ElevenLabs debuts AI music tool cleared for commercial use
AI audio unicorn ElevenLabs has officially stepped into the music generation space, announcing a new model on Tuesday that allows users to create AI-generated music—cleared for commercial use, according to the company.
This marks a significant pivot for ElevenLabs, which has spent the last three years building its reputation as a leader in text-to-speech and multilingual AI voice tools. With this launch, the company enters a high-stakes arena where innovation meets controversy.
From Voices to Verses
The new model goes beyond ElevenLabs’ core capabilities of natural-sounding speech synthesis and real-time language translation. The company is now enabling users to produce full-length music tracks—vocals included.
To showcase the model’s capabilities, ElevenLabs shared a sample featuring a synthetic voice delivering a rap verse:
“Came up through the cracks with ambition in my pocket... Compton to the Cosmos.”
While the audio is technically impressive, the content raises ethical questions. Critics are concerned about AI mimicking the tone, language, and life experiences of artists—especially from historically marginalized communities—without the lived context or cultural authenticity.
The Legal Landscape: Still Murky
The AI music industry has faced mounting legal challenges. In 2024, AI music startups Suno and Udio were sued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for allegedly training their models on copyrighted works without permission. As a result, both companies are now in negotiations with major labels to secure licensing agreements.
Learning from these cases, ElevenLabs is taking a proactive approach. It announced partnerships with Merlin Network and Kobalt Music Group, two major music publishing platforms representing a wide range of independent and mainstream artists.
According to Merlin’s website, its roster includes artists like Adele, Nirvana, Mitski, and Phoebe Bridgers. Kobalt represents Beck, Bon Iver, and Childish Gambino, among others.
Opt-In and Revenue Sharing
Kobalt emphasized that participation in AI training is entirely opt-in for artists. In a statement shared with TechCrunch, a company representative said:
“Our clients benefit directly from this agreement... It opens a new revenue stream in a growing market, includes revenue sharing, provides safeguards against misuse, and offers favorable terms compared to other rights holders.”
This model of transparent licensing and revenue sharing may help ElevenLabs avoid the legal turbulence faced by its predecessors—and set a precedent for how AI music generation tools can coexist with the music industry.
What’s Next for AI Music?
While ElevenLabs’ move into music generation is still in early stages, it signals the company’s broader ambition to be a one-stop-shop for AI-generated audio—be it voice, speech, or music.
But as AI blurs the line between creation and imitation, the industry will need to grapple with tough questions about ethics, ownership, and representation. For now, ElevenLabs appears committed to navigating that future with artist-backed partnerships and a commercial-use green light.
Whether that’s enough remains to be seen.
