AI Music and Voice: Suno, Udio, ElevenLabs — 2026-09-11
Universal Music Group (UMG) has broken ranks with its litigation strategy by signing a multi-year licensing deal with ElevenLabs to launch an AI-powered music platform. This move follows closely on the heels of Suno’s release of its v6 models, which were trained exclusively on licensed music from Warner Music Group and BMG. Meanwhile, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) is actively challenging the legal standing of UMG and Warner’s motions to dismiss in ongoing AI compensation lawsuits.
AI Music and Voice: Suno, Udio, ElevenLabs — 2026-09-11
Top developments
UMG and ElevenLabs Strike "Groundbreaking" Licensing Deal
Universal Music Group has entered into a multi-year partnership with AI audio startup ElevenLabs to develop a new AI-powered music creation platform. The platform will allow fans to remix and reinterpret tracks from participating UMG artists using licensed catalogs, marking a significant shift from UMG's previous stance of pursuing copyright infringement lawsuits against AI companies. This deal positions ElevenLabs, valued at $11 billion, as a key player in the licensed AI music space, surpassing Suno’s valuation of $5.4 billion in recent comparisons.
Suno Launches v6 Models Trained on Licensed Warner/BMG Catalogs
Suno officially launched its v6 generation of AI music models, which are trained strictly on licensed material from Warner Music Group (WMG) and BMG. This release aims to provide a legally compliant alternative to previous models that faced intense scrutiny for unauthorized training data. While WMG has not confirmed if artists had the ability to opt out of this specific training set, the move signals a broader industry trend toward integrating AI tools within existing licensing frameworks rather than litigating them away.
AFM Files Opposition to Major Label Dismissal Motions
The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) has filed an opposition to motions to dismiss brought by Universal Music Group and Warner Records in a class-action lawsuit regarding AI training. The AFM argues that members' recordings were "fed into AI systems for commercial exploitation" without consent or compensation. This legal maneuver adds pressure on the majors even as they pursue individual licensing deals with AI startups, highlighting the tension between corporate licensing strategies and individual artist rights.
Suno Secures Global Licensing Deal with Believe
Suno has inked a global licensing agreement with Believe, a Paris-headquartered music company known for its work with independent artists and digital distribution. This deal expands Suno’s licensed catalog beyond the major labels, incorporating content from Believe’s extensive network of independent distributors. This move strengthens Suno’s position as it rolls out its new legally trained models, providing a more diverse dataset that includes both major label hits and independent tracks.
Local view
In South Korea, media outlets are highlighting the growing presence of AI-generated music in public spaces like cafes, noting consumer discomfort with repetitive melodies and similar lyrics. Kyunghyang Shinmun reports that while AI music is flooding these venues, discussions on copyright and royalty distribution remain sluggish. Meanwhile, Ilgan Sports is exploring the complex question of who holds the rights to AI-assisted compositions, particularly when human songwriters interact with AI-generated melodies. These local perspectives underscore the gap between rapid technological adoption and the development of regulatory frameworks for royalty sharing.
Context & numbers
- Valuations: ElevenLabs is valued at approximately $11 billion, while Suno was recently valued at $5.4 billion after raising $400 million.
- Streaming Volume: Data from Deezer indicates that 44% of new uploads are now AI-generated, amounting to roughly 75,000 AI tracks per day. However, these tracks account for only 1–3% of actual streams, with a significant portion flagged as fraudulent.
- Market Size: Global recorded music revenue grew to $31.7 billion in 2025, providing the financial backdrop for these high-stakes AI licensing negotiations.
On the radar
- Artist Opt-Out Clarity: Rolling Stone notes that Warner Music Group has not clarified whether artists had the ability to opt out of the training data used for Suno’s new v6 models. This lack of transparency could spark further backlash from artist communities.
- Sony’s Stance: While UMG and Warner have moved toward licensing deals, Sony Music has been slower to settle. Legal trackers indicate Sony still refuses to settle certain claims, pointing to Suno’s new deals as evidence that unauthorized use was unnecessary.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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