ElevenLabs AI Music Generator: Commercial Use Rights

ElevenLabs Enters Music Generation with Commercially Usable AI

ElevenLabs, a prominent company in the field of AI audio technology, unveiled a new model on Tuesday. This model empowers users to create music that is reportedly cleared for commercial applications.

Expanding Beyond Text-to-Speech

This development signifies a broadening of ElevenLabs’ scope. For the past three years, the company has primarily concentrated on developing AI-powered audio tools. ElevenLabs has established itself as a leading innovator in text-to-speech AI, and has since expanded into conversational AI bots and speech translation services.

The launch was accompanied by the release of several AI-generated music samples.

AI-Generated Music and Artistic Influence

One sample features a synthesized voice delivering a rap verse. The lyrics detail a journey "from Compton to the Cosmos," fueled by ambition. Hearing a computer mimic the style and vocabulary of artists like Dr. Dre, N.W.A., and Kendrick Lamar raises questions about the authenticity of such emulation.

The technology attempts to replicate experiences lived by human artists, which presents ethical considerations.

Navigating Copyright Concerns in AI Music

The landscape of AI music generation is complex, particularly regarding copyright. Startups entering this space face challenges related to the source material used for training their models.

Last year, both Suno and Udio were subjected to lawsuits filed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The RIAA, representing the U.S. music industry, alleges that these companies utilized copyrighted material during the training of their music-generation models.

Discussions regarding potential licensing agreements with major record labels are currently underway for Suno and Udio.

ElevenLabs Secures Licensing Agreements

ElevenLabs has proactively addressed these concerns by establishing partnerships with Merlin Network and Kobalt Music Group. These are digital publishing platforms representing independent musicians.

These agreements allow ElevenLabs to utilize their materials for the purpose of AI training.

Represented Artists and Opt-In Licensing

Merlin Network’s roster includes renowned artists such as Adele, Nirvana, Mitski, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Phoebe Bridgers. Kobalt Music Group represents artists like Beck, Bon Iver, and Childish Gambino.

A spokesperson for Kobalt clarified that artist participation in AI licensing is entirely voluntary.

Benefits for Artists

“This agreement provides our clients with several advantages: a new revenue stream in a growing market, revenue sharing for participation in potential gains, robust protection against infringement and misuse, and terms comparable to those offered to other publishing and recording rights holders,” stated the Kobalt representative to TechCrunch.

Updated, 12:50 PM ET, with comment from Kobalt.