Published Updated
In one or two sentences, before anything else.
Udio is an AI song generator from Uncharted Labs that switched off downloads on October 29, 2025, when it settled with Universal Music Group. Songs now stay on Udio, which owns them, behind encrypted streams, while Udio prepares a licensed fan-remix app reported as Starstruck and still faces suits from Sony.
What it can do, one sentence each, and whether we actually tested it.
Makes songs from prompts and lyrics with v1, v1.5 and v1.5 Allegro; free accounts get up to three 2:10 songs a day.
Udio says these are the models available during its transition.
Lengthens a song or reworks it in another style inside Udio.
Uses an existing song as a musical reference, with options to blend or reduce styles.
Sings with voices from Udio's library, and lets you save and reuse your own.
Changes parts of a song's music or lyrics after generation.
Listed from the Standard plan up.
Each song has a udio.com link that anyone can play, even without an account.
Links are the only way to share: files cannot leave Udio.
Brings generation, cover art and the song feed to iPhone.
Launched May 20, 2025, per MBW.
The people it helps and the problems it solves, and where it ranks.
Built for
Problems it solves
Graded in
Public tests other people ran: what they gave it and how it did.
Case 1
Input
Create a song with v1.5 Allegro, extend it, remix it with a Style, then send the udio.com link to a friend.
What happened
All of that still works, and the friend can play the song without an account. The song cannot be downloaded, posted to other platforms or used commercially, and under the terms Udio and its licensors own it.
Case 2
Input
Download existing songs during the 48 hours from 11 a.m. Eastern on Monday, November 3, 2025.
What happened
New Industry Focus reported Udio saying songs downloaded then fall under the earlier terms, which let users own and sell them. The window has closed and Udio has announced no other.
Case 3
Input
Pick an opted-in artist and one of their songs, then make a Cover, a Reimagine, a Remix, or a Create with your own lyrics in the artist's voice.
What happened
Every creation is licensed and tied to a real artist, but the rights holder owns the result and nothing can leave the app. MBW still called the app forthcoming on July 20, 2026.
Case 4
Input
Pairs of tracks made by different models from the same prompt, compared without knowing which model made which.
What happened
Udio v1.5 Allegro ranked 14th of 15 with an Elo of 967, behind Suno V5.5 (1170) and Mureka V9 (1159). It is not on the current v1.1 board.
What it does badly, with the evidence, and what we could not settle.
Weak
You cannot download or publish what you make.
Evidence: Udio's terms, revised November 12, 2025, forbid downloading any output or posting it to streaming or social platforms; only links on approved sites are allowed.
You do not own your songs.
Evidence: The terms say Udio and its licensors own all output, any rights that vest in you are assigned to Udio, and you may use songs only for personal, non-commercial purposes.
Your prompts and songs train Udio's models.
Evidence: Section 1.1 of the terms lets Udio use your input and output to train or improve its models, and the licence you grant is perpetual and royalty-free.
The models are old and rank low in blind tests.
Evidence: Udio offers only v1, v1.5 and v1.5 Allegro; Allegro was 14th of 15 on Artificial Analysis's September 2, 2026 snapshot and is absent from the current board.
Who should not use it now: anyone who needs files, plans a release or wants income from songs.
Evidence: Downloads have been off since October 29, 2025, streams are DRM-encrypted since July 2026, and Udio plans watermarks and fingerprints so distributors can block matching uploads (MBW).
Uncertain
When Starstruck launches and what happens to today's Udio.
Why unsure: MBW still called the app forthcoming on July 20, 2026, and Udio has not said whether the current app or song libraries will carry over.
Whether downloads will ever come back.
Why unsure: Udio's October 29, 2025 post described a transition of several months, but nothing since promises downloads, and Starstruck as reported keeps every creation inside the app.
How Sony's cases end.
Why unsure: Summary judgment on fair use was expected after document production closed on August 25, 2026, and the second suit was filed on July 20, 2026. We found no ruling on either.
The numbers, each with its source and the date we checked it.
| Spec | Value | Note and source |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Uncharted Labs, Inc., New York | Source: udio.comchecked |
| Plans and prices | Free 0 USD; Standard 10 USD a month or 96 USD a year, 2,400 credits a month; Pro 30 USD a month or 288 USD a year, 6,000 credits a month | No rollovers. Extra credits cost 3 USD for 100 or 25 USD for 1,000. A generation of two tracks of about 30 seconds costs 2 credits; longer songs cost more. Source: udio.comchecked |
| Free plan | 10 credits a day and 100 a month; up to three 2:10 songs a day | Source: udio.comchecked |
| Downloads | Unavailable since October 29, 2025 | A one-off 48-hour window opened on November 3, 2025 (AP). Source: udio.comchecked |
| Who owns the songs | Udio and its licensors; personal, non-commercial use only; no posting to streaming or social platforms | Terms last revised November 12, 2025. Source: udio.comchecked |
| Use of your content for training | Section 1.1 lets Udio use your prompts, uploads and songs to train its models | The licence is perpetual and irrevocable, and the terms offer no opt-out. Source: udio.comchecked |
| Models available | v1, v1.5 and v1.5 Allegro | Per Udio's November 19, 2025 FAQ; its blog lists no later announcement. Source: udio.comchecked |
| Stream protection | BuyDRM encryption, announced July 14, 2026; watermarking and fingerprinting planned | Source: musicbusinessworldwide.comchecked |
| Sony lawsuits | First case in the Southern District of New York narrowed to 333 works; second suit filed July 20, 2026 over 30,117 recordings | Source: musicbusinessworldwide.comchecked |
| Artificial Analysis vocal board, September 2, 2026 snapshot | v1.5 Allegro 14th of 15, Elo 967; not on the current v1.1 board | Source: benchmarklist.comchecked |
| Website visits, September 2026 (udio.com) | 1.12 million (−9.3% on August); 8th of 10 on AICPB's AI music generators list | Source: mp.weixin.qq.comchecked |
| Refunds | Subscriptions are non-refundable, with no credit for partly used periods | Access lasts to the end of the paid period. Cancel at least 7 days before renewal to avoid the next charge. Source: udio.comchecked |
Answer first, then why, an example, the limits and what to do next.
No, Udio has not allowed downloads since October 29, 2025, and its terms now forbid downloading any song. The only exception was a 48-hour window from November 3, 2025, and songs saved then stay under Udio's earlier terms. You can still play your songs on Udio and share them through udio.com links.
Udio and its licensors own songs made under the terms in force since November 12, 2025. You may use them only for personal, non-commercial purposes, and any rights you might have are assigned to Udio. Udio said songs downloaded in the November 2025 window stay under its earlier terms, which let users own them, according to New Industry Focus.
Starstruck is the reported name of Udio's licensed fan app, according to Water & Music's report relayed by MBW in May 2026. Fans pick an opted-in artist and song and make covers, remixes or new songs in that artist's voice, while the rights holder owns the result and nothing leaves the app. MBW still described it as forthcoming on July 20, 2026.
Yes, Sony Music is the only major label still suing Udio. Its first case in federal court in New York covers 333 works after a judge refused to add 30,442 more, and Sony filed a second suit over 30,117 recordings on July 20, 2026. Universal and Warner settled in late 2025.
No, Universal and Warner did not buy Udio, according to Udio's own FAQ. Udio, made by Uncharted Labs, settled each label's lawsuit and signed licensing agreements to train new models on their music and work with their artists.
Mureka and Suno both still let paying users download songs with commercial rights. Mureka lists unlimited MP3 downloads on its Pro plan, while Suno has capped Pro at 20 and Premier at 60 downloads a month since September 3, 2026. Suno leads the Artificial Analysis blind vocal test and Mureka is third, and both face copyright suits.
This page is built from Udio's own announcements, terms and pricing page, reporting by the Associated Press, Music Business Worldwide (MBW), The Next Web and New Industry Focus, court-case trackers, and Artificial Analysis's blind listening leaderboard. Every fact links to its source, and we checked each one on October 17, 2026.
According to AICPB's traffic rankings, udio.com had 1.12 million visits in September 2026, down 9.3% on August: 8th among AI music generators.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 29, 2025 | Udio settles with Universal Music Group and turns off downloads the same day (Udio, AP) |
| November 3, 2025 | After a user backlash, Udio opens one 48-hour window, from 11 a.m. Eastern, to save past songs (AP, New Industry Focus) |
| November 12, 2025 | New "transition" terms: no downloads, Udio owns the output (Udio terms) |
| November 19, 2025 | Udio settles with Warner Music Group and signs a licence (Udio) |
| January to June 2026 | Licences with Merlin, Kobalt, Believe and the US publishers' association NMPA, per MBW |
| May 25, 2026 | MBW, citing Water & Music, reports the licensed fan app will be called Starstruck (MBW) |
| July 14, 2026 | Udio picks BuyDRM to encrypt its streams (MBW) |
| July 20, 2026 | Sony files a second suit against Udio (MBW, TNW) |
On launch day of the Universal deal, Udio's chief executive Andrew Sanchez wrote that "downloads from the platform will be unavailable", and Udio gave paying users extra credits for the transition. On Reddit, AP reported, users said they felt betrayed and many said they would cancel.
The terms Udio introduced on November 12, 2025 still apply (terms, Udio FAQ).
| You can | You cannot |
|---|---|
| Make songs with the v1, v1.5 and v1.5 Allegro models | Download any song, in any format |
| Extend, remix, edit and use Styles and Voices | Post songs to Spotify, YouTube, TikTok or other platforms |
| Share a udio.com link that anyone can play | Use songs commercially |
| Use songs for personal, non-commercial purposes | Own the songs: Udio and its licensors do |
Udio may also use your prompts and songs to train its models, and if you cancel a free trial your trial content may be deleted. The paid plans cost the same as before: Standard is 10 USD a month and Pro 30 USD (Udio pricing). Udio said songs downloaded in the November window stay under its earlier terms, which let users own and sell their songs, according to New Industry Focus.
The garden is getting walls. MBW reported on July 20, 2026 that streams are now encrypted with BuyDRM, and that Udio plans inaudible watermarks and fingerprinting so distributors can block uploads that match Udio songs (MBW).
According to Water & Music's account of an April 30, 2026 webinar, relayed by MBW, Starstruck is a mobile-first app for fans with four modes: Cover, Reimagine, Remix and Create. Every creation must name an opted-in artist and song, there is no generic AI music, and the rights holder, not the user, owns what you make (MBW). MBW's July 20 report still called the service forthcoming, with no date.
Sony Music is the only major label still suing. Its 2024 case in federal court in New York covers 333 works after Judge Alvin Hellerstein refused to add 30,442 more; its claim that Udio circumvented YouTube's protections survived dismissal, and both sides are expected to ask for summary judgment on fair use (MBW). Sony filed a second suit over 30,117 recordings on July 20, 2026 (MBW). A separate proposed class action by independent artists, led by David Woulard, was moved from Illinois to New York in August 2026 (tracker, plaintiffs' counsel).
Little that is current. On Artificial Analysis's earlier vocal leaderboard, captured on September 2, 2026, Udio v1.5 Allegro ranked 14th of 15 with an Elo of 967 (BenchmarkList). It is not on the current board, which Suno v6 leads (Artificial Analysis).
| Udio | Suno | Mureka | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downloads | None | Pro 20, Premier 60 a month (Suno) | Unlimited MP3 on Pro (Mureka) |
| Who owns paid users' songs | Udio and its licensors | Assigned to the user | The user |
| Blind vocal ranking | Not on the board | 1st | 3rd |
| Open copyright suits | Sony, independent artists | Universal and Sony | Independent artists |
Sources
Changelog
Suno is the pick for anyone who needs the audio: paid plans download 20 or 60 songs a month with commercial rights, and v6 leads Artificial Analysis's blind tests. Udio suits only people who make songs for fun inside its app, because it has blocked downloads since October 29, 2025 and owns every song made there.
Suno is an AI song generator that capped downloads on September 3, 2026 and rebuilt its models as v6 on licensed music on September 9. TechCrunch reported in July 2026 that a November 2025 breach exposed about 55.3 million user records, and Universal and Sony sued again over v6 on September 18, 2026.
Mureka is the AI song generator of Kunlun Tech (昆仑万维). Its V9.5 model, out since August 2026, ranks third in Artificial Analysis's blind vocal test behind two Suno models, and its paid plans promise unlimited downloads with commercial rights while Suno caps downloads and Udio has switched them off.
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