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Universal Music Group and ElevenLabs strike AI music licensing agreement
Universal Music Group( UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, and ElevenLabs, the leading AI audio research and product company, have announced a multi-year licensing agreement and wider strategic collaboration to launch a new AI-powered music platform for fans as well as to jointly develop AI audio products for artists and songwriters.
The groundbreaking agreement – ElevenLabs’ first with a major label – encompasses licensing and product development. It reflects the companies’ shared commitment to the principles that AI-enabled music innovation should be built responsibly, respect human artistry and enable artists and songwriters to share in the value created.
The ElevenLabs-UMG relationship will begin with a new AI-powered music creation platform built on licensed music and artist participation. Now in development, the platform will give fans new ways to co-create with music from participating artists and songwriters, including through remixes and mashups, new track interpretations and personalized vocal experiences. The agreement also includes the development of additional products and fan experiences in the months and years to come.
“ The most exciting possibilities for AI and music are those that put artists, songwriters and fans at the center,” said Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group.“ 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,” said 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.”
The new platform will be distinct and offered separately from ElevenLabs’ existing music products, which include Music API and ElevenMusic.
Music API provides ElevenLabs’ studiograde music models via API and is used by music technology, media and entertainment, social media and other leading businesses and developers globally.
ElevenMusic is ElevenLabs’ music creation app for generating and editing original songs, with granular control over vocals, instrumentation, style, arrangement and other elements of a track.
The collaboration brings together UMG’ s artist and songwriter community with ElevenLabs’ AI research and product capabilities. The companies said the platform would be based on licensed music and participation by artists, placing rights management and compensation at the centre of the fan experience.
For UMG, the agreement extends its work with technology partners developing AI applications around music while retaining a focus on human artistry. For ElevenLabs, it marks the company’ s first agreement with a major label and expands its music activities beyond existing products.
The platform is intended to support fan participation, from remixes and mashups to alternative track interpretations and personalised vocal experiences. Further AI audio products for artists and songwriters, alongside additional fan experiences, are also included within the companies’ strategic collaboration. •
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