Universal Music Group has inked a new multi-year licensing agreement with ElevenLabs, the AI audio research and product giant. According to the press release, ElevenLabs and UMG will work on a new, bespoke AI-powered music platform for fans “built on licensed music and artist participation,” as well as to jointly develop AI audio products for artists and songwriters.
Specifically, the AI music platform the two companies are working toward will give fans the ability to co-create, remix and mashup with music from artists and songwriters who choose to participate. Users can also render “personalized vocal experiences,” building on ElevenLabs’ dominance in the AI voice recreation market. “The agreement also includes the development of additional products and fan experiences in the months and years to come,” says the press release.
Importantly, this new deal with UMG is more about creating new products together, rather than partnering on ElevenLabs’ current music offerings. The deal does not include ElevenMusic, ElevenLabs’ music creation app for generating and editing original songs and it does not include Music EPI, ElevenLabs’ studio-grade music models available via API.
The news comes just one day after the biggest name in generative AI music, Suno, announced the launch of v6, its first suite of models made “in partnership with the music industry.” Specifically, according to an interview with Suno CEO Mikey Shulman on Billboard On the Record, v6 was trained on music provided by UMG competitors WMG, Believe and BMG as well as “user interactions” with the platform. (Universal, alongside Sony Music, is still pursuing a major lawsuit against Suno over claims of widespread copyright infringement of their sound recordings).
ElevenLabs has already made several deals with the music business. This includes licensing deals with Merlin — a digital licensing organization, representing 30,000 independent labels and distributors — and large indie publisher Kobalt. Its earliest known partnership is with music production library SourceAudio, which was announced in 2025.
“The most exciting possibilities for AI and music are those that put artists, songwriters, and fans at the center,” Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, says of the deal. “UMG and ElevenLabs are aligned that responsible AI can inspire discovery, deepen engagement between artists and fans, and unlock new revenue opportunities for the creative community. ElevenLabs’ leadership in AI audio brings a new dimension to our growing ecosystem of partners committed to expanding what’s creatively and commercially possible for human artistry.”
“AI opens up incredible possibilities for interacting with our favorite music and artists,” adds ElevenLabs cofounder and CEO Mati Staniszewski. “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.”
