Universal Music and ElevenLabs strike multi-year deal to launch licensed AI music platform

NEW YORK: Universal Music Group (UMG) and AI audio company ElevenLabs have entered into a multi-year strategic agreement that will begin with the development of a licensed AI-powered music creation platform for fans.

The agreement combines music licensing with product development and marks ElevenLabs’ first deal with a major music label. The companies will also jointly develop AI audio products for artists and songwriters.

The new platform, currently under development, will be built around licensed music and artist participation. It will allow fans to interact and co-create with music from participating artists and songwriters through features including remixes, mashups, new interpretations of tracks and personalised vocal experiences.

The partnership will also cover additional products and fan experiences that the companies plan to develop over the coming months and years.

The collaboration is positioned around responsible AI use in music, with both companies emphasising respect for human artistry and the participation of artists and songwriters in the value generated by AI-enabled experiences.

Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge said the partnership aims to use AI to expand discovery and engagement between artists and fans while creating new commercial opportunities for the creative community.

ElevenLabs co-founder and CEO Mati Staniszewski said combining UMG’s global artist ecosystem and rights-management expertise with ElevenLabs’ AI models could create new ways for audiences to interact with music while ensuring artists and songwriters are compensated.

The new platform will operate separately from ElevenLabs’ existing music products.

These include Music API, which provides access to the company’s studio-grade music models for businesses and developers, and ElevenMusic, its music creation app that allows users to generate and edit original songs with control over vocals, instrumentation, style and arrangement.

The UMG partnership marks a significant expansion of ElevenLabs’ presence in the music industry, while giving the label a new route to explore licensed generative AI experiences built around its artists and catalogue.

For the wider music business, the deal highlights a growing shift towards licensed AI models that seek to combine technological experimentation with rights protection and revenue sharing for creators.