Universal Music and ElevenLabs to launch licensed AI remix platform

Universal Music Group is partnering with AI audio company ElevenLabs on a new platform that will let users build remixes, mashups, and reworked versions of songs from the label's licensed catalog, The Verge reports. The companies disclosed the multi-year licensing agreement in an announcement on Thursday.

What the platform will do

According to The Verge, users of the upcoming service will be able to use songs from UMG's licensed catalog as source material for their creations. Participation is voluntary for the label's artists, who can decide whether their music is made available through the platform. Beyond the core creation tools, the partnership is also meant to produce additional products and fan experiences "in the months and years to come," although the announcement did not specify what those will involve.

The new platform will operate separately from ElevenLabs' existing music products, its Music API and its ElevenMusic generator, indicating that UMG's catalog access is being packaged as a distinct offering rather than folded into the company's current tools.

Compensation is built into the pitch

ElevenLabs CEO Mati Staniszewski said in the press release that pairing UMG's rights-management expertise with ElevenLabs' AI models will "enable artists and songwriters to create powerful new experiences for their fans, and ensure they are fairly compensated." Together with the opt-in structure for UMG's roster, that framing puts artist payment at the center of the announcement rather than treating it as a detail to settle later.

One of several AI moves by UMG

The Verge notes that this is only the latest in a series of AI arrangements for the label. UMG is already developing a separate AI music platform with Udio and has signed AI licensing deals with Spotify, Nvidia, and Klay. With the ElevenLabs agreement, a second generative music platform with direct access to UMG's catalog is now in the works.

The announcement also lands in a busy week for the sector. Suno has just released its first AI music model trained on licensed songs from Warner Music Group, BMG, and other music industry partners, which suggests that licensed catalog access is quickly becoming the standard arrangement between major rightsholders and AI music companies.

Why it matters

The deal sketches out the emerging template for how major labels plan to work with generative AI: licensed catalogs, artist opt-in, and compensation written into the agreement from the start. With UMG now paired with both ElevenLabs and Udio, and Warner Music and BMG content backing Suno's newest model, the biggest players in recorded music have formal ties to AI music generation. Fans stand to gain official tools for reworking familiar tracks, while artists get a mechanism intended to pay them when their catalog is used. Key practical details, including pricing, launch timing, and availability, were not part of the announcement, so how the platform actually works remains to be seen.