* "It has long been said that music is universal." This is the most common and elegant way to phrase the sentence.
* "People have long said that music is universal." This makes it clear that the statement is a common belief.
* "Music has long been considered universal." This emphasizes the idea of music as a unifying force.
All of these options convey the same meaning but have slightly different shades of emphasis and style. Choose the one that best fits the context of your writing.