Music IP Holdings (MIH), an entity backed by UMG, has unveiled a portfolio of over 24 patents for AI music creation – with another 50 patents pending.
According to a press release from MIH, these licenses will support the development of licensed AI services including covers, remixes, and “a wide range of interactive music experiences”.
Crucially, they will also provide “additional protections designed to address the unauthorized redistribution of AI-generated content beyond their services”. (Aka: Keeping those walled gardens, well… walled.)
However, the same patents also cover tech to enable ‘open’ AI music ecosystems – where AI content is permitted to travel between platforms, but carries watermarks and identifiers designed to track, enforce, or monetize its usage.
Udio is one of the first two platforms to license these patents. The other is GRAI, a “social streaming service for music” backed by Khosla Ventures.
MIH was formed out of a partnership between UMG and IP asset management firm Liquidax Capital,announced in July 2025.
Speaking to MBW about the announcement, Michael Nash, EVP and Chief Digital Officer of UMG, said: “We have a long track record of supporting technologies that create new opportunities for the creative community, while enabling entrepreneurs to build and scale innovative businesses.”
“Our partnership with MIH on patent innovation extends that approach into the AI era, with a portfolio covering the entire AI-content lifecycle and helping set a standard for how AI and music grow together.
“This initiative complements our artist-centric strategy by providing us with new ways to promote our artists’ and songwriters’ interests in this critical new phase of digital music’s evolution.”
“Our partnership with MIH on patent innovation extends that approach into the AI era, with a portfolio covering the entire AI-content lifecycle and helping set a standard for how AI and music grow together.”
Daniel Drolet, CEO of Music IP Holdings, said: “Artists and songwriters shouldn’t have to choose between embracing AI and protecting their life’s work. And responsible AI companies should have a clear path to innovate.
“This portfolio is designed to do both: creating new opportunities for responsible innovation while giving artists, songwriters and rightsholders stronger protections and the ability to share in the value their work creates.
“The portfolio was developed to enable a standard that provides creators of all types the ability to generate, track and ensure new AI revenue streams while simultaneously providing strong options to manage unauthorized AI outputs.”
MBWreported on three of the patent filings in April, which described a system of artist approval, watermarking and controlled distribution for AI-generated derivatives – the kind of framework Universal Music Group has advocated.
The full array of patents extends beyond music to audio, video, film, animation, images, and text, as well as applications involving name and likeness, according to MIH.
Digital services can license them through an online platform that MIH said is designed for widespread adoption.
Meanwhile, UMG, its affiliates, artists and songwriters – plus other participating rightsholders – will be able to use the portfolio to protect their works against unlicensed and unauthorized generative AI uses.
“This is a genuine inflection point for AI and music.”
Andrew Sanchez, Udio
Andrew Sanchez, Founder and CEO of Udio, said: “This is a genuine inflection point for AI and music. With MIH, we’re partnering to implement the infrastructure that protects artists and establish the guardrails that ensure AI amplifies human creativity.
“That work – the technology, the licensing, the partnerships – is what makes the next chapter one artists can actually build on.”
Ilya Liasun, CEO and co-founder of GRAI, said: “Nobody has ever been just a listener. We drum a song on the steering wheel, cry to it in a parked car, send it to a friend at one in the morning.
“GRAI is building a social streaming service where music moves between people. And when someone puts something of their own into a song they love, the artist is asked, credited and paid, every time. These patents are what make that possible.”
Chris Horton, EVP, Strategic Technology at Universal Music Group, said: “These patents are an important way to reinforce the strategy we believe will play a critical role in the next era of music: embracing ethical innovation that puts artists and songwriters at the center, with greater agency, influence and value-chain participation for the creative community.
“We are thrilled to join MIH, music companies, and responsible technology enterprises in building an AI music ecosystem that works for everyone, especially the creative forces that makes it all possible.”
Barefoot Media, led by CEO Bill Campbell, is supporting MIH in bringing the portfolio to market.
Campbell said: “Throughout every major shift in digital music, the most successful models have been built by bringing technology companies and rightsholders together around clear, practical licensing frameworks.”
“MIH‘s portfolio creates that bridge for generative AI – giving responsible innovators a path to market while helping protect artists, songwriters and the value of their work. Barefoot Media is proud to help bring this framework to the global creative and technology communities.”
UMG and Sony Music Groupcontinue to pursue copyright litigation against Suno, the AI music platform whose executives have publicly opposed the walled-garden model.Music Business Worldwide
Music IP Holdings (MIH), a company supported by Universal Music Group (UMG), has recently introduced a comprehensive portfolio that includes over 24 patents related to artificial intelligence (AI) music creation, with an additional 50 patents currently pending. This initiative is aimed at fostering the development of licensed AI services, such as music covers, remixes, and various interactive music experiences. A key aspect of these patents is the provision of protections against the unauthorized redistribution of AI-generated content, ensuring that these services maintain a controlled environment.
The patents also encompass technology that enables more open AI music ecosystems, allowing AI-generated content to move between different platforms while incorporating watermarks and identifiers. These features are designed to monitor usage and facilitate monetization, thus creating a balance between open access and artist protection.
Two platforms, Udio and GRAI, have become the first to license these patents. Udio is a platform focused on establishing infrastructure that safeguards artists while promoting AI-enhanced creativity. GRAI, described as a social streaming service for music, aims to create a community-driven environment where users can interact with music while ensuring that artists are credited and compensated whenever their work is modified or shared.
The formation of MIH arose from a collaboration between UMG and Liquidax Capital, an IP asset management firm, which was announced in July 2025. Michael Nash, UMG’s Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, emphasized that the partnership reflects a long-standing commitment to supporting technologies that benefit the creative community and allow entrepreneurs to innovate. He noted that the patent portfolio is designed to cover the entire lifecycle of AI-generated content, establishing a standard for how AI and music can coexist and thrive together.
Daniel Drolet, CEO of MIH, highlighted the dual purpose of the patent portfolio: enabling AI innovation while simultaneously protecting the rights of artists and songwriters. He expressed that artists should not have to choose between embracing AI technology and safeguarding their creative work. The patents aim to create pathways for responsible innovation, allowing creators to engage with AI in a way that protects their interests and allows them to share in the value generated by their work.
The patents encompass a broad range of applications that extend beyond music into audio, video, film, animation, images, and text, as well as considerations related to personal likeness. MIH has designed a digital platform through which services can license these patents, facilitating widespread adoption across the industry.
UMG and its affiliates, alongside participating artists and songwriters, will leverage this extensive portfolio to protect their works from unauthorized and unlicensed use of generative AI. Andrew Sanchez, founder and CEO of Udio, described this moment as a significant turning point for the intersection of AI and music, emphasizing the importance of establishing a framework that supports and protects artists while allowing for innovation.
Ilya Liasun, CEO and co-founder of GRAI, articulated the vision for a social streaming service that values the interaction between listeners and music. He mentioned that when users contribute to a song, they will receive acknowledgment and payment, highlighting the ethical considerations that the MIH patents facilitate.
Chris Horton, Executive Vice President of Strategic Technology at UMG, stressed that these patents are crucial in promoting a strategy that emphasizes ethical innovation and prioritizes the needs of artists and songwriters. He expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with MIH and other responsible technology enterprises to build an AI music ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders, particularly the creative community.
To support the rollout of this patent portfolio, MIH has partnered with Barefoot Media, led by CEO Bill Campbell. Campbell noted that successful models in the digital music landscape have consistently involved collaboration between technology firms and rights holders around clear licensing frameworks. He emphasized that MIH’s portfolio serves as a bridge for generative AI, allowing responsible innovators a path to market while ensuring the protection of artists and the value of their work.
Meanwhile, UMG and Sony Music Group are pursuing copyright litigation against Suno, an AI music platform that has publicly opposed the controlled distribution model represented by MIH’s patents. This ongoing legal battle underscores the tension in the industry regarding how AI technologies should be integrated within the existing frameworks of music rights and licensing.
In summary, Music IP Holdings is at the forefront of establishing a new landscape for AI in music, with a robust patent portfolio designed to both foster innovation and protect the rights of artists and songwriters. By offering a structured approach to licensing and protections, MIH aims to create an environment where AI can enhance creativity while ensuring that creators are fairly compensated for their contributions.
