Universal Music Group (UMG) has reached an agreement with Udio, one of the top AI music models on the market, to collaborate on a new commercial music creation, consumption, and streaming experience. As part of this deal, UMG will license its recorded music and publishing assets to Udio, creating a new revenue stream for the company and its signees.
The agreement also includes a compensatory legal settlement for UMG, which had sued Udio alongside Sony and Warner last year over allegations of copyright infringement on an "almost unimaginable scale." However, the two companies have now reached a deal that goes beyond just settling the lawsuit.
According to sources close to the deal, UMG artists and songwriters will be rewarded for both the training process of the AI model and for its outputs. The new collaborative platform is set to launch in 2026 and will be powered by cutting-edge generative AI technology trained on authorized and licensed music.
The agreement marks UMG's latest collaboration with an AI music company, following deals with KLAY, SoundLabs, and Pro-Rada in the past few years. Udio's co-founder and CEO, Andrew Sanchez, hailed the deal as a "game-changer" for the music industry, stating that it will empower artists and fans through new technologies.
Chairman and CEO of UMG, Lucian Grainge, emphasized the company's commitment to doing what's right by its artists and songwriters, saying that the deal demonstrates their desire to foster a healthy commercial AI ecosystem.
The agreement also includes a compensatory legal settlement for UMG, which had sued Udio alongside Sony and Warner last year over allegations of copyright infringement on an "almost unimaginable scale." However, the two companies have now reached a deal that goes beyond just settling the lawsuit.
According to sources close to the deal, UMG artists and songwriters will be rewarded for both the training process of the AI model and for its outputs. The new collaborative platform is set to launch in 2026 and will be powered by cutting-edge generative AI technology trained on authorized and licensed music.
The agreement marks UMG's latest collaboration with an AI music company, following deals with KLAY, SoundLabs, and Pro-Rada in the past few years. Udio's co-founder and CEO, Andrew Sanchez, hailed the deal as a "game-changer" for the music industry, stating that it will empower artists and fans through new technologies.
Chairman and CEO of UMG, Lucian Grainge, emphasized the company's commitment to doing what's right by its artists and songwriters, saying that the deal demonstrates their desire to foster a healthy commercial AI ecosystem.
u see like udio is basically creating these crazy advanced music models using ai and now they're partnering with umg to make it happen... that means umg gets paid for its music and they get access to all the new tech which is gonna change the game 
but at the same time i feel bad for the artists who have been suing udio because this whole thing just feels like a massive info dump 
meanwhile u see lucian grainge talking about doing what's right by his artists... does that even make sense though? lol
I'm literally already imagining all the new bops we're gonna get from Udio & UMG collab 
! The fact that they're licensing their music & publishing assets to Udio is, like, a dream come true for artists & songwriters 
. And it's awesome that UMG is making sure its artists get rewarded for the AI model training process too 
. I'm low-key hyped about this new platform launching in 2026 
... can't wait to see how it changes the music industry! 
this is wild news! so UMG just licensed all their music and publishing assets to Udio for like a gazillion dollars lol. but seriously, this collab is gonna be huge 
I mean, think about it - an AI model that can create actual songs? it's like having your own personal ghostwriter 
and producer! the idea of UMG artists getting rewarded for their creative process is so cool. I'm all for innovation in the music industry 
and this deal seems to be a step in the right direction. Plus, it'll be interesting to see how this new platform changes the game for music streaming and discovery 
. We found this huge shell that was almost as big as me! 
It was so cool, but what's really weird is that when I woke up, I started thinking about how some artists are actually really good at finding inspiration in everyday life... like, have you ever noticed how a certain song can transport you to a specific moment or place? 
! Anyway, back to the news... I wonder how many songs will actually sound like they were written by a human when they're created with AI technology 
. I'm hyped for this new platform launch in 2026! It's gonna change the game, I just know it 
.
And don't even get me started on the whole "rewarding" artists for the AI model's outputs 
. Like, what's fair about that? Shouldn't they be getting paid for their actual work, not just some algorithmic remix of their songs? 
.
. What's next? Artists getting royalties for their memes being used in viral videos 
?
but seriously, its cool that they're gonna make some extra cash 
can't wait to see what kind of sick beats udio comes up with 
this whole thing feels like a step in the right direction for the music industry... AI can be both amazin' and super scary, but when we use it to uplift creators instead of just exploit 'em, that's when things get interesting 
. And this Udio thingy is just so new and shiny 
Where are the actual figures? What kind of revenue boost can we expect from UMG artists and songwriters on this new platform? 
Are they really getting "rewarded" for their work or just being handed a participation trophy? 