Author HubMaximilian Schreiner
Udio, an AI music startup, recently reached a settlement with Universal Music Group. While the agreement ends an ongoing copyright lawsuit, it also brought sweeping new restrictions that have angered many users. Songs generated with Udio can no longer be downloaded, streamed, or used in personal projects.
On platforms like Reddit and Discord, frustrated users have voiced their anger and announced plans to leave Udio altogether. During an online meeting, Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez offered free credits as compensation but stopped short of promising any policy changes. Looking ahead, Udio and Universal plan to launch a paid music service next year that will feature fully licensed material.
OpenAI has rolled out new features for its Sora video generator. Users can now add custom characters - like pets, drawings, or fantasy figures - as “cameos” in their videos and give them names. These characters can be saved, reused in new projects, and optionally shared with others.
Introducing character cameos, now available in the Sora app. pic.twitter.com/k1R4FdCRPV
- OpenAI (@OpenAI) October 29, 2025
To mark the launch, Sora includes a Halloween pack featuring five preset characters: Dracula, Frankenstein, a ghost, a witch, and a pumpkin head. Another upgrade, lets users connect multiple clips to create longer, continuous stories. A new leaderboard in the search section also highlights the most used and edited cameos across the platform.
Google introduces Pomelli, an AI tool that builds full social media campaigns for small and midsize businesses. It scans a company’s website to create a brand profile that includes tone, colors, images, and fonts, then suggests campaign ideas based on that profile. The generated content can be edited directly in the interface and downloaded for use. According to Google, the goal is to reduce the time and cost of producing marketing materials.
Pomelli is launching as a public beta in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Users in these regions can try it through Google Labs.
Microsoft is introducing new Copilot features for Microsoft 365 that let users create small apps and automate routine tasks with text commands. App Builder lets employees set up basic tools like tables or project dashboards that use data from Word, Excel, or SharePoint. Workflows can handle repetitive chores such as sending emails or posting updates in Teams. Both features are managed through the Microsoft 365 admin console with standard access controls.
Video: Microsoft
Microsoft says the new tools follow its existing security and compliance rules. Workflows is available now for Frontier Program participants, and App Builder will be added later.