ElevenMusic v2.5: prompts, Audio Reference, editing, downloads and ownership in September 2026
ElevenLabs released Music v2.5 on September 11, 2026 and says it is now the default for prompted and reference generation in ElevenMusic. The platform combines text prompting with Audio Reference and post-generation editing, but reference-based downloads have an important restriction.
Use text prompts when you want a clean original brief; use Audio Reference when you own or can legitimately use the source and want to guide sound/mood/instrumentation. Check download eligibility before building a workflow around artist-referenced material.
What v2.5 adds to the current workflow
ElevenLabs describes v2.5 as improving instrument realism, layering and overall cohesion. Its documentation says Music v2/v2.5 support prompted generation, composition plans, Audio Reference and inpainting/editing workflows.
Audio Reference is guidance, not a generic remix button
ElevenLabs says Audio Reference accepts a short uploaded track of about 30 seconds to guide sound, mood, instrumentation and production. It also says every upload is screened for copyright compliance and that the feature is not simply a genre-transfer/remix tool.
Duration and export
Current documentation lists generated music from 3 seconds up to 5 minutes. The docs describe MP3 and WAV availability, while ElevenLabs’ September 11 announcement adds lossless download quotas: five per day on Free and 400 per month on Pro.
Ownership and the artist-reference restriction
ElevenLabs’ v2.5 announcement says users own what they make in ElevenMusic on every plan, including Free. The same announcement says downloads are blocked on tracks that reference other artists’ songs. That makes reference choice part of your export strategy, not just a creative choice.
ElevenMusic v2.5 combines prompts, short Audio Reference and editing. The platform says users own creations on every plan, but tracks referencing other artists’ songs can be blocked from download.