Udio's AI Music 'Styles' Feature Debuts March 31 for Pro Subscribers

AI music generation platform Udio introduced its new "Styles" feature on March 31, 2025, providing Pro subscribers with early access to a tool capable of generating original music from existing style references. This innovation allows users to bypass traditional text prompts, instead utilizing uploaded audio clips or existing Udio tracks to inform new compositions. As tweeted by Min Choi, the feature enables complex blends, such as combining "dark drum n bass + electronic + dubstep blended with UK rap + hip hop."

The "Styles" functionality represents a significant enhancement to Udio's capabilities, previously limited to Remix and Extend features for audio input. Users can now directly reference an audio source to create new songs, with Udio extracting a "style representation" that captures key stylistic elements. This method offers a richer informational input than text prompts, enabling the AI to more accurately reproduce hard-to-describe musical moods and vibes. Jordan Rudess, keyboardist for Dream Theater, praised the feature for its intuitive process and ability to inspire new musical ideas.

The rollout of "Styles" as an early access exclusive for Pro subscribers has generated mixed reactions within the user community. While some users lauded the feature's potential, others expressed frustration over its paywall, questioning the lack of access for standard-tier users. Udio representatives have characterized the Pro-exclusive launch as a "product discovery thing," aiming to gather insights from power users before a potential broader release.

Udio's continued innovation comes amidst ongoing legal challenges. The company, alongside rival AI platform Suno, faces copyright infringement lawsuits from major record labels, including Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Records. Udio maintains that its practices fall under the "fair use" exemption in US copyright law, asserting that the "Styles" feature specifically utilizes "uploads of content that users own or control" to protect artists and rights holders.

The introduction of "Styles" underscores Udio's commitment to advancing AI-driven music creation, following closely on the heels of other developments like the "Sessions" visual editing tool. As the legal landscape for AI-generated content evolves, features like "Styles" highlight the expanding possibilities for artists and creators to explore new sonic territories, pushing the boundaries of musical composition.