Universal Music Group and Warner Music are on the verge of striking major artificial intelligence (AI) licensing agreements, according to a Financial Times report on Thursday. Sources say the deals could be finalized within weeks, marking a potential turning point for the music industry’s relationship with AI.
Talks are reportedly underway with start ups such as ElevenLabs, Stability AI, Suno, Udio, and Klay Vision. At the same time, negotiations also involve tech giants including Google and Spotify, signaling how widespread the race to secure AI-driven music rights has become.
If successful, these agreements would allow AI platforms to license songs for generating new tracks and training language models. Music labels are pushing for a payment system similar to streaming where every play triggers a small royalty ensuring artists and rights holders receive compensation.
The talks come amid growing tensions between AI firms and creators. Artists, authors, and publishers have launched lawsuits accusing AI companies of using copyrighted work without permission or payment to train their models.
Neither Universal, Warner, Google, nor Spotify have responded publicly to the report, while Reuters was unable to independently confirm the details. Still, industry insiders say these negotiations could set the blueprint for how the creative world and AI coexist moving forward.
