AI sound wellness company Endel and Universal Music Group (UMG) have joined forces to enable artists and labels under the music corporation to create soundscapes that boost daily activities like sleep, relaxation, and focus.

Leveraging Endel’s proprietary AI technology, UMG artists will be able to create music that enhances listeners’ wellness. This includes the creation of fresh compositions as well as reimagined versions of catalog music. According to a press release, creators’ rights will be respected, and artists will be at the center of the creative process.

The first wave of soundscapes under the new partnership will be announced in the coming months. Endel had previously worked with Republic Records’ artist James Blake, who created the ambient “Wind Down” soundscape that was released as an album in May 2022. Past collaborations include Grimes, techno producer and PIXELYNX co-founder Richie Hawtin aka Plastikman, and Miguel, among many others.

Artists working with Endel provide stems to create soundscapes that the company claims are driven by scientific insights into how music affects the state of mind. When crafting the albums, artists and their teams have the final say on their preferred results. These soundscapes offer artists and rights holders new channels to generate additional revenue from their catalogs while enriching their creations in new contexts and moments within fans’ lives.

Commenting on the partnership, Michael Nash, Universal Music Group’s EVP, Chief Digital Officer, said:

“At UMG, we believe in the incredible potential of ethical AI as a tool to support and enhance the creativity of our artists, labels and songwriters, something that Endel has harnessed with impressive ingenuity and scientific innovation. We are excited to work together and utilize their patented AI technology to create new music soundscapes – anchored in our artist-centric philosophy – that are designed to enhance audience wellness, powered by AI that respects artists’ rights in its development.”

This initiative is perhaps UMG’s attempt to create and legitimize its own catalog of AI-generated music in its fight against the unauthorized use of its artists’ voices.

The company recently filed a copyright claim to remove a viral AI-generated song made using the voices of Drake and The Weeknd from popular music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon, SoundCloud, Tidal, and Deezer. Since then, Spotify has deleted thousands of AI-generated songs from its platform.