New AI-powered ‘instant’ music-making app Udio raises $10m; launches with backing from will.i.am, Common, UnitedMasters, a16z

It seems that rarely a month goes by without the launch of another AI-powered music-making app, but the latest tech seeking to turn anyone and everyone into a musical virtuoso is notable for its backers.

Udio, developed by former researchers at Google DeepMind, announced its launch on Wednesday (April 10), complete with a list of backers that includes one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent venture capital funds, a rapidly growing DIY distribution platform – and a number of prominent musical artists.

Udio’s creators say the app is designed to make music creation “as easy as possible,” and can generate a mastered track in under 40 seconds.

“In just a few steps, users simply type a description of the music genre they want to make, provide the subject or personalized lyrics, and indicate artists that inspire,” Udio said in a press release. “Once a track has been created, users can further edit their creations through the app’s ‘remix’ feature. This enables iteration on existing tracks through text descriptors, turning everyday creators into full-blown producers.”

Udio’s lead investors are Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a Menlo Park, California-headquartered venture capital firm with $35 billion in assets under management, as well as angel investors Mike Krieger (co-founder and CTO of Instagram) and Oriol Vinyals (head of Gemini at Google).

Among its other investors are UnitedMasters, the DIY distribution platform that was valued at $550 million in a 2021 funding round; rapper/songwriter/producer will.i.am; rapper Common; investor and activist Kevin Wall (of Live Earth and Live 8 fame); and producer Tay Keith.

The value of the company’s seed funding round was $10 million.

“There is nothing available that comes close to the ease of use, voice quality and musicality of what we’ve achieved with Udio – it’s a real testament to the folks we have involved,” said David Ding, CEO of Udio and one of the company’s founders, along with Conor Durkan, Charlie Nash, Yaroslav Ganin and Andrew Sanchez.

“At every stage of development, we talked to people in the industry about how we could bring this technology to market in a way that benefits both artists and musicians. We gathered feedback from some of the most prolific artists and music producers like will.i.am, Common and Tay Keith, to ensure that everything they thought would enhance the experience would be available,” Ding added.

“We hold ourselves to the highest standards and we believe we have achieved something truly remarkable, so we can’t wait to get Udio into the hands of music lovers worldwide.”

“There is nothing available that comes close to the ease of use, voice quality and musicality of what we’ve achieved with Udio.”

David Ding, Udio

Udio says it “inspired some of the most prolific musicians, producers and artists with their next creation” while the app was in beta-testing, with much of that success evidently coming from the flexibility the app provides to music creators.

Once a user has created a song, they can alter it, including extending the length and changing the sounds used. They can then use the song as the basis for a new musical creation. Users can also share their songs with “a built-in community of music lovers, for feedback and collaboration.”

“This is a brand new Renaissance and Udio is the tool for this era’s creativity; with Udio you are able to pull songs into existence via AI and your imagination,” will.i.am said in a statement.

Matt Bornstein, a Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, added: “Nothing will ever replace human artists and the unique connections they make with their fans. But we think Udio – with its incredible musicality, creativity, and vocals – is a brand new way for us to create and enjoy music together. We’re thrilled to back this stellar group of researchers in their mission to make AI music a reality.”

“I’ve always been drawn to music and creation tools, and after I demoed Udio, I was blown away,” said Mike Krieger. “It’s early days but just like Instagram brought photography sharing to the masses, I believe Udio has the power to bring music creation to the masses as well. I’m thrilled to be a product advisor on their groundbreaking journey.”

“Just like Instagram brought photography sharing to the masses, I believe Udio has the power to bring music creation to the masses as well.”

Mike Krieger, Instagram

Steve Stoute, Founder and CEO of UnitedMasters, said his company “embraces cutting-edge technology that can unlock unprecedented opportunities for independent artists, and AI is reshaping how we create, consume, and experience music”.

He added: “As we embrace this transformative technology, we must ensure it amplifies creativity, empowers artists, and enriches the music industry without compromising ownership. It’s imperative that we champion transparency, accountability, and ownership in how this technology benefits artists, shaping a future where innovation and creativity can thrive.”

Udio’s launch comes amid ongoing hand-wringing in some corners that AI-generated tools and music could upend the entire business model of the music industry – and amid the rapid growth of music-making platforms.

In just the past month, MBW reported that music creation platform Splice – valued at nearly $500 million in 2021 – launched a new mobile app that enables users to create music on their phones; and that BeatConnect, a platform for collaborative music creation, raised another $1.7 million in a funding round, having raised $2.2 million back in 2022.

“As we embrace this transformative technology, we must ensure it amplifies creativity, empowers artists, and enriches the music industry without compromising ownership. It’s imperative that we champion transparency, accountability, and ownership in how this technology benefits artists…”

Steve Stoute, UnitedMasters

Also last month, Singapore’s BandLab Technologies reported that its partly AI-driven music-making platform, BandLab, had surpassed 100 million users, having reached 60 million a little more than a year earlier.

In an interview with MBW last year, BandLab CEO Meng Ru Kuok predicted that “there will be over 1 billion music creators by 2030, potentially even sooner.”

However, he added the “caveat” that “the definition of a ‘music creator’ or ‘musician’ will change, just as the definition of a ‘photographer’ has changed with the advent of smartphones.”

Notably, some music creation apps are raising the ire of the music industry, namely those that engage in blatant copyright infringement or appropriation of artists’ voices or likenesses.

Voicify.ai, which was called out by name in a submission to the US government last fall by the RIAA, and recently changed its name to Jammable – is facing legal action in the UK over its unauthorized use of thousands of prominent artists’ vocals.Music Business Worldwide