the group asked for help stopping court fights leading to "potentially company-killing penalties" that threaten AI innovation. But artists have warned that AI tools built on their works also threaten their livelihoods. In the biggest settlement so far, AI company Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion -- or $3,000 per book -- to settle claims from authors who alleged the company illegally pirated nearly half a million of their works to train its chatbot. Udio and Universal didn't disclose the financial terms of their new music licensing agreements. They also said they will team up on a new streaming platform. As part of the agreement, Udio immediately stopped allowing people to download songs they've created, which sparked a backlash and apparent exodus among paying users. "We know the pain it causes to you," Udio later said in a post on Reddit's Udio forum, where users were venting about feeling betrayed by the platform's surprise move and complained that it limited what they could do with their music. Udio said it still must stop downloads as it transitions to a new streaming platform next year. But over the weekend, it said it will give people 48 hours starting at 11 a.m. Eastern time Monday to keep their "past creations." "Udio is a small company operating in an incredibly complex and evolving space, and we believe that partnering directly with artists and songwriters is the way forward," said Udio's post. The settlement deal was the music industry's first since Universal, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. Udio and Suno pioneered AI song generation technology, which can spit out new songs based on prompts typed into a chatbot-style text box. Users, who don't need musical talent, can merely request a tune in the style of, for example, classic rock, 1980s synth-pop or West Coast rap. Record labels have accused the platforms of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. In its lawsuit filed against Udio last year, Universal sought to show how specific AI-generated songs made on Udio closely resembled Universal-owned classics like Frank Sinatra's "My Way," The Temptations' "My Girl," ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and holiday favorites like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Jingle Bell Rock." A musician-led group, the Artist Rights Alliance, said Friday that the Universal-Udio settlement represents a positive step in creating a "legitimate AI marketplace" but raised questions about whether independent artists, session musicians and songwriters will be sufficiently protected from AI practices that present an "existential threat" to their careers. "Licensing is the only version of AI's future that doesn't result in the mass destruction of art and culture," the group said. "But this promise must be available to all music creators, not just to major corporate copyright holders."

Universal Music and AI song generator Udio settle lawsuit and partner on new AI music platform

LONDON -- Universal Music Group and AI song generation platform Udio have settled a copyright infringement lawsuit and agreed to team up on new music creation and streaming platform, the two companies said in a joint statement. Universal and Udio said Wednesday that they reached a "compensatory legal settlement" as well as new licensing agreements for recorded music and publishing that will "provide further revenue opportunities" for the record label's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the $20 billion music streaming industry. Record labels accuse the platforms of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. The deal is the first since Universal, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. "These new agreements with Udio demonstrate our commitment to do what's right by our artists and songwriters, whether that means embracing new technologies, developing new business models, diversifying revenue streams or beyond," Universal CEO Lucian Grainge said. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed. Udio and Suno pioneered AI song generation technology, which can spit out new songs based on prompts typed into a chatbot-style text box. Users, who don't need musical talent, can merely request a tune in the style of, for example, classic rock, 1980s synth-pop or West Coast rap. The tools have fueled debate over AI's role in music while raising fears about "AI slop" -- automatically generated low quality mass produced content -- highlighted by the rise of fictitious bands passing for real artists. Udio and Universal, which counts Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar, among its artists, said the new AI subscription service will debut next year. It will let users "customize, stream and share music responsibly on the Udio platform" and be trained on "authorized and licensed music." Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez said the deal "empowers artists and fans" and unites "AI and the music industry in a way that truly champions artists."

Universal Music and AI song generator Udio settle lawsuit and partner on new AI music platform

LONDON (AP) -- Universal Music Group and AI song generation platform Udio have settled a copyright infringement lawsuit and agreed to team up on new music creation and streaming platform, the two companies said in a joint statement. Universal and Udio said Wednesday that they reached a "compensatory legal settlement" as well as new licensing agreements for recorded music and publishing that will "provide further revenue opportunities" for the record label's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the $20 billion music streaming industry. Record labels accuse the platforms of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. The deal is the first since Universal, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. "These new agreements with Udio demonstrate our commitment to do what's right by our artists and songwriters, whether that means embracing new technologies, developing new business models, diversifying revenue streams or beyond," Universal CEO Lucian Grainge said. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed. Udio and Suno pioneered AI song generation technology, which can spit out new songs based on prompts typed into a chatbot-style text box. Users, who don't need musical talent, can merely request a tune in the style of, for example, classic rock, 1980s synth-pop or West Coast rap. The tools have fueled debate over AI's role in music while raising fears about "AI slop" -- automatically generated low quality mass produced content -- highlighted by the rise of fictitious bands passing for real artists. Udio and Universal, which counts Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar, among its artists, said the new AI subscription service will debut next year. It will let users "customize, stream and share music responsibly on the Udio platform" and be trained on "authorized and licensed music." Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez said the deal "empowers artists and fans" and unites "AI and the music industry in a way that truly champions artists."

AI song generator Udio offers brief window for downloads after Universal settlement upsets users

AI companies are now fighting so many copyright lawsuits that a tech industry lobby group, the Chamber of Progress, last week called on President Donald Trump to sign an executive order directing federal attorneys "to intervene in legal cases" to defend the industry's practice of building generative AI tools by feeding them on copyrighted works. Artificial intelligence song generation platform Udio said it would give its frustrated users 48 hours starting Monday to download their songs before the company shifts to a new business model to comply with a legal settlement. The short reprieve comes after Udio on Wednesday said it had settled copyright infringement claims brought by Universal Music, a label with artists including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and Kendrick Lamar. AI companies are now fighting so many copyright lawsuits that a tech industry lobby group, the Chamber of Progress, last week called on President Donald Trump to sign an executive order directing federal attorneys "to intervene in legal cases" to defend the industry's practice of building generative AI tools by feeding them on copyrighted works. Citing more than 50 pending federal cases, the group asked for help stopping court fights leading to "potentially company-killing penalties" that threaten AI innovation. But artists have warned that AI tools built on their works also threaten their livelihoods. In the biggest settlement so far, AI company Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion - or $3,000 per book - to settle claims from authors who alleged the company illegally pirated nearly half a million of their works to train its chatbot. Udio and Universal didn't disclose the financial terms of their new music licensing agreements. They also said they will team up on a new streaming platform. As part of the agreement, Udio immediately stopped allowing people to download songs they've created, which sparked a backlash and apparent exodus among paying users. "We know the pain it causes to you," Udio later said in a post on Reddit's Udio forum, where users were venting about feeling betrayed by the platform's surprise move and complained that it limited what they could do with their music. Udio said it still must stop downloads as it transitions to a new streaming platform next year. But over the weekend, it said it will give people 48 hours starting at 11 a.m. Eastern time Monday to keep their "past creations." "Udio is a small company operating in an incredibly complex and evolving space, and we believe that partnering directly with artists and songwriters is the way forward," said Udio's post. The settlement deal was the music industry's first since Universal, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. Udio and Suno pioneered AI song generation technology, which can spit out new songs based on prompts typed into a chatbot-style text box. Users, who don't need musical talent, can merely request a tune in the style of, for example, classic rock, 1980s synth-pop or West Coast rap. Record labels have accused the platforms of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. In its lawsuit filed against Udio last year, Universal sought to show how specific AI-generated songs made on Udio closely resembled Universal-owned classics like Frank Sinatra's "My Way," The Temptations' "My Girl," ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and holiday favorites like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Jingle Bell Rock." A musician-led group, the Artist Rights Alliance, said Friday that the Universal-Udio settlement represents a positive step in creating a "legitimate AI marketplace" but raised questions about whether independent artists, session musicians and songwriters will be sufficiently protected from AI practices that present an "existential threat" to their careers. "Licensing is the only version of AI's future that doesn't result in the mass destruction of art and culture," the group said. "But this promise must be available to all music creators, not just to major corporate copyright holders."

AI Music Goes Legit? How Universal Music Group Will Let You Reimagine (Some of) Its Music

Spinal Tap's Final Concert -- at the Real Stonehenge! -- Comes to Theaters Universal Music Group didn't merely settle its lawsuit with the AI music-generating service Udio in a deal announced yesterday -- the world's largest record company is now partnering with Udio to build a new kind of AI music service. The idea, execs for both companies tell Rolling Stone, is a service that -- with artists' permission -- will allow listeners to use AI to revamp well-known songs, utilize singers' actual voices for new creations, and mash up multiple artists' styles, among other innovations. "The vision is that you're gonna be able to consume and interact with your favorite songs and artists in the same place," Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez tells Rolling Stone. "I might wanna listen to songs that are made by my favorite band, and then maybe I wanna remix one. Or, 'I've been listening to this band and this other band, I'm gonna mash 'em up together and then I might listen to those new songs as well.'" Sanchez calls it "a massive expansion... a paradigm that doesn't exist right now" -- part Spotify-like service, part creator platform, part social network. "We want to build a community of superfans around creation," he adds. "As we say internally, it's connection through creation." Just over a year ago, Universal joined Sony Music and Warner Music Group in suing Udio and rival AI-music generator Suno, arguing that the companies violated copyright law by training their models on copyrighted recordings without permission (the companies argued that this constituted fair use). Now Universal and Udio are targeting 2026 for the launch of their joint platform, which will be a "walled garden" where no AI creations can be downloaded or posted outside of the site. The idea, according to UMG executive vice president and chief digital officer Michael Nash, is to avoid "direct cannibalization," preventing the AI songs from competing with artists' actual tracks on streaming, and making sure the platform generates entirely new revenue. Users will only be able to work with songs whose creators have opted in, which will limit the available catalog, perhaps vastly so. But Universal is confident that there is some interest from artists. "From our preliminary conversations as we extend the outreach," says Nash, "there are artists that are not gonna want to be the first wave of product introduction. And there are artists that are definitely going to want to be part of the first wave." Their pitch to artists is, he adds, "You'll have enormous control over the parameters around that interaction, and then you will have significant economic participation. As opposed to the current world in which there's no control and there's very little economic participation, it's a pretty attractive proposition." In addition to royalties, artists who opt in will also receive what Sanchez argues could be valuable data. "Maybe I'm a country singer, but people are trying to use me to make hip hop," he says. "That's amazing. Maybe I wanna lean into that." There's less certainty around the underlying training data needed to make the new Udio model work -- Nash says Universal is still determining what portion of their catalog they'll make available for training. "The approach that we're taking," he says, "is really around where we have rights and the ability to convey our content for the development of underlying capability of the models." (A Universal source emphasized that the company has no intention of making its entire catalog available for the training, adding that "there is a very rigorous process of clearance underway.") Nash argues that for music fans, using AI to work with existing, well-known songs is a much more attractive proposition than simply creating tracks from scratch. Nash cites research from the streaming service Deezer showing that while 30 percent of tracks uploaded to it are AI-generated -- about 30,000 tracks per day -- that content accounts for less than half of one percent of actual listening. Spotify recently confirmed similar figures, he says. "There's very little organic demand for AI slop," Nash says. "In fact, people are frustrated by the fact that their social media feeds are being murdered by AI slop right now." The real opportunity, he argues, is in tools that deepen connections between artists and fans. He points to research from the content-tracking platform Pex showing that 30 to 40 percent of music content on social media has already been modified by users -- sped up, slowed down, mashed up or remixed. "What that tells you is there's tremendous consumer interest in touching the content and directly interacting with the content," he says. Suno, which is still in litigation with Universal and the other labels, has a vastly larger footprint than Udio -- SimilarWeb shows Suno attracted around 43.8 million visitors in September, while Udio's had just 2.3 million. Nash argues that Udio has prioritized negotiations with Universal in recent months over growing the service, and believes their technology is as strong as Suno's. The latter service, he insists, is investing in "an unsustainable status quo." It's unclear precisely what the new Udio/Universal service will look like, and Sanchez says he's uncertain if it will even use the Udio brandname. Udio's existing service will carry on while the new one takes shape, but it has already turned off the ability to download tracks. "We think that Udio has made the right bets," says Nash, "and we think that they're going to put a great product into the marketplace."

Universal Music and AI Song Generator Udio Settle Lawsuit and Partner on New AI Music Platform

LONDON (AP) -- Universal Music Group and AI song generation platform Udio have settled a copyright infringement lawsuit and agreed to team up on new music creation and streaming platform, the two companies said in a joint statement. Universal and Udio said Wednesday that they reached a "compensatory legal settlement" as well as new licensing agreements for recorded music and publishing that will "provide further revenue opportunities" for the record label's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the $20 billion music streaming industry. Record labels accuse the platforms of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. The deal is the first since Universal, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. "These new agreements with Udio demonstrate our commitment to do what's right by our artists and songwriters, whether that means embracing new technologies, developing new business models, diversifying revenue streams or beyond," Universal CEO Lucian Grainge said. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed. Udio and Suno pioneered AI song generation technology, which can spit out new songs based on prompts typed into a chatbot-style text box. Users, who don't need musical talent, can merely request a tune in the style of, for example, classic rock, 1980s synth-pop or West Coast rap. The tools have fueled debate over AI's role in music while raising fears about "AI slop" -- automatically generated low quality mass produced content -- highlighted by the rise of fictitious bands passing for real artists. Udio and Universal, which counts Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar, among its artists, said the new AI subscription service will debut next year. It will let users "customize, stream and share music responsibly on the Udio platform" and be trained on "authorized and licensed music." Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez said the deal "empowers artists and fans" and unites "AI and the music industry in a way that truly champions artists."

Universal Music settles copyright dispute with AI firm Udio

Universal Music Group has settled a copyright infringement lawsuit with AI company Udio, agreeing to collaborate on new creative products. The partnership will launch a platform next year using AI trained on licensed music. This follows a lawsuit filed by major labels accusing Udio and Suno of mass copyright infringement by using their recordings to train AI music generators. Universal Music Group said on Wednesday it has settled a copyright infringement case with artificial intelligence company Udio and that the two firms will collaborate on a new suite of creative products. Under the agreement, the companies will launch a platform next year that leverages generative AI trained on authorized and licensed music. UMG Chairman Sir Lucian Grainge said the agreements "demonstrate our commitment to do what's right by our artists and songwriters, whether that means embracing new technologies, developing new business models, diversifying revenue streams or beyond." Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez said the companies are "building the technological and business landscape that will fundamentally expand what's possible in music creation and engagement." In 2024, major record labels Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Records had sued Udio and another AI firm called Suno, accusing them of committing mass copyright infringement by using the labels' recordings to train music-generating AI systems. The labels alleged that the AI companies copied hundreds of songs from some of the world's most popular musicians to teach their systems to create music that will "directly compete with, cheapen, and ultimately drown out" human artists. At the time, Suno and Udio argued that using copyrighted sound recordings to train their systems qualified as fair use under U.S. copyright law and described the lawsuits as attempts to stifle independent competition. The lawsuit is one of several high-stakes cases brought by copyright owners including authors, news outlets and visual artists against tech companies for allegedly using their work without permission to train AI. Sony and Warner's cases against Udio are still ongoing, as are all three labels' cases against Suno. UMG is the world's biggest music label, and its catalogue of artists also includes Taylor Swift, BTS, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga.

Universal Music Group Settles Major AI Lawsuit With Udio After Song Theft Claims

How 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 Locked in One of the Most Star-Studded Soundtracks of the Year Universal Music Group is settling its copyright infringement lawsuit against AI music generation platform Udio, the companies confirmed late Wednesday night, with the two companies saying they'd now be collaborating to develop new AI music generation and streaming platform. UMG and Udio didn't provide any financial details of the settlement but said the new platform would come out sometime in 2026 and would be trained on licensed music from UMG's catalog. UMG is the world's largest music company, with a roster that includes stars like Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter among others. The deal ends UMG's involvement in one of the most high-profile lawsuits in the music industry, coming over a year after Universal sued AI music generators Suno and Udio alongside fellow "Big Three" music companies Sony Music Group and Warner Music Group. The record companies accused the two AI platforms of massive copyright infringement by training their models on millions of unlicensed works from their catalogs. At press time, Sony and Warner are still litigating against Udio. All three companies remain in active litigation against Suno. In a press release, UMG and Udio said the new subscription service would "transform the user engagement experience, creating a licensed and protected environment to customize, stream and share music responsibly." "This moment brings to life everything we've been building toward - uniting AI and the music industry in a way that truly champions artists," Udio founder and CEO Andrew Sanchez said in a statement. "Together, we're building the technological and business landscape that will fundamentally expand what's possible in music creation and engagement." UMG and Udio said Udio's current product would be available to users in a "walled garden" before the new product is made available next year. "These new agreements with Udio demonstrate our commitment to do what's right by our artists and songwriters, whether that means embracing new technologies, developing new business models, diversifying revenue streams or beyond," UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge said in a statement. "We look forward to working with Andrew who shares our belief that together, we can foster a healthy commercial AI ecosystem in which artists, songwriters, music companies and technology companies can all flourish and create incredible experiences for fans." Alongside the Udio deal, UMG, which will post its third quarter earnings later this morning, also announced a partnership with Stability AI on Thursday to develop a slate of AI music creation tools, though the companies didn't disclose what those specific tools would be. UMG and Stability said the new tools would be "powered by responsibly trained generative AI and built to support the creative process of artists, producers and songwriters globally." AI remains among the most-pressing issues in the music business. Last month, Spotify shared a new AI policy to crack down on AI use by "bad actors" while not outlawing AI music on the platform outright. The streaming service said at the time that it had removed 75 million "spammy" songs. Earlier this month, Spotify announced it had entered an agreement with all of the major music companies to develop new AI music products. Of the new partnership with Stability, UMG EVP and chief digital officer Michael Nash said that the company has "made abundantly clear, we will only consider advancing AI tools and products based on models that are trained responsibly." Stability CEO Prem Akkaraju said the company's new partnership with UMG marks the next chapter of music creation. At Stability AI, we put the artist at the center and build AI around their unique needs because real transformation has always come from a combination of art and science."

UMG-Udio Settle Copyright Dispute, Announce AI Music Platform

On October 29, Universal Music Group (UMG) and Udio announced that they had reached a settlement of their copyright-infringement litigation and entered into "industry-first strategic agreements" to collaborate on a new licensed AI music-creation platform. Notably, the forthcoming service, slated for launch in 2026, will allow users to customise, stream, and share music created via generative AI trained on authorised and licensed recordings from UMG's catalogue. The settlement comes after UMG (alongside other major labels) sued Udio in 2024, alleging the company had trained its AI systems using copyrighted sound recordings without permission. The litigation claimed that Udio's models had generated songs that closely resembled well-known recordings, including songs by Taylor Swift, BTS, and Ariana Grande, by copying from their catalogues on an "almost unimaginable scale". UMG and its partners filed their case, arguing that such AI-generated works could "directly compete with, cheapen, and ultimately drown out" human-created recordings. Under the deal, UGM's artists and songwriters will receive further revenue opportunities through the licence agreements covering both recorded music and publishing rights. Meanwhile, Udio emphasises that artists will retain control and will be able to set permissions; specifically, artists will determine "what and how you can create" using their voice or style. In practice, the platform will enable fans and creators to generate new music using an artist's distinct style, remix or reimagine favoured tracks in different genres, or combine multiple styles through mash-ups. Furthermore, the service will operate within a "walled-garden" environment where controls such as fingerprinting and filtering are applied to ensure responsible creation and sharing. UMG described the arrangement as a step toward a healthy commercial AI ecosystem where artists, songwriters, labels, and tech firms can all flourish together. Notably, during the transition period ahead of the full launch, Udio's existing product will remain available to users, albeit with certain changes: downloads will be paused, the system will progressively shift to the new model, and additional user credits will be provided to existing subscribers. In India, the debate over copyright and AI-generated music has intensified amid the growing adoption of generative AI tools by creators and platforms. The Indian Music Industry (IMI), representing major record labels, recently urged the government to introduce transparency requirements for AI systems that use copyrighted works for training. Furthermore, Hollywood and Bollywood groups have argued that India's Copyright Act, last amended in 2012, does not explicitly address non-human authorship, leaving artists' rights vulnerable when AI models replicate their vocals or compositions and the need for licensing. Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court granted temporary relief to singer Asha Bhosle in a plea against AI platforms imitating her voice and likeness, signalling judicial recognition of personality rights in the age of synthetic media. Globally, regulators and music bodies are also tightening oversight. The US Copyright Office reaffirmed in 2025 that only works involving "human authorship" qualify for copyright protection, rejecting purely AI-generated submissions. In Europe, Sweden's music rights organisation STIM launched a licence allowing AI developers to legally train on copyrighted songs while compensating songwriters. Moreover, streaming services like Deezer and Spotify have announced new responsible AI initiatives to tag, monitor, and restrict AI-made tracks that mimic real artists. The Universal Music Group-Udio settlement and the accompanying licensed AI platform mark a turning point for how the global music industry will coexist with artificial intelligence. Until now, much of AI music generation has operated in a legal vacuum, leaving artists without clarity or compensation when their voices or compositions were replicated by machines. This agreement signals that music companies are moving from confrontation to collaboration, recognising AI's creative potential while drawing clear lines around authorship and ownership. In India, these changes carry particular weight. With local musicians increasingly experimenting with generative AI tools, the absence of AI-specific copyright rules exposes gaps that could undermine both creative control and livelihoods. Recent calls from the IMI and the Asha Bhosle case underscore the urgency of modernising the law before misuse becomes systemic. Globally, the shift toward licensing models, from Sweden's songwriter royalties framework to Spotify's AI initiative, shows that rights management, not litigation, may define the next phase of AI in music. Together, these developments matter because they establish accountability in a field defined by imitation. They also demonstrate that human creativity remains central, not obsolete, in shaping the future soundscape of AI-generated music.

Universal Music and AI song generator Udio settle lawsuit, announces...

LONDON -- Universal Music Group and AI song generation platform Udio have settled a copyright infringement lawsuit and agreed to team up on new music creation and streaming platform, the two companies said in a joint announcement. Universal and Udio said Wednesday that they reached a "compensatory legal settlement" as well as new licensing agreements for recorded music and publishing that will "provide further revenue opportunities" for the record label's artists and songwriters. As part of the deal, Udio immediately stopped allowing people to download songs they've created, which sparked a backlash and apparent exodus among paying users. The deal is the first since Universal, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, sued Udio and another AI song generator, Suno, last year over copyright infringement. "These new agreements with Udio demonstrate our commitment to do what's right by our artists and songwriters, whether that means embracing new technologies, developing new business models, diversifying revenue streams or beyond," Universal CEO Lucian Grainge said. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed. Universal announced another AI deal on Thursday, saying it was teaming up with Stability AI to develop "next-generation professional music creation tools." Udio and Suno pioneered AI song generation technology, which can spit out new songs based on prompts typed into a chatbot-style text box. Users, who don't need musical talent, can merely request a tune in the style of, for example, classic rock, 1980s synth-pop or West Coast rap. Udio and Universal, which counts Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar among its artists, said the new AI subscription service will debut next year. Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez said in a blog post that people will be able to use it to remix their favorite songs or mashup different tunes or song styles. Artists will be able to give permission for how their music can be used, he said. However, "downloads from the platform will be unavailable," he said. AI songs made on Udio will be "controlled within a walled garden" as part of the transition to the new service, the two companies said in their joint announcement. The move angered Udio's users, according to posts on Reddit's Udio forum, where they vented about feeling betrayed by the platform's surprise move and complained that it limited what they could do with their music. One user accused Universal of taking away "our democratic download freedoms." Another said "Udio can never be trusted again." Many vowed to cancel their subscriptions for Udio, which has a free level as well as premium plans that come with more features. The deal shows how the rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the $20 billion music streaming industry. Record labels accuse the platforms of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. The tools have fueled debate over AI's role in music while raising fears about "AI slop" -- automatically generated, low quality mass produced content -- highlighted by the rise of fictitious bands passing for real artists. In its lawsuit filed against Udio last year, Universal alleged that specific AI-generated songs made on Udio closely resembled Universal-owned classics like Frank Sinatra's "My Way," The Temptations' "My Girl" and holiday favorites like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Jingle Bell Rock." In the "My Girl" example, a written prompt on Udio that asked for "my tempting 1964 girl smokey sing hitsville soul pop" generated a song with a "very similar melody, the same chords, and very similar backing vocals" as the hit song co-written by Smokey Robinson and recorded by The Temptations in 1964, according to the lawsuit. A link to the AI-generated song on Udio now says "Track not found."

Universal says struck first licensing deal for AI music

Recording industry giant Universal Music Group said Thursday it had struck a licensing deal with AI music generation startup Udio, in an industry-first tie-up aiming to launch an AI creation platform next year. Universal and Udio said in a statement that their platform, as yet unnamed, "will be powered by new cutting-edge generative AI technology that will be trained on authorized and licensed music". They added that they had settled an outstanding copyright infringement case, without specifying the financial terms. The agreement comes as artists, from authors to musicians and video game developers, fear eventual replacement by AI models trained on decades of human-produced creative output, while music streaming platforms already report a rising flood of computer-generated songs. AI firms from industry leader OpenAI to music specialists like Udio and competitor Suno have previously been accused by major record companies of using their songs to "train" artificial intelligence models which can produce music that apes human artists. Rightsholders have demanded stricter limits on the AI developers' activities, including transparency on what source material they have used and guarantees for their revenue. Startups were "engaged in the largest copyright infringement exercise that has been seen," International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP) boss John Phelan told AFP last month. And the Recording Industry Association of America, a US trade group, filed a lawsuit in June 2024 against both Udio and Suno. By contrast, Thursday's tie-up showed the way towards "a healthy commercial AI ecosystem in which artists, songwriters, music companies and technology companies can all flourish," UMG chief Lucian Grainge said. Broader talks between music companies and tech firms on how to license works for AI remain under way.

Universal Music, Stability AI to Develop Music Creation Tools

Universal Music Group said it reached an agreement with artificial-intelligence startup Stability AI to develop professional music creation tools as the record label steps up efforts to leverage the technology. The world's largest music company said it would explore new recording and composition concepts with Stability AI, liaising closely with artists to ensure the new tools are beneficial and not detrimental to their work. "With AI, as with everything else we do, we start with what best supports our work to help them achieve creative and commercial success and build from that foundation to forge new and better commercial and creative opportunities. And as we've made abundantly clear, we will only consider advancing AI tools and products based on models that are trained responsibly," Michael Nash, Universal's chief digital officer, said. The announcement comes after Universal Music signed a deal with AI music generator Udio to launch a new platform trained on licensed songs, part of a settlement in a dispute in which Universal had accused the AI startup of copyright infringement.