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Concluded·New·in the edition since 12 Sep 2026·2 sources·updated 12 Sep 2026

Major labels licensing deals with AI music firms

The gist

Major Labels Sign AI Music Deals With ElevenLabs and Suno

Major labels have moved from pursuing litigation against AI music companies to licensing their catalogs to them. The shift changes the commercial and legal relationship between the music industry and AI music tools.

The full picture

UMG partnered with ElevenLabs on a licensed AI remix platform still in development, where artists can opt in and fans can remix, mash up, and reinterpret their songs within a copyright-respecting framework. Separately, Suno released its first AI music model in partnership with Warner Music and BMG. UMG, Sony, and Warner sued Suno in 2024, but Warner later dropped out of that suit. These licensing arrangements reframe AI music companies from lawsuit targets to paying customers.

How it developed
First in the edition · 12 September 2026
11 September 2026

UMG announced a partnership with ElevenLabs to build a licensed AI remix platform still in development, where artists can opt in and fans can remix and mash up their songs, while Suno released its first AI music model in a separate deal with Warner Music and BMG.

Warner had previously sued Suno alongside UMG and Sony in 2024, then dropped out of that suit. The deals reframe AI music companies from lawsuit targets to paying customers, with labels betting that fan experimentation may make listeners more open to AI-assisted music.

First citedThe NeuronSemafor Technology
Sources
Semafor Technology
  • Universal Music and Warner Strike Licensing Deals with AI Music Firms
The Neuron
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