Warner Music Group has reached a resolution in their legal dispute over copyright infringement with AI music generation platform Udio and has unveiled a fresh partnership to collaborate on a novel AI music platform. Both companies disclosed in a joint announcement that Udio will be crafting a music platform for “creation, listening, and discovery” set to debut in 2026, utilizing generative AI trained on officially licensed music.
Udio’s co-founder and CEO, Andrew Sanchez, stated that the upcoming platform will empower fans to create music alongside their beloved artists, fostering a space that emphasizes artist control and connection. The new Udio platform will allow users to produce original songs, remixes, and covers utilizing the works of participating artists, who will receive compensation and acknowledgment, as per the statement. Notable artists in Warner’s catalog include Ed Sheeran, Fleetwood Mac, Dua Lipa, and Zach Bryan.
Specifics regarding the financial settlement and terms of the agreement were not disclosed. This marks Udio’s second venture with a major music entity, following a similar agreement with Universal Music Group just a month prior, which also pertained to a new AI music platform.
In a flurry of recent deals between AI startups and major music labels, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment each inked separate agreements with Klay Vision. According to Warner, their partnership with Klay aims to enhance music experiences for fans through AI technology while upholding the rights of artists and creators. Additionally, Warner announced another collaboration with Stability AI to develop AI tools tailored for songwriters, artists, and producers.
The arrangement between Udio and Warner mirrors the recent pact between Udio and Universal Music Group. The settlement between the two parties last month revolved around resolving a copyright infringement lawsuit and establishing licensing agreements for Udio to utilize authorized music on their AI music platform. Prior to this resolution, Udio allowed users to download tracks generated through written prompts, a practice that ceased post-agreement, leading to user backlash.
The increasing integration of AI in the music industry has been evidenced by the influx of AI-generated music on streaming platforms, facilitated by user-input prompts that yield instant song creations. Notably, AI artist Xania Monet made history by becoming the first bot-generated musician to debut on a Billboard airplay chart. The emergence of AI-generated musical acts has raised concerns among industry stakeholders, with a survey indicating that an overwhelming 97% of listeners struggle to differentiate between AI-generated and human-composed songs, sparking debates on the potential disruptions AI could bring to music creation, consumption, and monetization.