Particle.news
Download on the App Store

UMG Settles Udio Lawsuit, Will License Catalog for 2026 AI Music Platform

The agreement signals a shift toward responsibly trained services that aim to channel new revenue to artists.

Overview

  • Universal Music Group and Udio said they reached a compensatory legal settlement and signed new recorded-music and publishing licenses, with financial terms undisclosed.
  • The companies plan a subscription platform for 2026 trained on authorized catalogs that lets users customize, stream and share music within Udio.
  • During the transition, Udio has disabled downloads, confined creations to a walled garden, and plans to add fingerprinting and filtering controls.
  • User posts on Udio’s Reddit forum describe anger over the download changes, with many saying they will cancel paid subscriptions.
  • Sony and Warner continue litigating against Udio and all three majors remain in cases against Suno, while UMG also announced a partnership with Stability AI to develop professional AI music tools.