Udio has agreed a new AI licensing deal with Merlin, giving independent rightsholders greater control. As part of its AI music licensing mission, Udio has formed another significant partnership. This time, with digital rights agency for independent labels and distributors, Merlin. The deal adds another major piece to Udio’s growing network of licensed partners, and secures fairer compensation for AI training for independent artists. This new agreement allows Merlin members to license their recordings for use in training Udio’s AI music models. Participation is strictly opt-in, meaning rights-holders decide whether their music is included. According to Billboard’s report, Udio has…