Universal Music Group launches AI music platform with ElevenLabs

Universal Music Group has unveiled a new AI-powered platform that will let users create remixes, mashups and fresh versions of tracks from its licensed catalog. The product comes out of a multi-year licensing agreement with ElevenLabs, a specialist in AI-generated voice and music.

The platform will operate as a standalone product, separate from ElevenLabs' music API and its existing ElevenMusic generator. According to the announcement, artists will choose whether to participate — an opt-in mechanism designed to give creators control over the use of their voices and works. ElevenLabs said combining UMG's global artist community and rights-management expertise with its own AI models will enable new fan experiences while ensuring fair compensation for creators.

UMG is not stopping at one partnership. The label giant is simultaneously developing an AI music platform with Udio and has struck similar licensing deals with Spotify, Nvidia and Klay. The moves put it in an unusually aggressive position relative to rivals: this week Suno released its first AI model trained on licensed songs from Warner Music Group, BMG and other industry partners. The race to license catalogs for generative-model training is accelerating, and every major label is trying to lock in a stance before the market settles.

The press release notes the partnership will also cover "development of additional products and fan experiences in the months and years ahead," but offers no further detail. In the absence of performance metrics, timelines or technical specifics about the model that will power the platform, it is hard to gauge how useful the tool will be in practice for creators or fans. What is clear: the industry is shifting from experimentation to commercialization, and the real test will be whether artists actually sign up and whether audiences embrace the output.