The AI company ElevenLabs has launched a new service, Eleven Music, that allows users to create original songs from text prompts. According to an article by Belle Lin for The Wall Street Journal, the company aims to avoid legal issues by training its model on licensed music.
ElevenLabs CEO Mati Staniszewski said the startup secured deals with the digital rights agency Merlin Network and the music publisher Kobalt Music Group. He stated this provides the AI-generated music with “legal cover for broad commercial use”. Staniszewski confirmed the model does not currently use data from major labels such as Universal Music Group, though he hopes to establish future partnerships.
The service generates a complete song with vocals and instrumentals within minutes based on a user’s description. The company said it has implemented safeguards to prevent the model from creating songs in the style of specific artists or using copyrighted lyrics. The tool is aimed at businesses and creators needing stock or production music for projects like films, games, and advertisements.
The launch comes as competitors Suno and Udio face lawsuits from major music labels over alleged copyright infringement. The creative community has also expressed concerns. Elizabeth Matthews, CEO of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, said that while AI can be innovative, technology companies must “respect the rights of human creators”. Analysts also note the risk of public backlash when businesses use AI in place of human artists.