Udio Opens Downloads for 48 Hours Following UMG Deal

Photo Credit: Tim Mossholder

After user backlash to Udio shuttering its downloads amid settling litigation from UMG, the AI company lets subscribers download again for 48 hours.

Generative AI music platform Udio has faced an angry subscriber base threatening legal action after the company abruptly changed its policies as part of its settlement and partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG). Now, Udio says it will allow subscribers to download their existing songs for 48 hours.

The move comes to curb increasing outrage from users, some of whom have even threatened legal action, after Udio announced its deal with UMG. The landmark agreement saw Udio immediately shutter its download function, even from paying subscribers who created tracks on the platform before the UMG deal.

In a statement posted on Thursday to Reddit, Udio said it would provide a 48-hour window, starting Monday (November 3), for users to download their existing songs. Any songs downloaded during that time will be covered by Udio’s prior terms of service before the settlement with UMG.

“Not going to mince words; we hate the fact we cannot offer downloads right now,” said Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez in the company’s Reddit post. “We know the pain it causes to you, and we are sorry that we have had to do so.”

Sanchez tried to clarify the reasons behind the change, explaining that as a “small company operating in an incredibly complex and evolving space,” Udio chose to partner directly with artists and songwriters. But in order to do so, “we had to disable downloads,” he added.

According to Sanchez, Udio “worked with […] partners to help make this possible,” implying that the 48-hour window was approved by UMG. Spokespeople for UMG did not respond to media requests for comment.

Any songs created prior to Udio’s agreement with UMG that are downloaded during the 48-hour window will be owned by the users who made them—per Udio’s original terms of service. The terms grant all users of the platform (even those who are not paid subscribers) all ownership rights to their generated songs, including express permission to use them for commercial purposes.

Whether the company’s minor concession will be enough to appease its users—some of whom were threatening legal action against Udio, asserting fraud—remains to be seen. Under the UMG deal, Udio will revamp its service next year into a “walled garden” where fans can stream their creations but cannot take them to other platforms.