After Universal, Warner, and Merlin deals, now Udio inks licensing agreement with Kobalt. April 9, 2026 Udio has signed a licensing agreement with Kobalt, adding the independent music publisher to a growing roster of industry partners - as the AI platform continues its transformation from copyright defendant to licensed service provider. The deal, announced on Thursday (April 9), will see Udio's forthcoming subscription platform trained on authorized and licensed music from Kobalt's catalog, establishing what the companies describe as "an important pathway for new revenue streams for Kobalt artists and songwriters." Udio's reimagined service - expected to launch later this year - will offer users the ability to make remixes, covers, and new songs using the voices of artists and compositions of songwriters who 'opt in', with participating creators credited and paid. That settlement signaled a dramatic pivot for a platform that had, just months earlier, been defending its training practices under a 'fair use' argument in federal court. The UMG settlement was followed by a similar agreement with Warner Music Group in November 2025, and a licensing deal with Merlin, the digital licensing partner for independent labels and distributors, in January 2026. Sony Music Group remains the only major music company yet to reach a licensing agreement with Udio. Its portion of the RIAA-led litigation against the platform, filed in mid-2024 for alleged mass copyright infringement, remains ongoing. "Our clients and songwriters rely on us to both protect them and to create new opportunities for their works in an ever-changing technology landscape," said Laurent Hubert, CEO of Kobalt, today. "We look forward to working closely with Udio to develop these new possibilities and are excited for what this deal could mean for the thousands of songwriters, artists, producers and publishers we work with everyday." Andrew Sanchez, Co-Founder and CEO of Udio, said: "We're excited to partner with Kobalt and welcome its exceptional community of songwriters, artists, and creatives to Udio. "Our focus is on expanding creative possibilities through AI, while ensuring artists' rights are respected and fairly compensated every step of the way. Together with Kobalt, we're unlocking new potential for both artists and Udio users." Ahead of its launch, Udio says it will roll out "expanded protections and other measures designed to safeguard the rights of artists and songwriters." Udio's path back from the courtroom. Udio's licensing spree contrasts sharply with the trajectory of its rival, Suno, which has taken a markedly different approach to industry relations since the two AI platforms were jointly sued by the RIAA on behalf of all three majors in mid-2024. While Udio has embraced the 'walled garden' model championed by Universal Music Group - in which AI-generated music cannot be downloaded or distributed beyond the platform - Suno has resisted that framework. A public dispute erupted in February between Suno and UMG over the issue, with UMG's EVP and Chief Digital Officer Michael Nash indicating that the 'walled garden' principle was a key factor in why Universal had not reached a settlement with Suno. Warner Music Group struck a deal with Suno in November 2025, but on notably different terms: Suno retained the ability for users to download songs, and pledged to launch "new, more advanced and licensed models" based on WMG's content in 2026. As MBW founder Tim Ingham noted in a recent column, 114 days after that WMG announcement, such a licensed model is yet to materialize. Days after that column was published, Suno launched V5.5 on Friday (March 27) - an update introducing voice capture and personalization features, but one presumably still built on the same unlicensed foundation, WMG-licensed content aside. Kobalt's AI licensing footprint. The Udio partnership marks Kobalt's second significant licensing agreement with an AI music platform. In August 2025, the publisher struck a deal with ElevenLabs for its Eleven Music platform. Eleven Music also struck a deal with indie recorded music org Merlin. In March 2026, Primary Wave Music announced a definitive agreement to acquire Kobalt from Francisco Partners, in a deal expected to close in Q3 2026. Kobalt says it serves over 1 million songs across 10 offices and represents, on average, over 35% of the top 100 songs and albums in the US and the UK. Its songwriter and publisher clients include Max Martin, Karol G, Stevie Nicks, Phoebe Bridgers, The Foo Fighters, and Paul McCartney, among others. Udio was co-founded by former researchers at Google DeepMind and launched publicly in April 2024 with backing from investors including a16z, Redpoint, will.i.am, and Steve Stoute.Music Business Worldwide

Primary Wave to acquire Kobalt. - Primary Wave Music, a leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music, announced a definitive agreement to acquire Kobalt, one of the world's premier independent music publishing and technology platforms. The transaction includes an investment from Brookfield, a strategic partner to Primary Wave. The agreement will see Kobalt, under the continued leadership of CEO Laurent Hubert and its current management team, remain a separate, stand-alone entity. The deal encompasses Kobalt's worldwide operations, its catalog of owned copyrights, and amra (its digital collection operation). The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in Q3 2026. "Over the many years Laurent and I have known each other, I have always been impressed by the remarkable team he has built, as well as the extraordinary growth Kobalt has experienced under his leadership," said Larry Mestel, CEO & Founder, Primary Wave Music. "This acquisition will only enhance his efforts to provide creators individualized attention and specialized support at every stage of their journey and to provide a very significant amount of capital to Kobalt for continued growth." Hubert added, "Primary Wave understands our vision of independence and the importance of our 'creator first' mindset driven by service, technology, and creativity. We are incredibly excited about our next chapter with them as our partner. Larry and the Primary Wave team are true champions of the music community, and their support underscores the value of the independent ecosystem we are all building. Our clients can remain confident that our mission and leadership remain entirely focused on their success. We thank our founder Willard Ahdritz, Francisco Partners and Matt Pincus for their incredible partnership over the last few years, which has positioned us perfectly for this next chapter." Upon the close of the deal, Kobalt Founder Willard Ahdritz will step down from his role as Chairman of the Board. Ahdritz commented, "Twenty-five years ago, I founded Kobalt with a clear vision: creators deserved better, and the digital music industry needed the technology, scale, and transparency of a modern tech company. We succeeded, empowering songwriters and creators to retain their rights, and helping establish music royalties as a recognized asset class along the way. First, as Group CEO for 20 years and then as Chairman for five - I have had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary people across two generations of leadership and more than 900 colleagues, all united by our mission. I am deeply proud of what we built together and thank Laurent, Jeannette Perez, Tomas Ericsson and Catrin Drabble, and the rest of our outstanding team for their leadership and dedication. Primary Wave is the right home for Kobalt's next chapter, and I step down as Chairman feeling confident about the future of the business, its people, and its mission."

Kobalt to Continue Standalone Operations Under Current Management