Universal Music Group is launching a new AI-powered platform that will let users draw from its catalogue of licensed music to create song remixes, mashups and fresh takes on existing tracks. The record label is building the platform through a multiyear licensing agreement with ElevenLabs, a company specialising in AI voice and music generation.
Artists will be able to choose whether they take part in the forthcoming platform, an opt-in approach that reflects ongoing sensitivities around AI in the music sector. The tie-up represents another significant AI arrangement for the label, which continues to expand its footprint across generative technology.
Part Of A Wider AI Push
The ElevenLabs deal is far from an isolated move. Universal Music Group is currently developing a separate AI music platform with Udio, and has struck AI licensing deals with Spotify, Nvidia and Klay. The broader industry is shifting in the same direction: this week, Suno released its first AI music model trained on licensed songs from Warner Music Group, BMG and other music industry partners.
The partnership between Universal Music Group and ElevenLabs is also set to include the development of additional products and fan experiences in the months and years ahead, although further specifics on what these might involve have not been detailed.
Compensation And Product Separation
A central theme of the arrangement is fair payment for creators. “By combining UMG’s global community and rights management expertise, with our AI models and products, we’ll enable artists and songwriters to create powerful new experiences for their fans, and ensure they are fairly compensated,” ElevenLabs chief executive Mati Staniszewski said.
The new AI music platform will operate independently from ElevenLabs’ existing tools. It will remain separate from the company’s Music API and its ElevenMusic generator, keeping the licensed catalogue offering distinct from ElevenLabs’ other products. The platform is being built to allow remixes, mashups and reworked versions of tracks drawn directly from Universal Music Group’s licensed catalogue.
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