Common Music Group stated Wednesday it has reached licensing agreements with synthetic intelligence music startup Udio, settling a lawsuit that had accused Udio of utilizing copyrighted music to coach its AI.
Thousands and thousands of customers create music utilizing Udio’s AI, which may compose authentic songs — together with voices and devices — from textual content prompts.
Udio has agreed with UMG to launch a brand new platform subsequent yr that’s solely skilled on “approved and licensed music,” and can let customers customise, stream and share music.
“These new agreements with Udio display our dedication to do what’s proper by our artists and songwriters, whether or not which means embracing new applied sciences, growing new enterprise fashions, diversifying income streams or past,” Lucian Grainge, UMG’s chairman and chief government, stated in an announcement.
Udio declined to reveal the monetary phrases of the settlement and licensing agreements. UMG didn’t instantly return a request for touch upon the phrases.
Synthetic intelligence has introduced new alternatives in addition to challenges to the leisure business, as AI startups have been coaching their fashions on data on the web, which leisure firms say infringes on their copyrighted work.
Within the music business, music companies have accused New York Metropolis-based Udio and different AI music startups of coaching on copyrighted music to generate new songs which are based mostly on well-liked hits with out compensation or permission.
UMG, Sony Music Leisure, Warner Music Group and different music companies sued Udio final yr. Within the lawsuit, Udio was accused of utilizing hits like The Temptations’ “My Woman,” to create the same melody known as “Sunshine Melody.” UMG owns the copyright to “My Woman.”
“A comparability of 1 part of the Udio-generated file and ‘My Woman’ displays quite a few similarities, together with a really comparable melody, the identical chords, and really comparable backing vocals,” in accordance with the lawsuit. “These similarities are additional mirrored within the side-by-side transcriptions of the musical scores for the Udio file and the unique recording.”
Udio stated on its web site on the time that it stands by its know-how and that its AI mannequin learns from examples, just like how college students hearken to music and research scores.
“The purpose of mannequin coaching is to develop an understanding of musical concepts — the fundamental constructing blocks of musical expression which are owned by nobody,” Udio had stated in an announcement. “We’re fully bored with reproducing content material in our coaching set.”
On Wednesday, Udio’s CEO and co-founder, Andrew Sanchez, stated he was thrilled on the alternative to work with UMG “to redefine how AI empowers artists and followers.”
The collaboration is the primary music licensing settlement that Udio has reached with a serious music label.
“This second brings to life every little thing we’ve been constructing towards — uniting AI and the music business in a approach that actually champions artists,” Sanchez stated in an announcement. “Collectively, we’re constructing the technological and enterprise panorama that can essentially broaden what’s potential in music creation and engagement.”
Udio stated that artists can decide in to the brand new platform and might be compensated, however declined to enter the specifics or the artists concerned.
Udio, launched in 2024, was co-founded by former Google DeepMind staff. Udio’s backers embrace music artist will.i.am, Instagram co-founder and Anthropic’s chief product officer Mike Krieger and enterprise capital agency Andreessen Horowitz.
Udio has had 128,000 app downloads in Apple’s App Retailer because it launched, in accordance with estimates from New York-based cellular analytics agency Appfigures.
On Thursday, UMG additionally introduced a partnership with London-based Stability AI to develop music creation instruments powered by AI for artists, producers and songwriters.
