Universal Music and ElevenLabs: the licensed AI remix deal
On 10 September 2026 Universal Music Group and ElevenLabs signed a multi-year deal to build a licensed AI platform for remixes, mashups and new versions of participating artists' songs. What is announced, what is not, and what creators can use today.
Universal Music Group and ElevenLabs announced a multi-year licensing and product deal on 10 September 2026. The first product is an AI platform where fans can make remixes, mashups and new interpretations of songs by participating UMG artists, with those artists paid. It is ElevenLabs' first agreement with a major label. The platform is "now in development": there is no launch date, price or list of artists yet. The details below come from the joint press release and ElevenLabs' announcement.
What was announced
- A multi-year agreement covering licensing and product development between Universal Music Group, the world's largest record company, and ElevenLabs, best known for AI voice.
- A new AI music platform, built on music from "participating artists and songwriters", where fans can "create remixes, mashups and new interpretations of tracks", plus "personalized vocal experiences".
- Pay for artists. Both companies say artists and songwriters will be "fairly compensated". Neither says how.
- A separate product. ElevenLabs says the platform is "distinct and offered separately from our existing music products", meaning the ElevenMusic app and its music API.
UMG chairman Lucian Grainge framed it as building AI music "responsibly" and in a way that "respects human artistry". ElevenLabs CEO Mati Staniszewski said the deal is meant to make sure artists "are fairly compensated".
What is not announced yet
Plenty of the important detail is still missing:
- No launch date and no price.
- No artist list. "Participating" suggests artists opt in rather than the whole catalogue being available.
- No revenue split or payment mechanics.
- No usage rights for what fans make. Whether a remix can be posted to TikTok or monetised on YouTube is not stated. Assume personal use only until the terms say otherwise.
Why it matters: the licensed turn in AI music
This is the second major-label AI music deal in a fortnight. On 9 September 2026 Suno launched its v6 models, built with Warner Music Group, BMG and Believe and trained on licensed recordings, with revenue sharing for rights holders (Axios). The direction is clear: after lawsuits against AI music companies, the labels are now licensing them instead.
The two deals do different jobs:
- Suno v6 is a creation model: you describe a song and get an original track. The licensing covers what it learned from.
- The UMG platform is about existing songs: fans reworking tracks by artists who agreed to it. It is closer to an official remix tool than to a song generator.
For creators, licensed training is a practical improvement. Music made with a model trained on licensed data carries less legal risk than music from a model with no such agreements, though it does not by itself make every use of the output allowed. The terms of the specific product still decide what you can publish.
The two label deals side by side
| Suno v6 | UMG and ElevenLabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 9 September 2026 | 10 September 2026 |
| Labels | Warner Music Group, BMG, Believe | Universal Music Group |
| Product | Song generator, available now | Remix and mashup platform, in development |
| What the licence covers | Training on the partners' recordings | Use of participating artists' tracks |
| Artists | Rights holders share revenue | "Participating" artists, "fairly compensated" |
| Can you post the output? | Governed by Suno's plan terms | Not yet published |
What creators can use today
The UMG platform does not exist yet, so for music in videos now:
- An original bed or song. Suno V6, the licensed model from the Warner, BMG and Believe deals, and MiniMax Music 3 are both in Versely, priced in credits. We walked through Suno in Suno V6 live on Versely, and ElevenLabs' own music model in ElevenLabs Music v2 and Dubbing v2, explained.
- A voice or narration. ElevenLabs voices such as Eleven Labs Multilingual cover narration and dubbing today.
- A famous song. Use the platform's own licensed library, like TikTok's or Instagram's audio. A generated song that imitates a named artist's voice is exactly what these deals exist to prevent, and it is the kind of track platforms take down.
Keep the prompt that made each track, and check each platform's rules for AI audio labelling before you post.
A check before you publish AI music
Whichever tool made the track, five questions settle most problems:
- Does the plan allow commercial use? Free tiers of music generators often do not, and a monetised channel or a client ad is commercial.
- Does it imitate a real artist's voice or a known song? If a listener would name the artist, do not publish it.
- Does the platform want an AI label? TikTok, YouTube and Meta each have their own disclosure rules for realistic AI content.
- Can you prove where it came from? Keep the prompt, the model and the date for each track.
- Would a library track do? For a background bed under a voiceover, the platform's own licensed audio is often the safer choice.
What to watch next
- Launch date and first artists. Which UMG acts opt in will decide whether this is a novelty or a real remix culture.
- Output rights. The most important unknown for creators: whether fan remixes can be posted and monetised.
- Other labels. Warner has licensed Suno, and UMG now has ElevenLabs. Watch whether the remaining major labels follow.
FAQ
When did Universal Music and ElevenLabs announce their deal?
10 September 2026, from Santa Monica and New York.
What will the UMG and ElevenLabs platform do?
Let fans create remixes, mashups and new interpretations of songs by participating UMG artists, plus "personalized vocal experiences", with artists paid.
When does the platform launch?
No date has been given. Both companies describe it as "now in development".
Is this ElevenLabs' first major label deal?
Yes. ElevenLabs calls it "our first agreement with a major label".
Can I use UMG songs in my videos with this?
Not yet. The platform is not live, and usage rights for fan creations have not been published.
What licensed AI music can I use now?
Suno v6, launched on 9 September 2026 with Warner Music Group, BMG and Believe, is trained on licensed recordings. It is available in Versely along with other music models, priced in credits.
Is Suno v6 trained on licensed music?
Yes, according to Suno and its partners: the v6 models launched on 9 September 2026 were built with Warner Music Group, BMG and Believe on licensed recordings, with revenue sharing for rights holders. What you may do with a track still depends on your Suno plan's terms.