Udio stops AI music downloads after UMG settlement, raising new concerns for creators
AI musicians are now discovering that tracks made on Udio can’t be taken off the platform, leaving many unsure about what comes next.
If you make music on Udio, an AI platform that lets users create full songs from text prompts, here’s the reality. You can no longer download your creations. Overnight, the platform locked the export feature because of its settlement with Universal Music Group (UMG). Your songs are still on your account. You just can’t take them anywhere.
UMG sued Udio earlier this year over how its model was trained and how convincingly it could imitate major artists. Now that both sides have settled, Udio has quietly updated its Terms of Service and removed download rights for users. So, if you made a viral track, something meant for Spotify, or a beat you hoped to sell, it's stuck on Udio’s servers.
Lately, record labels have been taking an increasingly aggressive stance against AI. AI startup, Suno is facing a lawsuit for allegedly scraping copyrighted songs from YouTube to train its system. The industry is pushing back hard, and these legal wins are reshaping what AI musicians can actually do with their work.
Emmanuel Umahi
AI music creators say the new rule is unfair, especially for those who rely on Udio for professional work. The challenge is that Udio’s contract includes a clause that waives the right to file a class-action suit. Users can complain, but fighting back together is extremely difficult.
Anyone using Suno or other AI music generators should pay close attention. If Suno reaches a similar settlement, users could face the same download restrictions. If the sector continues down this path, creators may end up making hit songs they cannot legally own or even remove from the platforms that host them.
The takeaway
Udio’s settlement with Universal Music has introduced a new reality for AI music. You can make the songs, but you might not own them. As labels tighten control and platforms change their rules to survive, AI musicians risk losing creative freedom and the rights to the music they produce. That tension will only grow as AI-generated tracks continue climbing charts around the world, including recent releases that have already entered Nigeria’s Top 100.
Emmanuel Umahi
