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Udio’s licensing deal with Universal Music Group (UMG) has prompted backlash from users angry that the AI platform abruptly disabled downloading — and some are already floating the idea of legal action.
The landmark deal, announced on Wednesday (Oct. 29), ends UMG’s involvement in copyright litigation against Udio and lays the groundwork for a new version of the platform trained on licensed music. The catch: Udio will now be a “walled garden” in which users can only stream their AI creations on the platform, with no ability to export and distribute their works.
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While this new version of Udio isn’t launching until 2026, the company immediately disabled all downloading on Wednesday — a move that has many users up in arms, especially on the r/udiomusic Reddit page.
“This feels like an absolute betrayal,” wrote one Reddit user.
“I’ve spent hundreds of $$$ and countless hours building tracks with this tool,” wrote another. “No one warned us that one day, we wouldn’t even be able to access our own music. You can’t just pull the plug and call that a ‘transition.’”
Udio offers both monthly and annual subscription plans. A Standard plan costs either $10 per month or $96 billed annually, and a Pro plan comes out to either $30 per month or $288 a year.
One unlucky Reddit user commented on Thursday (Oct. 30) that they paid for an annual subscription the day that Udio announced the UMG deal and took away download capabilities.
“I’m absolutely livid,” the user wrote. “The sole reason I paid for the service was to produce music to soundtrack short films for the students in my high school media class. Now no downloads?? This is the worst and most disgusting fraud I have ever seen. I don’t even care about the music, I just want my money.”
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In a statement to Billboard on Thursday, an Udio spokesperson said that disabling downloads is “a difficult but necessary step to support the next phase of the platform and the new experiences ahead.”
“We hate having to remove this functionality and did not make the decision lightly,” said the spokesperson. “To ease the transition, Udio is adding 1,200 credits to all Pro and Standard plans, increasing the Pro plan’s song creation limit to 10, and providing all subscribers with a one-time bonus of 1,000 non-expiring credits.”
On Reddit, Udio users are already chatting about potential recourse. Some comments say disgruntled users should ask Udio directly for refunds, while others suggest that individuals who’ve recently bought subscriptions contact their banks to cancel the charges.
Elsewhere on the Reddit page, as well as on other social media platforms like LinkedIn, users are floating the idea of litigation.
“What you have committed is fraud. Just so you understand,” wrote one user. “You may not feel any legal ramifications immediately, but not everyone who used your platform is without resources.”
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Numerous accounts have been posting Udio’s terms of service and encouraging others to send emails to the company formally opting out of provisions that could limit their legal options — namely, a clause requiring that all claims be brought in private, individual arbitration rather than in public court as a class action.
While Udio’s terms of service do indeed allow users to opt out of mandatory arbitration, opt-out notices must be sent within 30 days of registering for the service. “Otherwise, you shall be bound to arbitrate disputes on a non-class basis in accordance with these terms,” the fine print reads.
Whether ultimately brought in arbitration or in a courthouse, there are a number of potential legal claims that disgruntled Udio users might assert. There could be arguments made that disabling downloads constituted a breach of the subscription contract that Udio signed with users, or that Udio falsely advertised its services in violation of consumer protection laws. Just last year, Amazon Prime users brought such claims over changes to the cost of ad-free movie and TV streaming for subscribers.
Whether such legal claims could actually be successful, however, would depend on a judge’s interpretation of the fine print in Udio’s subscription agreement. The Amazon case, for example, was dismissed this summer after a federal judge found that Prime subscription contracts are written to give the retail giant leeway to change the terms.
JUNG YEON-JE / Xbox
Given recent news about the state of the Xbox Series S and X consoles, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Xbox’s hardware sales continue to nosedive.
Microsoft shared its Q1 2026 earnings, revealing that Xbox hardware revenue was down 29 percent year over year.
This latest financial news paints a bleak picture for the hardware division, as the numbers keep getting worse rather than better. Last quarter, hardware sales were down 22 percent, down 29 percent for the first two quarters of 2025, and down 42 percent in Q4 of 2024.
Things will only get more challenging as the company also has to contend with Donald Trump and his blatant abuse of tariffs, which have forced Microsoft ot make some unpopular decisions like raising the price of the Series X console to $599.
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The company has also implemented a new strategy with its “Xbox everywhere” initiative, which promotes the idea that any device that can play its games in the cloud is an Xbox.
Microsoft’s gaming division has also begun ditching the idea of exclusive games and, basically, conceded the “console wars” when it announced that Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the first game in the franchise, is coming to the PlayStation 5.
Despite all the dire news about hardware sales, Microsoft is not out of the console business yet. The company just released two new handheld devices in partnership with ASUS, the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X.
Company heads like Xbox President Sarah Bond and CEO Satya Nadella have also begun teasing the next Xbox console, sharing that it will be a premium, high-powered PC/gaming console experience that will most likely include multiple storefronts, like Steam.
We shall see what the future holds for the company.
Trending on Billboard Ahead of her concerts in New York City, Sabrina Carpenter is encouraging subway riders to please, please, please practice good etiquette on the trains. As revealed Thursday (Oct. 30), the pop star has partnered with the public transit organization to record custom PSAs for riders to hear while making their commutes. The […]
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Myles Smith is continuing his breakthrough in the U.S. as he performed his “Nice to Meet You” hit on the season 9 reunion of Love Is Blind, which aired on Netflix on Wednesday (Oct. 29).
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Introduced by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, Smith rocked the Love Is Blind stage with his stomp-clap anthem alongside a full live band while the season 9 contestants made their way inside the venue listening to the catchy tune.
The British singer posted a TikTok video that saw season 7 contestant Taylor Krause join Smith on stage for the performance. The reality star, who got engaged to Garrett Joseman on the Netflix show, also made a fun TikTok with Smith.
Myles Smith can only hope he encounters the same fate as season 8 reunion performer Alex Warren, whose “Ordinary” anthem catapulted to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 not long after his March reunion performance.
“With the success of the last one, we really had the interest of virtually every major label coming to us saying, ‘Hey, can we give you some names and some possibilities?’ And Myles Smith, for us, it’s a mix of both the artist and the song,” Love Is Blind executive producer Ally Simpson told People.
She continued, saying that Smith fit the bill for what they were looking for on the finale. “I think we knew we wanted to do a big, exciting open with the music performance, and so he’s just a really great guy and a really terrific artist,” Simpson said. “We also felt like the song was something that just felt celebratory and a great kickoff to the reunion.”
Smith’s “Nice to Meet You” made noise in the U.K. before sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, awaiting the U.S.’s embrace. The track, which landed on his A Minute… EP in 2024, reached a new peak of No. 62 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 (dated Nov. 1).
Watch Myles Smith’s performance below:
Trending on Billboard Luis Figueroa reclaims his place at the summit on Billboard‘s Tropical Airplay chart as “Como Se Compara” ascends from No. 3 to the top of the chart dated Nov. 1. “‘Como Se Compara’ is a very special song for me, and seeing it become my third No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay […]
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The Fifth Element Festival has announced the full lineup for its debut edition.
Leading the bill are Detroit icon Carl Craig, enduring favorite Seth Troxler, techno titan Nicole Moudaber, scene pioneer Danny Tanaglia and minimal techno legend Ricardo Villalobos, along with Dixon, DJ Tennis, Dubfire and more. The bill in total features more than 60 artists; see this complete lineup below.
The Fifth Element happens in Puerto Rico on Jan. 7-13. In addition to the music, the fest will also offer yoga, breathwork, sound baths and other “healing ceremonies and workshops.” This focus on wellness is a core focus of The Fifth Element, which was created by Phillip Pulitano, who also co-founded the longstanding BPM Festival. (Pulitano is no longer involved with BPM.)
Speaking to Billboard about The Fifth Element in May, Pulitano said he came up with the idea during an ayahuasca ceremony, an experience that made him want to create a festival that was about more than just partying.
“I knew I needed to figure out a way to create a hybrid experience in dance culture,” Pulitano said. “Not going for a super hippie vibe that plant medicine can be… but doing something that’s in service and creates a bit more awareness and brings more consciousness to what we’re doing.”
As such, The Fifth Element will also host a Sacred Space, a “wellness sanctuary” being curated by the Above & Below Collective, a group of artists, therapists, facilitators, and health care professionals that will host ceremonial gatherings, guided workshops and integration sessions led by reputable facilitators from a variety of healing traditions.
The Fifth Element is offering both seven and three day passes, both of which are available here. Discounted tickets are being offered to residents of Puerto Rico.
The 5th Element Festival
Courtesy of Get In PR
Trending on Billboard Clipse has taken another step forward in the duo’s post-comeback resurgence: signing to CAA. The deal comes after the revered rap duo, composed of Pusha T and Malice, ended its 15-year hiatus with the critically acclaimed album, Let God Sort Em Out. Released in July and executive-produced by Pharrell Williams, the album […]
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After channelling Donna Summer and Princess Tiana in past years, Coco Jones is “Steppin to the Bad Side” with her 2025 Halloween costume.
The Grammy winner shared her glitzy get-up via her official social media pages on Thursday (Oct. 20) — and she didn’t just settle for one Dreamgirls character. Spoofing one of the posters for the 2006 film adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, Coco Jones simultaneously posed as Effie White, Deena Jones and Lorell Robinson.
In addition to a picture-perfect recreation of the poster, the “Here We Go” singer also recorded her own cover of the musical’s titular track, complete with a video of her hitting all of the iconic moves from the movie scene where Deena sings lead for the first time. All dolled up in a baby blue, figure-hugging gown seemingly straight from the Dreamgirls set, Jones absolutely nailed her costume — down to the notorious Diana Ross-inspired neck-rolling choreography Beyoncé so memorably executed in the 2006 film.
The 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls featured a towering cast, including Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, Jamie Foxx, Loretta Devine, Eddie Murphy and Danny Glover, with Hudson taking home the Academy Award for best actress in a supporting role. The film brought the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name — which starred Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jennifer Holliday (who won the best actress Tony) — to the silver screen, adding several new songs and expanding select storylines. Earlier this year (Sept. 15), five-time Tony nominee Camille A. Brown confirmed that she will direct and choreograph a Dreamgirls Broadway revival, with performances slated to begin in fall 2026.
Jones’ Halloween costume isn’t just a callback to a classic piece of Black cinema; it’s also a nod to her resemblance to Hudson. During a 2023 visit to the Jennifer Hudson Show, Jones and Hudson shared a hearty laugh about how often fans mistake them for one another. “Honestly, at this point, I just play into it,” Jones joked before launching into an impromptu cover of Hudson’s standout Dreamgirls number, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.”
Halloween festivities are just the latest update in a busy year for Jones. This year alone, she shared her debut studio album (Why Not More?), launched a headlining tour in support of the record and got engaged to basketball star Donovan Mitchell. Most recently, the R&B star opened for select dates on Brandy and Monica’s The Boy Is Mine arena tour.
Check out Coco Jones’ glamorous Halloween costume here.
Source: Francois Nel / Getty
Fat Joe claims he got a whiff of depression right when he hit the age of 40.
During the newest installment of Jadakiss & Joey’s “Joe and Jada” podcast, they spoke about growing up in Hip-Hop. Crack kept it real about turning 40 and how that made him feel, “I’ve been rapping, I’ve been in the game since 10. So, when I’m about to turn 40, all I know is standing on couches and popping bottles. But that 40 hit you different, like, I was depressed.”
The NY rapper is currently 55 years old, but recalled the time turning 40 and felt like he was at the tail end of his career. Adding that some of his peers doubted that anyone had commercial success after the age of 40. One MC had to get Crack back on track, and that person was Dre (from Cool & Dre). Letting the newly 40-year-old know a fun fact, telling him, “Joe, you know Tina Turner ain’t have her first hit till she was 47?”
This made Fat Joe put things in perspective that he can “Lean Back” and still be dropping hits in his 40s.
Before this episode of the “Joe and Jada” podcast, they had a recent clip that went viral where Joey recalled his first time meeting Bruno Mars. From his point of view, he was excited to meet the pop star and asked him if he was Puerto Rican. Right when he did that, Mars snapped, “F*ck you mean I’m real Puerto Rican from Bushwick, Brooklyn don’t ever ask sh*t in your life.”
Crack said that it broke his heart and promised he wasn’t trying to press him.
Trending on Billboard For Demi Lovato‘s latest trick, the singer gave an extra special treat to her alter ego — Poot Lovato — in honor of Halloween. As unveiled Thursday (Oct. 30), the pop star went all out with hair, makeup and costuming to perfectly recreate an image that has haunted them for years: that […]
