UMG, ElevenLabs announce AI music licensing partnership

The agreement is ElevenLabs’ first licensing deal with a major record company and combines music licensing with the joint development of AI audio products.

The companies said their initial project will be a new AI-powered music platform built around licensed music and the participation of artists and songwriters. The platform, which is currently in development, is expected to allow fans to interact with participating artists’ music through features including remixes, mashups, alternative interpretations of tracks and personalised vocal experiences.

Further products and fan-focused services are expected to be developed under the agreement.

“The most exciting possibilities for AI and music are those that put artists, songwriters, and fans at the centre,” UMG chairman and chief executive Sir Lucian Grainge said. “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 co-founder and chief executive Mati Staniszewski said the partnership would combine the companies’ respective expertise in AI technology and music rights.

“AI opens up incredible possibilities for interacting with our favourite music and artists,” Staniszewski said. “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.”

The companies said the collaboration would be based on licensed music and artist participation, with an emphasis on compensation and respect for artists’ and songwriters’ rights.

The new platform will operate separately from ElevenLabs’ existing music products. These include its Music API, which provides access to its music-generation models for businesses and developers, and ElevenMusic, an application for creating and editing original songs.

The partnership comes as major music companies and AI firms increasingly pursue licensing arrangements as the industry develops approaches to the use of generative AI in music.

For UMG, the agreement adds ElevenLabs to its expanding network of AI partnerships as the company seeks to develop licensed AI applications while protecting the rights and commercial interests of its artists and songwriters.