UNLIMITED SUPPLY with Digital Music News The AI floodgates open; to product or not to product? and Xania's pronouns.
Nov 4, 2025
Dive into the evolving landscape of music as Universal Music Group teams up with Stability AI to innovate AI-driven music tools. Discover how paid streaming has overtaken free services for the first time, reshaping listening habits. Explore the fascinating case of Zonya Monet, the first AI artist achieving radio play, and the intriguing questions around AI identity and pronouns. Plus, catch insights on BeMyFriends' acquisition of Dreamus, intensifying competition in the K-pop sector. It's a ride through music's digital frontier!
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Paid Streaming Becomes Dominant
- Edison Research shows paid streaming now exceeds free/ad-supported listening in the U.S., signaling stronger monetization for DSPs.
- The shift may limit top-of-funnel growth and pressures free tiers to evolve to remain sustainable.
UMG Opens AI Floodgates
- Universal Music Group has launched a strategic alliance with Stability AI to build AI-driven products using licensed UMG content.
- The deal favors a skunkworks approach that experiments from scratch rather than bolting UMG IP onto an existing product.
Product Flexibility Versus Monetization
- The Udio deal locked content into an existing product while Stability's approach gives more flexibility to innovate.
- That tradeoff highlights a broader industry choice between product constraints and open experimentation.