"When you make a song, it should be yours." That is the sentence ElevenLabs opens the note on its new model with. Then comes the caveat.
A song built on someone else's, you can't download.
Fact
The facts: on 11 September 2026 ElevenLabs released Music v2.5 as the default model for prompted and reference generation in ElevenMusic. Per the company, in a blind test with the same prompt and two takes, one from each model, across 47,885 pairs, v2.5 was preferred the majority of the time, with the gap widest in vocal-led and acoustic-heavy genres such as R&B, soul, hip hop, rock, metal, orchestral and cinematic music. Music v2 remains available. Every track made in ElevenMusic belongs to its creator on every plan: Free gives 5 lossless downloads a day and commercial use with credit to ElevenMusic, Pro gives 400 a month. The permissions that apply at creation stay with the track even after cancelling or downgrading, and future changes to the terms will apply only to new tracks. Downloads are blocked for tracks that reference other artists' songs. Music v2.5 is also available in ElevenCreative and the API. The company notes that its deal with Universal Music Group is separate from Music v2.5.
The good part
The rights travel with the song. Make it on the free plan and stop later, and the terms don't change behind your back. If the rules change tomorrow, they change for new songs; the old ones stay as they were. It should be normal. Fine print rarely says it this clearly.
The song keeps the terms it was made under.
And the caveat
The block on songs built on others is reasonable and a familiar line. The question is how the machine decides what counts as someone else's, and the page doesn't explain. If you are making a cover for a client or a variation on a well-known melody, find out before you promise a deadline, not after.
Five downloads a day for free, with commercial use in exchange for their name in the credits. For a small studio making a jingle for a local client, that is a real tool, and the price is written plainly.
Official primary sources
ElevenLabs - Introducing Music v2.5, our best music model yet, 11.09.2026The visual is generated code-art, no third-party images.