What it is
Udio generates songs with vocals from a text prompt and lets you extend, remix and edit parts of a track (inpainting). It launched in 2024 and was, with Suno, one of the two leading AI music apps.
On 29 October 2025 Universal Music Group settled its copyright lawsuit with Udio and the two agreed to build a licensed music service. The same day Udio turned off audio, video and stem downloads, and songs now stay inside the app. Deals with Warner (November 2025), Merlin (January 2026), Kobalt (April 2026) and the US publishers' body NMPA (June 2026) followed. Sony is still suing, and in its April 2026 court answer Udio admitted using audio taken from YouTube with yt-dlp as training data.
The licensed platform will reportedly be a separate mobile app called Starstruck, built around opted-in artists, with creations owned by the rights holder rather than the user. As of 22 October 2026, Udio's blog and help centre announced no launch date.
Our review
Udio's problem is not quality but ownership, and the roadmap makes it worse. Since 29 October 2025 no plan can download audio, video or stems; songs can only be shared as udio.com links. That rules it out for anyone scoring a video, a game or a release.
The subscriptions still run. After the Universal deal Udio doubled Standard's limit to 2,400 credits a month and raised Pro to 6,000, and a 2-minute song costs two credits, so Standard allows roughly 1,200 full-length songs you can only play in the app. One billing detail catches people: the 7-day Standard trial charges the full annual price at the end unless you switch it to monthly first, and the trial does not raise the free credit limits.
The licensed future looks like a fan product, not a tool. Music Business Worldwide, citing Water & Music, reported in May 2026 that the new app will be called Starstruck, will require users to pick a specific opted-in artist and song, will keep everything in a walled garden, and will assign ownership of each creation to the artist's rights holder. Udio has since hired BuyDRM to protect streams with Widevine, FairPlay and PlayReady. None of that suggests existing libraries will become exportable.
The legal position has improved while the product has narrowed. Universal, Warner, Merlin, Kobalt and the NMPA have all signed, and a judge in July 2026 refused Sony's attempt to add more than 30,000 recordings, keeping its case to 333 works. Udio also admitted in court that it trained on YouTube audio, and a US musicians' union has sued Universal and Warner over the Suno and Udio deals. Suno, by contrast, still lets paying users download, if within caps, and that difference matters more to most buyers than any licence.
Where it earns its place
A hobbyist songwriter who shares drafts with friends
Sketch song ideas from lyrics and send them round for feedback
Songs can be shared as udio.com links that non-users can play, and per-song permissions stop others remixing them. Standard's 2,400 monthly credits cover about 1,200 two-minute songs, but nothing can be exported to a DAW.
A YouTube editor needing background music
Generate royalty-safe tracks to place under videos
Not possible on Udio today: audio downloads are disabled on every plan. Suno or a licensed stock library does this job.
A label or publisher's digital team
Judge whether to opt artists into Udio's licensed platform
Udio's NMPA deal is open to members in good standing, and reported Starstruck terms give ownership of fan creations to the rights holder; Sony's live case and the musicians' union suit against Universal and Warner are the open risks.
A developer building a music feature
Generate songs programmatically
Udio's help centre says it does not offer a public API, so there is no integration route.
Before you commit
- Setup
- Sign up on the web or the iOS app; each Create, Extend, Remix or Edit makes two songs.
- Integrations
- None: no public API and no downloads. Sharing is by udio.com link.
- Data and privacy
- Account deletion is immediate and removes all songs. Training data terms for user prompts and uploads are not published in the help centre; Udio admitted in court to training on YouTube audio.
- Cost at scale
- Credits cost 1 per 32-second song and 2 per 130-second song; Standard's 2,400 and Pro's 6,000 monthly credits do not roll over, while one-off credit purchases never expire. Current prices are visible only when signed in.
- Limits
- Free accounts get 10 credits a day, 100 a month and three 2-minute songs a day; Pro runs up to 10 songs at once. Models remain v1, v1.5 and v1.5 Allegro.
What's good
- Strong vocal and production quality on the v1.5 Allegro model
- Licences from Universal, Warner, Merlin, Kobalt and the NMPA
- Large credit limits for in-app listening: 2,400 a month on Standard
What's not
- No downloads of audio, video or stems since October 2025
- The planned Starstruck app reportedly gives ownership to rights holders, not users
- No public API
- Trial converts to an annual charge by default
- Sony lawsuit still open
Best for
Hobbyists happy to create and listen inside the app; anyone who needs files should look elsewhere.
Alternatives
Udio: common questions
- Is Udio worth it?
- You can make songs on Udio but you cannot take them anywhere, and the licensed app it is building will not let you own them either. We rate it 2.9 out of 5.
- How much does Udio cost?
- Free: 10 credits a day within a 100-credit monthly limit, three 2-minute songs a day. Standard 2,400 credits/month, Pro 6,000. Prices are shown only on the logged-in pricing page; plans launched at $10 and $30/month. No downloads on any plan.
- What are the downsides of Udio?
- No downloads of audio, video or stems since October 2025; the planned Starstruck app reportedly gives ownership to rights holders, not users; no public API; trial converts to an annual charge by default; sony lawsuit still open.
- Who is Udio best for?
- Hobbyists happy to create and listen inside the app; anyone who needs files should look elsewhere.
- How much does Udio cost for a team or in production?
- Credits cost 1 per 32-second song and 2 per 130-second song; Standard's 2,400 and Pro's 6,000 monthly credits do not roll over, while one-off credit purchases never expire. Current prices are visible only when signed in.
- Is Udio safe for company data?
- Account deletion is immediate and removes all songs. Training data terms for user prompts and uploads are not published in the help centre; Udio admitted in court to training on YouTube audio.
- What are the best Udio alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are Suno and ElevenLabs.
Answers checked Oct 22, 2026.