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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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 chart fills me with gratitude,” Figueroa tells Billboard. “Salsa has been an important part of my journey, a way to connect with my people and my roots. Every step I take reminds me why I love what I do and how much I owe to the people who feel my music.”

“Como Se Compara” rises with 6.7 million audience impressions in the United States during the tracking week ending Oct. 23, according to Luminate, a 17% increase compared to the previous week.

The track earns Figueroa his third Tropical Airplay No. 1 out of 14 chart entries since his debut in 2021. His previous chart-toppers are “Bandido,” which spent two weeks at No. 1 in October 2023, and debut entry “Hasta el Sol de Hoy,” a one-week leader in July 2021.

“Thank you to Puerto Rico, my home, for always inspiring me,” Figueroa adds. “Thank you for letting my music accompany you, because nothing compares to that love.”

With the third single from his EP Gris, Figueroa also earns his best rank on the overall Latin Airplay chart, where the song flies 9-2. It also ascends to a new No. 9 high on the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Tropical Songs chart.

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.

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.

In addition to being likely to receive nominations on Friday Nov. 7, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Brandi Carlile, Doechii and more are set to announce the nominations on a livestream that begins at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET.

Carpenter, who won two Grammys on the telecast in February, could be nominated for record and song of the year for “Manchild” and album of the year for Man’s Best Friend. Roan, who won best new artist earlier this year, could be up for record and song of the year for “The Subway.” Doechii, the winner of the 2025 award for best rap album, could be up for record and song of the year for “Anxiety.”

Carlile, who has won 11 Grammys,  has a good shot at a nomination for best traditional pop vocal album nod for Who Believes in Angels?, her collab with Elton John. Scherzinger, who won a Tony for best actress for Sunset Blvd. in June, is a good bet for a nomination for best musical theater album.

Others who are announcing categories on the livestream include Angelique Kidjo, CeCe Winans, David Foster, Jon Batiste, Karol G, Little Big Town, Lizzo, Masaki Koike, Mumford and Sons, Sam Smith, Gayle King, Dr. Chelsey Green and Gayle King. Dr. Green is the chair of the Recording Academy’s board of trustees. King is a cohost of CBS Mornings. The Grammy telecast will air on CBS for the final time on Feb. 1. It will move to ABC and Disney starting with the 2027 telecast.

The livestream will air on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel, with a nominations wrap-up show airing immediately after the nominations are announced.