ElevenLabs Strikes First Major Music Deal with Universal
Universal Music Group signs a multi-year licensing deal with AI firm ElevenLabs, while Suno launches new models with Warner, BMG, and Believe.
Universal Music Group has signed a multi-year licensing agreement with the AI audio company ElevenLabs. This marks ElevenLabs' first deal with a major music company, according to the firms involved.
Under the agreement, ElevenLabs will launch a new AI-powered music platform for fans. The two companies will also jointly develop AI audio products for artists and songwriters. The deal was reported by Music Business Worldwide (MBW).
Suno Secures Licensing and Launches New Models
The AI music platform Suno has launched its new v6 AI music models in partnership with Warner Music Group, BMG, and Believe. This follows a commitment made in November 2025 to release licensed models after settling a copyright lawsuit with Warner Music Group.
In a separate but related move, Suno has struck a global licensing deal with the distributor Believe. This agreement, announced on September 8, covers participating repertoire from Believe and its self-release platform TuneCore. Believe had begun blocking the distribution of tracks made on Suno just over four months prior to the deal.
HYBE's Weverse Platform Reports Major Data Leak
HYBE's superfan platform Weverse has confirmed a data leak affecting 422,584 accounts. The leak includes payment and refund details.
The breach was disclosed in a notice issued on September 6 by Zooil Yang, President of Weverse Company. The company stated the leaked data included internal identification information, which it classified as personal information. This is described as a unique internal numerical value generated for user identification at registration.
Universal Music Group's Share Buyback Nears €1 Billion
Universal Music Group has completed a €250 million share buyback program it launched in August. This was the final of three repurchases under a €1 billion share repurchase commitment set out by the company in April.
As a result, UMG has now spent €999.2 million (approximately $1.16 billion) on buying back its own shares this year. The company confirmed the completion of the latest program on September 7.
The following table summarizes the key financial figures and user impact from the week's news:
| Entity | Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| ElevenLabs Valuation | $11 billion | Reported valuation, more than twice Suno's size. |
| Weverse Accounts Affected | 422,584 | Number of accounts in confirmed data leak. |
| UMG Share Buyback Total | €999.2 million | Total spent on share repurchases in 2026. |
| UMG Latest Buyback | €250 million | Value of the program completed in September. |
Suno has also implemented other measures alongside its licensing deals. The company has committed to audio watermarking and fingerprinting technology. It has also capped the number of songs its subscribers can download each month.
