New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

ROSALÍA feat. Björk & Yves Tumor, “Berghain” (Columbia Records)

Music for musicians and food for thinkers — that’s the best way to describe “Berghain”, the first single from Spanish superstar ROSALÍA’s upcoming album, LUX, featuring Björk and Yves Tumor. Laden with symbolism both in its lyrics and accompanying video, the piece — structured in operatic movements —surprises with Rosalía’s lyrical performance, gliding seamlessly between English, German, and her native Spanish. “Berghain,” possibly a nod to the exclusive Berlin nightclub, is steeped in a gothic mystique that frames its central theme: a woman tormented by a toxic relationship, portrayed most vividly in the video, where Rosalía embodies a Snow White straight out of the Brothers Grimm.

Surrounding her, the London Symphony Orchestra, appearing as she performs domestic chores like ironing, seem to personify the thoughts that haunt her, in a mise-en-scène rich with religious symbolism. In the end, Rosalía breaks free, transforming into a dove that takes flight. As a preview, the single leaves a lasting impression and builds anticipation for the full album, set to be released on November 7. Just watch it above. — LUISA CALLE

Maria Becerra & XROSS, “JOJO” (Warner Music Latina)

Through her latest release “JOJO,” co-produced and co-written with XROSS (real name: Xavier Rosero), Maria Becerra introduces her new alter ego. Sensuality, dominance, and fiery power embody Becerra’s new chapter that sonically, is a hard-hitting dancehall fused with R&B elements, and lyrically, it’s about a girl named Jojo, who has a magnetic force and has no competition. “She knows she’s a badass/ And that no one can match her/ She’s always like this/ Jojo wants dembow,” Becerra chants with confidence. “JOJO” marks the first single off of Becerra’s forthcoming studio album, QUIMERA, set for Nov. 20. — JESSICA ROIZ

GALE, Lo Que Puede Pasar (Sony Music Latin)

On her second studio album, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter GALE delivers a sharp, shimmering pop across 13 tracks that explore heartbreak, new beginnings, and the nostalgia of first times. The LP, which includes the previously released singles “Ciao!“, “Ysilandia” featuring ROBI, “Skittles,” and “Por Si Las Dudas” with LAGOS, also features collaborations with Danny Ocean on “Pa’ Qué Te Quedas” and Abraham Mateo on “No Quería Quererte” — both similar in rhythm (mid-tempo pop songs that explode into a powerful EDM beat) but with distinct vibes and messages.

The set opens with “Perspectiva,” a catchy track about beginning to fall for someone, and closes with “Domingo,” a moving reflection on the passage of time with a soothing vocal and guitar arrangements. The title track stands out for its infectious rhythm and lyrics about the excitement of “anything that can happen” on that first date with that special someone. Beautifully produced from beginning to end, Lo Que Puede Pasar showcases an evolution in the sound of GALE, one of the most sought-after songwriters in Latin music, whose credits include hits for superstars like Shakira, Christina Aguilera, and Juanes. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Banda El Recodo, “Solo Tú” (FONO/El Recodo Enterprises)

One of Camilo Sesto’s greatest classics is given new life in the Sinaloan banda style with this new cover by Banda El Recodo. The trumpets lend a romantic, even sensual touch to this anthem of desperate love, complemented by the vocals of Ricardo Yocupicio and Geovanni Mondragón and the rest of the instrumentation, which includes the essential tuba, clarinets, and horns. Originally released in 1976, “Solo Tú” speaks of a love for which one gives and sacrifices everything. The song is the first single from the upcoming album by “the mother of all bands,” and its video features the band members in black and white tuxedos, giving this work the elegance it deserves. — TERE AGUILERA

Majo Aguilar, “Chilo” (Universal Music México)

In her latest single, the young star of the Aguilar dynasty shows how to transform the pain of a breakup into a feeling of freedom and peace. She does so with great style, to the rhythm of a classic ranchera, but adding sierreño guitars for a contemporary touch. This empowering anthem, which emboldens and motivates her to move forward with dignity after a heartbreak, borrows a popular colloquial expression from the northern Mexican states of Sonora and Sinaloa, where people often use the word “chilo” to refer to something “nice,” “amazing,” or “great.”

“Chilo, I’m doing great/ Don’t worry, I won’t seek your affection anymore/ Chilo, I’m here at 100%/ I wish you the good and the bad you did to me,” goes the chorus, which highlights Aguilar’s melodic and powerful voice. The track is accompanied by a music video directed by QUIÉN, which features Majo on a recording set, with a vibrant orange desert and skies filled with lightning, creating a dramatic and powerful tone.  — NATALIA CANO

Check out more Latin recommendations this week below:


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Megan Thee Stallion and Jennifer Hudson said they often get mistaken for each other, and that once Hudson’s security even tried to protect the Texas rapper instead of her.

Meg stopped by The Jennifer Hudson Show for the episode airing Friday (Oct. 31) to talk about her new single, “Lover Girl,” and at one point revealed she’s often mistaken for the talk-show host. It turns out, Hudson could also relate, and admitted Meg’s fans sometimes mistake her for the rapper too.

“Remember that time we was in Italy for the Dolce thing?” Meg asked. “Jennifer’s security kept snatchin’ me up! They was like, ‘C’mon, we gotta move, we gotta move.’ I’m like, ‘I’m not with you! It’s not me, I’m not her, I promise! But I’ll go with you if you really want me to.’ Your security kept snatchin’ me up, and I was like, ‘Where is my security?’ … Jennifer’s security wanted me to be her real bad that day.”

Hudson replied, “It’s really bizarre cause we were at the Super Bowl. I was leaving the event, guys, and they was like, ‘Megan!’ I was like, ‘Are you serious?’”

Hudson clarified that she’s flattered to be mistaken for the Houston rapper.

Meg’s appearance comes after Queen Latifah stopped by the talk show to praise the rapper earlier this week, calling her the future of hip-hop.

“She’s so cool, she’s so fun, she’s so very talented and strong in her spot,” she told her The Secret Life of Bees co-star about Meg. “I love that energy carrying hip-hop into the future, of course.”

Check out a clip of Meg’s interview with Jennifer Hudson below.

Cardi B hopped on Spaces early Friday morning (Oct. 31) to address the “hate coming from different angles” in her life.

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The Bronx native rehashed the “dark energy” she was feeling being sent her way throughout the pregnancy, and while she’s been laying relatively low and says she’s “at peace,” Cardi had some words for the haters on Halloween.

“Remember when I said at the meet-and-greet that I felt like a lot of dark energy and weird things coming on my pregnancy,” she recalled. “I felt a lot of hate coming. I felt like there was a lot of hate coming from different angles, and today, I see that I’m still proving that.”

Cardi continued: “And there’s hate that was coming from bloggers. There’s hate that was coming from women that my baby dad dealt [with] in the past. There was hate that’s coming from f–king enemies that I have, rappers wishing all type of f–king STDs on me while I’m pregnant, and clearly partners that I dealt with.”

The “partners” she’s referencing could possibly be tied to her ex Offset, who appeared to blast Cardi and her boyfriend, Stefon Diggs, on his Haunted by Fame project, which arrived on Halloween.

“How the f—k you leave Jordan for Rodman/ You a fool if you think that I’m hurt/ You ain’t happy, I know how it work/ How you married and still giving birth/ Get some help, b—h, you going berserk,” he raps on the Coupe-produced “No Sweat.”

While Cardi kept Friday’s response more general and didn’t address Offset by name, she had a message for those praying on her downfall. Cardi believes she’ll be the one having the last laugh, as she’s convinced God typically punishes those who hate on her.

“However, one thing I notice, I swear to God, and it’s so real … anybody that messes with me while I’m at my most vulnerable — and my most vulnerable is always when I’m pregnant — God always punishes them,” she shared. “Two three years might pass … and God goes and punish them the worst way.”

Cardi B’s heading into the final months of pregnancy before giving birth to baby No. 4, which will be her first child with her NFL player boyfriend. She’ll then hit the road for the Little Miss Drama Tour in February.


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Fugees rapper Pras Michel must pay a whopping $64 million to the government following his conviction on illegal foreign lobbying and conspiracy charges, a federal judge ruled Thursday (Oct. 30).

The rapper’s lawyers had called such a massive order “grossly disproportionate” to his 2023 conviction, in which Michel was found guilty on accusations that he orchestrated a “foreign influence campaign” to get the U.S. to drop an investigation into fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low.

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But in the ruling on Thursday, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said that Michel had “obtained proceeds in the amount of at least $64,923,226 from his offenses,” which included conspiracy, witness tampering and failing to register as an agent of China. The judge’s written opinion explaining her rationale was not made publicly available.

Michel faces sentencing on those same convictions next month, when he could receive a decades-long prison sentence. His attorneys have called for a far lighter sentence of only 36 months. A spokeswoman for Michel did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday.

Composed of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Michel, the Fugees rose to fame in the 1990s with hits like “Killing Me Softly,” “Ready or Not” and “Fu-Gee-La.” After splitting up in 1998, the three each had successful solo careers and mostly stayed separate until recent years, when they’ve attempted multiple reunion tours.

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In 2019, Michel was hit with sweeping federal criminal charges over accusations that he funneled money from Low, the mastermind of the billion-dollar 1MDB embezzlement scheme, to a lobbying campaign aimed at getting the first Trump administration to drop its investigation into the disgraced financier. He was also accused of secretly funneling Low’s money to Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign, and of later trying to influence an extradition case on behalf of China.

In April 2023, following a trial that included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Michel was convicted on 10 counts, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government.

Thursday’s forfeiture order was delayed by several months after Pras announced in August that he’d had emergency surgery for colon cancer removal. The August hearing was eventually rescheduled for last week, setting the stage for Thursday’s decision.

Following his sentencing next month, Michel will likely appeal both his sentence and the underlying convictions to a higher court.

Udio now says it will briefly allow subscribers to download their existing songs following widespread backlash to drastic changes made to the platform following the AI firm’s licensing settlement with Universal Music Group (UMG).

The move comes in response to growing outrage — and even threats of legal action — from users after Udio struck the UMG deal, under which the AI company immediately barred its paying subscribers from downloading their own songs, even those they had created long before the UMG deal.

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In the statement posted late Thursday (Oct. 30) to Reddit, Udio said it would provide a 48-hour window starting Monday (Nov. 3) for all users to download their existing songs. Any songs downloaded during that time will be covered by the prior terms of service that existed before the UMG settlement.

“Not going to mince words: we hate the fact we cannot offer downloads right now,” Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez wrote in that post. “We know the pain it causes to you, and we are sorry that we have had to do so.”

In the Reddit post, Sanchez also tried to explain the reasons for the original change, saying that Udio is a “small company operating in an incredibly complex and evolving space” that had chosen to partner directly with artists and songwriters. “In order to facilitate that partnership, we had to disable downloads,” he said.

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If the download ban is a requirement of the legal settlement with UMG, how can Udio now reverse course and allow users to download their songs? Sanchez said Udio had “worked with our partners to help make this possible.” A spokesman for UMG did not return a request for comment.

Any existing songs that are downloaded during next week’s window will be owned by the users who made them. Under Udio’s terms of service, the company grants all users of the platform — paid subscribers or free users — any ownership rights to their songs, including express permission to use them for commercial purposes. The company does require users of the company’s free tier to include attribution that the song was made with Udio.

The deal between UMG and Udio, announced Wednesday (Oct. 29), will end UMG’s allegations that Udio broke the law by training its AI models on vast troves of copyrighted songs. Under the agreement, Udio will pay a “compensatory” settlement, and the two will partner on a new subscription AI service that pays fees to UMG and its artists, and allows artists to opt in to different aspects of the new service.

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The revamped Udio will be quite a bit different from the current service — a “walled garden” where fans can stream their creations but cannot take them elsewhere. While the new version won’t launch until next year, the firm immediately disabled all downloading on Wednesday, a move that drew predictable backlash from its users, particularly on the company’s Reddit sub.

 “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.’”

Some Udio subscribers even floated the idea of legal action: “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.”

The window for downloads will kick off on Monday, but it’s unclear exactly when. Udio said in the post that it would “provide the exact starting time and end time” on Friday (Oct. 31), but had yet to do so by Friday afternoon. An Udio spokesperson did not offer more details when reached by Billboard for comment.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

All-inclusive resorts in Cancun have undergone a steady evolution over the years. Once popularized for its convenience and value, hotels are now pivoting to more structured and elevated experiences with a variety of amenities and entertainment designed to captivate all types of travelers. A case in point for Hilton Cancun, an all-inclusive beach front resort.

Surrounded by lush mangroves and set on 100 acres of unspoiled Mayan coastline, this Hilton resort offers a seamless connection to nature, culture and relaxation. The hotel delivers 13 dining options, on-site spa treatments, an amphitheater with live music events, country club access and plenty of sports activities.

For an ultimate Cancun retreat, here’s everything you need to know about eating, drinking and dancing your way through Hilton’s tropical resort.

Rooms With A Luxe View

At Hilton you can focus on maximizing your time with a mix of relaxation and activities without leaving the resort. Its Cancun location feels like a private retreat as it’s nestled away from other resorts in the main hotel zone, but still pretty close to the airport (9 minutes to be exact) as well as the main town area in case you want to go exploring.

Drawing inspiration from local artisans and the surrounding coastline, Hilton Cancun, an all-inclusive resort offers a wide range of rooms and suites (715 in total) with either an ocean view or a mangrove view. Some rooms offer swim-up patios while others include panoramic sea views for a private sanctuary feeling.

A Food Lover’s Beach Paradise

If you’re a foodie, prepare to eat well on this vacation. Hilton Cancun offers up 13 delicious gastronomic experiences to eat at during your stay. Each restaurant and bar offers a wide variety of cuisines to satisfy the food craving you’re looking for. From La Luce, a beachfront restaurant serving up steamy pies from its central wood-fired pizza oven, to Maxal, a Mexican restaurant dishing out traditional cuisine and a rotating selection of tacos from its walk up window. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure to stop by La Churrería, an all-you-can-eat ice cream & churro shop, for delicious desserts.

For a truly special dining experience, guests can upgrade to a private dinner at Hilton’s “Dinner Under the Moonlight” experience, which features a five-course menu by the beach. After, wash all that food down with unlimited cocktails and drinks at the resort’s Azulinda Lobby Bar, a lounge offering regional and imported beer, wine, and daily cocktails.

Dance the Night Away

Hilton Cancun includes all the on-site amenities you’d expect from a resort, like fitness facilities, multiple pools for both adults and kids, beach access, as well as an amphitheater filled with live music, performances and themed events like glow parties, live DJ sets and even a recent Halloween concert.

For kids, the resort features a kids and teen zone for the little ones to enjoy their own exclusive safe space with plenty of activities to keep them occupied, including sports tournaments, video games, beach games, volleyball, and water sports.

If you’re into sports, teeing off at the Cancun Country Club’s El Tinto golf course is a must. Guests have access to play one of Latin America’s premier golf courses, which is just 9 minutes from the resort. The country club also has tennis and paddle courts for friendly matches or competitive play, as well as semi-Olympic and recreational pools for both exercise and relaxation.

Relax and Unwind

If you truly want to slow things down and unwind, just steps from Hilton Cancun is the award-winning Waldorf Astoria Spa Riviera Maya, where ancient Mayan rituals meet cutting-edge therapies in a lush jungle sanctuary. Guests can choose from over 20 indoor and outdoor treatment spaces designed for deep restoration. Using fresh garden herbs, locally sourced oils and healing crystals, align your body and soul with a 60-minute hydrotherapy circuit, a 50-minute relaxing massage or a 60-minute rejuvenating facial. Guests can book appointments right at the hotel or online.

Happy Halloween, Arianators. Ryan Murphy has announced the main cast of the upcoming 13th season of American Horror Story, which will feature Ariana Grande making her debut on the show alongside series regulars such as Evan Peters and Emma Roberts.

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The news was revealed Friday (Oct. 31), with the Glee creator’s production company sharing a video on Instagram unveiling the stars on next season’s billing set to Vera Lynn’s cover of “I’ll Be Seeing You.” The Wicked leading lady’s name was revealed fifth in the lineup, following Peters, Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates — each of whom are beloved members of the AHS universe.

Also returning to the show is Jessica Lange, who hasn’t participated in a season since 2018. Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe and Leslie Grossman will also share the screen for season 13.

AHS isn’t the first Murphy project Grande will have starred in, with the Grammy winner playing Sonya Herfmann — aka “Chanel No. 2” — on Scream Queens in 2015. The next season of AHS will be a Scream Queens reunion of sorts, as both Roberts and Lourd costarred with Grande in the latter project.

The Victorious alum has also previously worked with Peters, who played her love interest in the music video for Billboard Hot 100-topper “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).”

Grande has been actively filling up her resume with more acting projects since starring in Wicked, for which she earned an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. In July, it was announced that she will voice a character in Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

On the same day the AHS casting news dropped, Grande also wrapped filming on Focker in-Law, the next installment of the Meet the Parents franchise premiering in 2026. On Instagram, the vocalist celebrated the conclusion of the project by sharing photos of herself on set with her castmates and writing, “these past few months have been so, so unimaginably special. i love my Fockers, and i love my Byrnes… so, so very much. i will miss this bunch terribly.”

See the AHS season 13 casting announcement below.


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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

It’s USA vs. Canada for the 2025 World Series and so far this matchup hasn’t disappointed. After an intense game 3, which went 18-innings and ended with a walk-off home run by 2024 World Series MVP Freddie Freeman, the Toronto Blue Jays have gone on a 2-game win streak leading the series 3-2. The Los Angeles Dodgers look to keep their World Series hopes alive in a must-see game 6 on Halloween, Oct. 31. The big game is set to air live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. If you don’t have cable, we created a guide for fans to stream the game live online with services like DirecTV.

Will Shohei Ohtani continue his MLB dominance and bring home another Commissioner’s Trophy, or will the Blue Jays pull off a major upset at home? To make sure you don’t miss any of the baseball action, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the World Series matchup, including how to watch online for free, breaking down the full schedule and securing last-minute tickets to the big game.

Keep reading for how to watch details and more.

2025 World Series, at a Glance:

  • Date: Friday, Oct. 24 – Saturday, Nov. 1 (if necessary)
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV channels: Fox
  • Streaming: DirecTV

How to Watch & Stream the 2025 World Series Online

Because the World Series is airing on Fox, there are multiple ways to watch and stream the championship live and on-demand – and for free in most cases. If you don’t have access to cable, streaming is the best choice. Fans can stream the World Series on DirecTV, Sling TV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV.

DirecTV

Join DirecTV with a five-day free trial to enjoy your favorite sports and other entertainment. The streaming service’s signature packages feature more than 90 channels: ABC, TNT, ESPN, NBA TV, ESPN2, FS1, SEC, MLB Network, TLC, CBS, USA, Bravo, E!, BET, MTV and more.

A subscription to DirecTV — which comes with NBC and ESPN for NBA games — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $49.99 for the first month of service ($89.99 per month afterwards). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.

Fubo

FuboTV offers a seven-day free trial when you sign up for one of its plans. You’ll gain access to more than 200 live TV channels — including NBC — so you can watch the Sabrina Carpenter SNL episode for free. After your free trial is over you’ll be charged the subscription price based on the plan you choose or you can cancel at anytime.

Sling TV

Sling TV offers the Blue package, which comes with NBC. Blue is one of the most affordable options and comes with more than 40 channels and can be streamed on up to three device at a time. Please note: Pricing and channel availability varies from market-to-market.

Sling TV is another streaming option for sports fans on a budget. With Sling Orange + Blue package, you can stream ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT and other channels for starting at $33 for the first month ($65.99 per month afterwards).

You’ll also get more than 45 other networks, including Disney Channel, ESPN2, NBC, Fox, TBS, Bravo, Discovery Channel, Fox News, MSNBC, National Geographic, USA Network, Fox Sports and more. Please note that channel availability and price depends on your local TV market. Learn more about Sling TV here.

Hulu + Live TV

For the most content offerings, you can sign up for Hulu + Live TV and get access to the Hulu library in addition to more then 95 live TV channels (including NBC). The streaming platform starts at $64.99 per month for the first three months of service ($82.99 per month afterwards).

And, for even more programming, Hulu + Live TV now comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which gives you everything within the Hulu library, in addition to exclusive content on ESPN for even more sports coverage.

Where to Buy Last-Minute Tickets to the 2025 World Series

There’s no shame in watching the World Series from home, but nothing compares to seeing the action in person. If you want root on the Dodgers or the Blue Jays at either stadium near you, fans can still shop last-minute World Series tickets on resell sites like StubHub, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek.

With Seat Geek, fans can also save a few bucks by using code BILLBOARD10, which will save you an additional $10 at checkout.

World Series 2025 Schedule

To make sure you don’t miss any of the action, here’s full schedule for 2025 Word Series below.

  • Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24, 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25, 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27, 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 29, 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 31, 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 1, 8 p.m. ET

On Wednesday night (Oct. 29), Universal Music Group (UMG) and AI music company Udio announced they had reached a strategic agreement. Importantly, this agreement not only settled UMG’s involvement in the massive copyright infringement litigation the major labels brought against Udio and another AI music company, Suno, last summer, but also paved the way for the two companies to “collaborate on an innovative, new commercial music creation, consumption and streaming experience,” according to the announcement.

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The newly revamped version of Udio is set to debut in 2026, and it will feature fully-licensed UMG sound recordings and publishing assets that are totally controlled by UMG — but only those from artists that choose to participate.

Here, Billboard looks at the deal more deeply and answers some questions that have arisen in the wake of the first-of-its-kind agreement.

Why did UMG and Udio decide to come together and settle this week?

It’s hard to know exactly what happened behind closed doors, but reports that the major music companies had been in talks to settle with Udio — and Suno, which was also sued in a nearly identical lawsuit by the majors — have been circulating since this summer, making it relatively unsurprising to hear that at least one deal has been finalized.

One clue as to why there was incentive to settle here comes from a recent Barclays Research report on the majors’ lawsuits against the AI music firms, which stated that it could be “prohibitively expensive to lose” for Udio, much more than Suno, given the two firms had raised $10 million and $125 million, respectively, at the time the report was published on Tuesday (Oct. 28). Even a tough settlement, the report states, “would likely only mean the disappearance of Udio.”

The timing of the press release about the UMG-Udio deal also arrived the night before UMG’s Q3 earnings call, which took place yesterday (Oct. 30). The company has a history of announcing big news just before earnings calls in general, including one instance when UMG reached an agreement with TikTok the night before earnings in 2024 after a three-month standoff.

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What exactly will this 2026 version of Udio entail?

The new version of Udio will feature a number of tools to allow users to remix, mash up and riff on the songs of participating UMG artists. Users will also be able to create songs in the style of participating artists and use some artists’ voices on songs.

According to Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez, who spoke to Billboard just after the deal was announced, “[Udio is] going to involve all kinds of AI models, like a base model… The best way to explain it, [is it] will have sort of like flavors of the model that will be specific to particular styles or artists or genres. And this, again, provides an enormous amount of control.”

How can UMG artists and songwriters participate, and can they get paid for that?

Yes, UMG artists and songwriters will be remunerated for participating in Udio. According to a source close to the deal, this will include financial rewards for both the training process of the AI model and for its outputs. The details of exactly how that payment will work beyond this are unclear. Sanchez declined to answer a question about whether the model uses attribution (tracing back which songs in a training dataset influenced the outputs of a model) or digital proxies (a selected benchmark, like streaming performance, used to determine the popularity of songs in a dataset against others overall) as a way to determine payment — two of the most often proposed methods of AI licensing remuneration.

This answer is also made more complicated when considering the breadth of AI tools Udio plans to offer on its service. Importantly, artists can pick and choose exactly which Udio tools they “opt-in” to: “We’re going to launch with a set of features that has a spectrum of freedom that the artist can control,” Sanchez said. “There are some features that will be available to users that will be more restrictive in what they can do with their artists or their songs. And then there will be others that are more permissive. The whole point of it is not only education but just meeting artists at the levels they’re comfortable with.”

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Who is the target audience for the newly revamped Udio?

According to Sanchez, it’s fans: “We want to build a community of superfans around creation. As we say internally, it’s connection through creation — whether that’s with artists or that connection with other music fans. We want to lean into that. I think it’s going to be a huge asset for artists and fandoms.”

Are Sony and Warner still pursuing their lawsuits against Udio?

Yes, for now. UMG’s settlement and deal with Udio does not impact Sony Music and Warner Music Group’s lawsuit against Udio for widespread copyright infringement. While some industry onlookers posit that Sony and Warner are more encouraged to settle now that UMG is no longer pursuing litigation against Udio, there’s no indication that these companies are definitely planning to do so yet.

Why are some Udio users upset about this deal?

By doing this deal with UMG, Udio has agreed to a major pivot in its offering to users. Currently, the site is known for helping users make songs from simple text prompts, which they can then export and upload to streaming services, share on social media — or whatever they want to do.

Users are particularly upset because, as part of this deal with UMG, Udio immediately removed its users’ ability to download their work from the service. Angry subscribers gathered on a subreddit to complain. “This feels lie an absolute betrayal,” wrote one 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.’”

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In a statement to Billboard on Thursday (Oct. 30), an Udio spokesperson said that disabling exports on the platform is “a difficult but necessary step to support the next phase of the platform and the new experiences ahead.” On Friday (Oct. 31), Udio relented slightly, writing on Reddit that starting Monday (Nov. 3), the platform will give users a 48-hour window to download their existing songs — and that any songs downloaded during that time will be covered by the terms of service that existed before the UMG deal was signed.

The move to restrict downloads in the long term may prove to be more than just an inconvenience for users — Udio could also be hit with legal claims over it. There could be arguments made that disabling downloads was a breach of the subscription contract that Udio signed with users, or that Udio falsely advertised its services in violation of consumer protection laws. It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened in recent memory: Just last year, Amazon Prime users brought claims like this over changes to the cost of ad-free movie and TV streaming for subscribers.

Riley Green and featured artist Ella Langley enter the top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart dated Nov. 8 with “Don’t Mind If I Do.” The collaboration climbs 12-10, up 20% to 17.8 million in audience Oct. 24-30, according to Luminate. It’s Green’s seventh visit to the tier and Langley’s third — and their second as a tandem, after Langley’s “You Look Like You Love Me,” featuring Green, led for one week last December.

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Langley and Green make for the first pair of soloists with multiple shared Country Airplay top 10s in five years: In 2020, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani teamed up for two No. 1s: “Nobody But You” that May, and “Happy Anywhere” that December.

Elsewhere, Langley’s current solo chart entry, “Choosin’ Texas,” bounds 59-41 (2.5 million, up 203%).

Megan 2.0

Megan Moroney continues her career ascent with two tracks due on her upcoming third studio album. Ballad “Beautiful Things,” released Oct. 24, debuts at No. 37 on Country Airplay (3.7 million), marking her highest entrance on her own; overall, she has started at a No. 23 best with “You Had to Be There” with Kenny Chesney in May.

Plus, Moroney’s fellow current single, “6 Months Later,” rises 14-12 on Country Airplay (15.9 million, up 20%).

Shaboozey ‘News’

Also notably, Shaboozey’s “Good News” departs Country Airplay following a standout stretch, including two weeks at No. 1 in September. He has logged 49 total weeks in the top 10, the fourth-most of any artist since his crossover breakout, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” reached the region and became a juggernaut — it holds the all-time record for the most weeks in the top 10 (33), seven of those at No. 1.

Additionally, the singer-songwriter’s latest single, “Amen” with Jelly Roll, surges 37-29 on Country Airplay (5.3 million, up 55%). For an artist who entered as an outlier, Shaboozey has quickly become a fixture.


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