Universal Music Group Announces Stability AI ‘Strategic Alliance’

Photo Credit: UMG

The AI partnerships are continuing to pour in: Moments after revealing a massive licensing deal with Udio, Universal Music Group (UMG) has unveiled a strategic alliance with Stability AI.

UMG reached out with word of the newer pact this morning, hot on the heels of its and Udio’s “industry-first strategic agreements.” DMN broke down the latter – which are expected to produce a “hyper-personalization streaming product suite” next year – in detail yesterday.

Now, in keeping with prior rumblings of plans for rapid-fire AI tie-ups, Universal Music and London-headquartered Stability AI intend to jointly “develop next-generation professional music creation tools.”

Ultimately, said tools will advance “responsible innovation that supports both artists and rightsholders while preserving the integrity of the art form,” according to the companies.

While those companies opted against shedding light on the products’ specifics, they did emphasize an objective of putting out “fully licensed, commercially safe AI music tools.”

Furthermore, the “fully licensed” descriptor, along with phrases including “responsibly trained generative AI,” suggests that the union will prioritize copyright controls and mandatory opt-ins; it was only in late July that Stability AI changed its tune on artist compensation for training data and more.

Elaborating on the point, UMG chief digital officer and EVP Michael Nash in a statement underscored that the major “will only consider advancing AI tools and products based on models that are trained responsibly.”

“With AI, as with everything else we do,” Nash said in part, “we start with what best supports our work to help them [artists and songwriters] achieve creative and commercial success and build from that foundation to forge new and better commercial and creative opportunities.

“And as we’ve made abundantly clear, we will only consider advancing AI tools and products based on models that are trained responsibly. We’re looking forward to working with Stability AI to deeply integrate AI tools development with the vision and creative ambitions of our artists and to the results and rewards this initiative offers to all,” the exec concluded.

In the bigger picture, it seems safe to say that 2026 is shaping up to be a rather active year for commercial undertakings spearheaded at the intersection of music and AI. Besides the Stability AI and Udio deals – which could set the stage for agreements involving Warner Music, Sony Music, Merlin, and more – Musixmatch two weeks back scored AI partnerships with the majors’ publishing divisions.

Additionally, capitalizing on agreements with the majors, Merlin, and Believe alike, Spotify is plowing full steam ahead with a gen AI expansion.