ElevenLabs launches AI music platform with artist-backed licensing & commercial clearance

ElevenLabs has broadened its product offerings with the release of an AI music generation platform called ElevenMusic, marking a shift from its prior focus on speech synthesis, voice cloning, translation tools, and conversational bots, with the company claiming the output is cleared for commercial use to appeal to creators and businesses seeking legally usable audio content.

To support this, ElevenLabs has announced licensing partnerships with Merlin Network and Kobalt Music Group to access music catalogs to license music catalogs for AI training. According to Kobalt, artists must voluntarily opt in to have their work used for AI training, with the agreement providing revenue-sharing opportunities, misuse protections, and rights similar to those offered to other publishing and recording rights holders. These steps are designed to address prominent industry concerns regarding unauthorized use of copyrighted material in AI training.

The launch comes amid growing legal scrutiny in AI-generated music. Competitors like Suno AI and Udio are facing lawsuits from the RIAA over alleged use of copyrighted material in training and are now negotiating licensing agreements with major labels.