By signing an unprecedented agreement to launch a music creation platform with artificial intelligence, the giant Universal Music Group and the start-up Udio open a new chapter in the history of music, disrupted by artificial intelligence.
“The new platform, launching in 2026, will be powered by cutting-edge generative artificial intelligence technology that will be trained with authorized and licensed music,” the two US companies said in a press release, overnight from Wednesday to Thursday.
A common platform with Udio
“The new subscription service” will allow users to “personalize, stream and share music responsibly on the Udio platform,” they said.
How it works has not yet been specified, but it raises questions about the freedom of membership of artists, the level of remuneration or even the distribution of the music that will be generated on the platform.
It is the first time that an agreement of this type has been closed: it is the result of negotiations carried out by the main world record label to regulate the use of its catalog of stars, including Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and Lady Gaga, through licenses, keys to using the music within a legal framework.
“These new agreements with Udio demonstrate our commitment to doing what is right for our artists and songwriters, embracing new technologies, developing new business models, diversifying revenue streams and more,” said Universal Music Group (UMG) CEO Lucian Grainge.
“Together, we are building the technology and business landscape that will fundamentally expand what is possible in creation,” said Andrew Sanchez, CEO of Udio.
A confrontation far from being musical
At the same time as the announcement of this future platform, the two companies indicated that they had resolved, through an amicable agreement, the amount of which has not been specified, a dispute for violation of copyright.
The music industry is engaged in a confrontation with music companies generated by AI, accused of massive looting of protected works, violating copyright and, therefore, without remunerating the rights holders of the titles on which they have been formed.
The Recording Industry Association of America, an American interprofessional organization, began legal action against Udio and its competitor Suno in June 2024, without real progress for the moment.
At the same time, negotiations began between the three large companies (Universal, Warner and Sony) and these companies. The partnership between UMG and Udio emerged from these negotiations.
New tools are expected thanks to AI
Continuing on the artificial intelligence front, UMG on Thursday also announced a partnership with London startup Stability AI to develop new music creation tools.
In addition to these locomotives, other talks are coming to fruition: a deal was signed in August between independent music publisher Kobalt, licensing partner Merlin and Eleven Music, a platform for AI-generated songs.
But the controversy is immense: in September, the International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP), an international organization of music publishers, revealed the results of a survey conducted for almost two years on the performance of generative AI services.
“The largest technology companies in the world, as well as companies specialized in AI such as OpenAI, Suno, Udio, Mistral, etc., are committing the largest copyright violation ever observed,” John Phelan, director general of the ICMP, then denounced to AFP.
Organizations representing rights holders, such as Sacem in France, are calling for stricter regulation of AI companies to remunerate the authors and composers of the music they train.
But these are often hidden behind “fair use,” an exception to copyright that allows, in certain circumstances, non-consensual use of a work.
Source: BFM TV
