Universal Music Group and ElevenLabs have announced a new multi-year licensing agreement and "wider strategic collaboration" that will see them launch a new AI-powered licensed music platform. The deal with UMG is the first that ElevenLabs has cut with a major label, and the new platform will be distinct from its ElevenMusic AI music generation software. The two companies also intend to collaborate on new AI audio products that can be used by artists, UMG wrote in a press release. The AI creation software, which seemingly doesn't yet have a name, is still in development, and no release date is mentioned. It will primarily be aimed at music fans who want to make remixes and mashups of music from participating and "fairly compensated" artists that are signed to the label. ElevenLabs' tools will also be able to create "new track interpretations and personalized vocal experiences."

AI music generator Suno has just introduced its new v6 family of models. The models mark the first time the company has worked with labels to train a new set of AI systems. As of today, the v6 series consists of three models: v6, v6-wild and v6-mini. The first of those is Suno's new flagship offering. The company describes v6 as "reliable, precise," and capable of delivering consistently "polished music across every genre and style."

Now He's Collaborating on a Tool to Help Them The art portfolio platform Cara, designed for creators who don't want their work used to train AI, has been under assault by trolls seizing and publishing its data. Since early 2023, photographer Jingna Zhang and a small crew of volunteers have worked tirelessly to maintain an image-sharing social media and portfolio app called Cara . So far, it has attracted about 1.5 million artists. What drew them to the platform? A shared opposition to the unauthorized use of their work to train AI models and a desire to publicize their art while avoiding exploitation by Big Tech.

The music industry is trying to fend off AI-generated music as the technology becomes more popular. Many artists on Nashville's Music Row oppose the use of it, saying AI will never replace human soul.

Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Look Up Creator Playbook Mashable Voices Trending Now Say More Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off In My Bag All Series Is this the next big thing in music? Phone-free concerts and Spotify's events are giving young fans an increasingly rare opportunity to connect in person. Olivia Tauber is the deputy editor of digital culture, covering creators, media, movies, beauty, and more. Based in New York, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Cut, Teen Vogue, Complex, and Interview Magazine. She holds a Master's degree in Journalism from NYU and a Bachelor's from the University of Michigan.

Australia's music charts ban AI-made songs amid backlash over Madonna cover Share Australia's music charts ban AI-made songs amid backlash over Madonna cover on social media Australia's official music charts have banned tracks mostly created by artificial intelligence (AI) following a backlash over a cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" that relied heavily on the burgeoning technology. "Wholly AI-generated" music will be excluded from the charts under the changes, while tracks that use AI in a "supporting role" will still be eligible, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) said on Tuesday. ARIA said it would rely on a labelling system introduced by music industry groups last month to distinguish AI-generated tracks from those that use AI to complement human creativity. Under the labelling rules announced by a coalition of organisations including the Recording Industry Association of America, tracks may be labelled "AI-Generated" or "AI-Assisted" depending on the level of human involvement in the writing and recording process. Tracks are classed as "AI-Generated" if AI was used to create the "entirety or the primary portion of the creative elements of the recording" and "AI-Assisted" if the technology was used only for "some expressive elements".

Songs created by AI banned from Australia's music charts Image caption, Songs must be substantially human made to be included in Australia's charts Songs that are largely or wholly created by AI have been banned from Australia's music charts. From this week, all releases must be substantially human made to be eligible. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) said the new code would help promote the human nature of artistry. It follows a controversy around a cover of Madonna's Like A Prayer by Australian DJ Josh Fawaz which recently topped the ARIA dance singles chart and peaked at number 2 on the country's overall chart. The song has become a staple of commercial radio station playlists and been streamed more than 48 million times on Spotify alone.

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It's no secret that Spotify is the dominant player in the music streaming market, with 293 million paid subscribers and 761 million monthly active users across both paid and free tiers. Along with massive market dominance has come a fair bit of controversy in recent years. As the biggest music-streaming platform, Spotify is usually the first mentioned in the discussion about whether artists are fairly compensated for their work. The math around that question is obvious -- buying a digital album outright typically costs between 10 and 15 depending on where you buy it, while a Spotify Premium subscription costs 13 a month in the US. Fair pay is far from the only drama surrounding Spotify, though.

Spotify has been teasing its upcoming AI tool that lets fans make covers and remixes for a while now, even unveiling a partnership with Universal Music Group. The streamer just announced another partner for the endeavor, the indie music publishing company Kobalt. This company publishes songs by a wide range of musicians, from Phoebe Bridgers to the post-punk outfit IDLES. Kobalt artists will soon be able to opt-in to Spotify's upcoming platform that lets fans repurpose songs to make remixes and covers. This is, of course, done via a suite of AI tools.