ElevenLabs, an AI music product developer, and Universal Music Group (UMG) have formed a multi-year licensing and product development partnership to launch a fully licensed artificial intelligence (AI) music generation model built with data from UMG.
The announcement follows a similar move by Suno, which this week unveiled a licensed AI model built with data from Warner Music Group (WMG). Suno is also expected to incorporate catalogs from BMG and Believe under separate licensing agreements.
Licensed catalog scope
UMG is the largest of the three major record labels. The agreement indicates that more than 3 million recordings were used to develop the ElevenLabs model.
With the UMG and WMG announcements, two of the three major labels have now licensed their catalogs for AI generation this week. BMG, sometimes described as the fourth major, has also licensed its catalog.
Artist participation and revenue
The UMG release describes the model as "built on licensed music and artist participation." The partnership will soon offer the ability to remix and otherwise directly create derivative works from "participating artists and songwriters," similar to Suno's announcement.
The companies did not specify direct royalty terms for the model. The language states that the new model will "enable artists and songwriters to share in the value created" from AI music.
Sir Lucian Grainge, UMG Chairman and CEO, said:
"The most exciting possibilities for AI and music are those that put artists, songwriters, and fans at the center. 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."
Mati Staniszewski, ElevenLabs Co-Founder and CEO, said:
"AI opens up incredible possibilities for interacting with our favorite music and artists. 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."
