Warner Music Inks Blockbuster ‘Artist-First’ AI Deals with Udio, Stability AI

Photo Credit: Warner Music x Stability AI

Warner Music Group signs landmark “artist-first” AI agreements with Udio and Stability AI, resolving the companies’ copyright infringement litigation.

Warner Music Group (WMG) has announced the signing of two blockbuster AI deals with Udio and Stability AI. The former resolves the company’s copyright infringement litigation and establishes a clear framework for the development of Udio’s licensed AI music creation service, which is due for launch next year. The latter will focus on initiatives developing professional-grade tools to enable artists, songwriters, and producers to experiment and compose using ethically trained AI models.

The Udio deal will see the company develop a next-gen music creation, licensing, and discovery platform powered by generative AI models trained on licensed and authorized music. The agreement—which spans WMG’s recorded music and music publishing businesses—creates new revenue streams for artists and songwriters, while ensuring their work remains protected.

“Collaborating with WMG marks a significant milestone in our mission to redefine how AI and the music industry evolve together,” said Andrew Sanchez, co-founder and CEO of Udio. “This partnership is a crucial step towards realizing a future in which technology amplifies creativity and unlocks new opportunities for artists and songwriters. Our new platform will enable experiences where fans can create alongside their favorite artists and make extraordinary music in an environment that offers artists control and connection. We’re absolutely thrilled to be working with WMG in creating this new future.”

“We’re unwaveringly committed to the protection of the rights of our artists and songwriters, and Udio has taken meaningful steps to ensure that the music on its service will be authorized and licensed,” said Robert Kyncl, WMG CEO. “This collaboration aligns with our broader efforts to responsibly unlock AI’s potential—fueling new creative and commercial possibilities while continuing to deliver innovative experiences for fans.”

Udio’s reimagined subscription service will introduce a suite of tools that enable users to make remixes, covers, and new songs using the voices of artists and compositions of songwriters who choose to participate, while ensuring artists and songwriters are credited and paid.

Ahead of the launch, Udio will be rolling out expanded protections and other measures designed to safeguard the rights of artists and songwriters. Udio will continue providing access to its current closed system to support a smooth transition as the company shifts into serving fully licensed applications in 2026.

WMG’s new collaborative effort with Stabiliy AI aims to advance the use of responsible AI in music creation, combining WMG’s long-standing advocacy for “principled innovation” with Stability AI’s expertise in commercially-safe generative audio. The initiative will focus on protecting creators’ rights while opening new paths for revenue and unlocking new forms of creative expression.

“This collaboration represents an important step toward developing responsible, artist-friendly AI tools that expand creative possibilities while safeguarding the rights and integrity of music creators,” said Carletta Higginson, EVP, Chief Digital Officer, WMG. “Together, we’re laying the groundwork for an ethical music ecosystem that benefits artists and songwriters.”

“WMG is a leader in the global music and entertainment landscape, and we’re proud to partner with a company that shares our Artist First ethos,” added Prem Akkaraju, CEO, Stability AI. “At Stability AI, we put artists at the center and build tools that support their creative process. This partnership deepens that focus and will open new creative possibilities for artists through generative AI.”

Stability AI’s Stable Audio family of models was built specifically for professionals and trained exclusively on licensed data to support responsible, high-quality music and sound generation.