Photo Credit: Constantin Wenning

Two AI music platforms, two very different strategies: As Suno adds features and eyes a developer API launch, Udio is fortifying its walled garden under a new deal with BuyDRM.

Austin-headquartered BuyDRM unveiled the partnership agreement in a formal release that largely flew under the radar until now. A subsidiary of French cloud computing giant OVHcloud, BuyDRM is specifically set to support Udio with its KeyOS MultiKey offering, per the announcement.

According to the appropriate webpage, this offering is designed to help clients “forge” a “digital fortress” with the assistance of “studio-approved and mandated” digital rights management.

On the “studio-approved” front, the likes of Roku, Twitch, Tubi, and Fubo are listed as BuyDRM clients on the KeyOS MultiKey page; in the music world, SoundCloud is also billed as a customer.

And while the service’s description is heavy on technical language, the availability of a “license release” tool, designed to enable “more flexibility to revoke licenses for downloaded content even if the already delivered license has not expired,” stands out.

In any event, time will reveal the MultiKey implementation particulars; the formal release only reiterated that Udio would utilize the service “to protect the streaming of AI-generated music and support the continued growth of its generative music platform.”

“Security, reliability, and scalability are essential as more people use Udio to create and experience music in entirely new ways,” added Udio co-founder and CEO Andrew Sanchez. “BuyDRM’s MultiKey Service provides the flexible and trusted protection we need to support our rapidly growing catalog of AI-generated music while maintaining a seamless experience for our users.”

These brass-tacks remarks aside, “digital fortress” seems right up Udio’s alley as it prepares to roll out a fresh subscription-based platform leveraging deals with the non-Sony majors, Merlin, the NMPA, and others.

That many are eager to see how the platform operates isn’t a secret – nor is the reality that Universal Music and Sony Music, the latter of which is still litigating against Udio, are big proponents of the walled garden.

To be sure, with Suno plowing full steam ahead in a decidedly different direction than Udio, walled-garden hang-ups reportedly caused its own Universal Music and Sony Music licensing talks to sputter out.

Will Udio’s overhauled service find its userbase footing? How will competition from the likes of Klay Vision and even Spotify (which is also prepping gen AI tools) affect its growth? And what happens to all the walled gardens if the non-Warner majors settle with Suno?

Admittedly, we’ve multiple questions and comparatively few answers, including when it comes to the industry’s overarching gen AI strategy, at present. But the launch of Udio’s latest iteration will provide worthwhile insights – as will Klay Vision’s long-awaited arrival.

At least according to the companies’ most recent updates, both the new Udio and Klay are expected to release sometime during the remainder of 2026.