LONDON (AP) — Warner Music Group has resolved a copyright dispute with Udio and signed a deal to work with music startup AI on a new song-making service that will allow users to remix tunes from famous artists.
This is the second agreement between a major record label and Udio, a chatbot-style song creation tool.
The deals highlight how AI is changing the music industry. Artificial intelligence-generated music has flooded streaming services as song generators emerge that instantly spit out new tunes based on suggestions entered by users without any musical knowledge. The boom in synthetic music has also seen a wave of AI artists and bands rise up the charts after millions of streams even though they don't exist in real life.
Warner, which represents artists including Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa, has resolved its copyright infringement lawsuit against Udio, both companies said. They have also created a “clear framework” for the development of Udio, a licensed artificial intelligence music creation service scheduled to launch in 2026.
They did not provide any financial details of their agreement, which includes Warner's recording and publishing businesses, but it will create “new revenue streams for artists and songwriters while ensuring their creativity is protected.”
This is similar to the agreement that Universal Music Group signed last month with Udio, which caused a huge backlash because Udio banned users from downloading songs they created.
Udio said it will remain a “closed system” as it prepares to launch a new service next year. If artists and songwriters choose to allow their work to be used, they will be credited and paid when users remix or cover their songs or create new tunes featuring their voices and compositions, the companies said.
Sony Music Entertainment remains the only major record company that has not yet signed an artificial intelligence licensing deal with Udio or Suno after filing a copyright lawsuit against them last year along with Universal and Warner. Suno has yet to sign with any major label.
Also on Wednesday, Warner announced an agreement to collaborate with another artificial intelligence company, Stability AI, to develop “professional-grade tools” for musicians, songwriters and producers.
