Universal Music Group (UMG) and Hook announced a landmark licensing partnership on August 19, 2026, designed to expand licensed fan creativity across social media platforms. The collaboration aims to create new revenue streams for artists and rightsholders by formalizing social music engagement through user-generated content (UGC).
At the core of this initiative is Hook, an AI-powered music remixing and mashup application equipped with video editing tools. This platform enables fans to personalize licensed songs with features such as remixes, sound effects, and video clipping, tailored for social sharing. Distinct from generative AI platforms, Hook does not create new tracks; instead, it facilitates fan creativity using existing, officially licensed music. This approach ensures that every fan creation is properly licensed, attributed, and tracked, providing a structured framework for UGC.
A central tenet of the agreement is artist control. UMG artists and rightsholders will have the authority to determine which of their songs are made available for fan creation. They will also dictate the specific creative experiences fans can utilize and the platforms where the resulting content can be shared. Michael Nash, UMG’s EVP & Chief Digital Officer, stated that licensed fan creativity represents an important phase in the music industry’s evolution, combining artist control with innovative technology to open new avenues for value creation.
This partnership follows a two-year collaboration between UMG and Hook, during which they developed the model through over 30 UMG artist campaigns involving labels such as Republic Records, Capitol Records, Mavin, and Virgin Music Group. Gaurav Sharma, Hook’s founder and CEO, highlighted that the primary consumer use case for music creation is self-expression through beloved artists and songs, fostering community and culture, rather than competing with original artists. The announcement also comes after Hook secured $10 million in Series A funding in February 2026, with Khosla Ventures leading the round.
The agreement signifies a notable shift within the music industry, indicating a move towards treating fan-made content as a licensable, controllable, and monetizable product category, rather than merely tolerated.