Recent events
Recent events tied to this brand in public sources.
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2026
Adobe announces music licensing partnership for Premiere mobile
Adobe announced a partnership with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group to let Premiere mobile users browse and add licensed popular music to videos in the app.
2026
Spotify reaches licensing agreements for remix feature
Spotify reached licensing agreements with Universal Music Group, Merlin and Believe for its planned remix feature.
2026
UMG reports third-quarter 2026 financial results
Universal Music Group N.V. announced financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2026. Third-quarter revenue was €3,394 million, up 12.3% year over year, and adjusted EBITDA was €729 million, up 9.8%.
2026
AFM launches “Human Made, Human Paid” campaign
The American Federation of Musicians launched the “Human Made, Human Paid” public advocacy campaign, seeking to persuade major record labels to protect instrumentalists and vocalists from unauthorized AI exploitation.
2026
Songwriter sues over alleged use of demo in “Janice STFU”
Songwriter Aviel Calev Hirschfield is suing Drake, OVO Sound, and Universal Music Group, alleging that the hook on “Janice STFU” is practically identical to a demo he sent Drake’s producers and that he received no credit or compensation.
2026
Tencent-led consortium acquires stake in Universal Music Group
A Tencent-led consortium, joined by Tencent Music Entertainment Group and global financial investors, acquired a 10% equity stake in Universal Music Group from Vivendi.
2026
Avi Hirschfield sues Drake and UMG over “Janice STFU”
Avi Hirschfield sued Drake and Universal Music Group, alleging that “Janice STFU” used his original chorus without credit or compensation. The complaint alleges copyright infringement; the source reports no court determination.
2026
Sony and Universal Music Group file new copyright lawsuit against Suno over v6 model
Sony and Universal Music Group filed another lawsuit against AI music company Suno, alleging that its new v6 model continues to infringe their copyrights. The labels claim the v6 model was trained on user outputs from previous models that were themselves trained on unlicensed music ripped from YouTube and other sources, accusing Suno of 'model laundering,' and further allege Suno used distillation to replicate results of earlier infringing 'teacher' models. Suno said v6 was trained on licensed content, user community interactions and creations, and its team's accumulated learnings.
2026
Universal Music Group and ElevenLabs enter multiyear AI music licensing agreement
Universal Music Group announced a multiyear licensing agreement with ElevenLabs under which it is developing an AI music platform, with the partnership also covering additional products and fan experiences.
2026
Universal Music Group launching AI music platform with ElevenLabs
Universal Music Group announced it is launching a new AI-powered platform that will let users draw from its catalog of licensed music to create song remixes, mashups, and new takes on tracks, developed through a licensing agreement with ElevenLabs.
2026
UMG sues DistroKid alleging AI-slop pipeline, deceptive trade practices and copyright infringement
Universal Music Group (UMG) filed a lawsuit in September 2026 against music distributor DistroKid, claiming that DistroKid created an “AI-slop pipeline” and alleging deceptive trade practices and “blatant copyright infringement.” DistroKid said it strongly disputes the allegations underlying the lawsuit.
2026
Universal Music Group acquires 30% stake in Excel Entertainment
Universal Music Group acquired a 30% stake in Excel Entertainment, the production company of Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, with the partnership announced at a press event in Mumbai attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
2022
Universal Music Group agrees to acquire Neil Diamond’s music catalog
Universal Music Group announced an agreement to acquire the rights to Neil Diamond’s entire song catalog, including previously unreleased songs and an unreleased album, and to handle his future releases.
2022
Universal Music Group and Curio announce NFT partnership
Universal Music Group announced a partnership with NFT platform Curio to develop officially licensed NFTs based on content from UMG's record labels and artists.
2021
Tomorrowland and Universal Music Group announce global label partnership
Tomorrowland and Universal Music Germany announced an exclusive global partnership under which future Tomorrowland releases and artists from its new label will be distributed worldwide through UMG's label network.
2021
Spencer Elden sues Nirvana and others
Spencer Elden filed a lawsuit in the Central District of California naming Nirvana, Universal Music Group, Geffen Records, and others as defendants. The complaint alleges that the defendants knowingly produced, possessed, and advertised commercial child pornography depicting Elden.
2021
Aerosmith and Universal Music Group announce a wide-ranging partnership
Aerosmith announced a wide-ranging partnership with Universal Music Group that brings the band’s recording catalog together under one label home and includes upcoming music projects, merchandise, and audiovisual content.
2021
Universal Music Group partners with Snapchat
Universal Music Group partnered with Snapchat to let users incorporate UMG music into their posts.
2021
Universal Music Group appoints Richelle Parham president of global e-commerce and business development
Universal Music Group announced Richelle Parham's appointment as President of Global E-Commerce and Business Development. The appointment is effective June 2.
2021
JD Entertainment and Universal Music form a strategic partnership
JD Entertainment and Universal Music announced a strategic partnership covering physical albums and collaboration on vinyl publishing and artist merchandise.