Key facts
- Spotify is developing an AI music product for fan-made covers and remixes.
- Merlin, representing over 30,000 independent labels, has partnered with Spotify on the AI music initiative.
- The product requires artists' consent, credit, and compensation for their work.
- A research preview will be released to a subset of users.
- The tool is intended to be a paid add-on for users.
Spotify is advancing its AI music project, which will enable users to create covers and remixes of artists' songs with their consent. The company announced that Merlin, a key licensing partner for independent labels and distributors, has joined Universal Music Group in this new AI music endeavor. This collaboration integrates over 30,000 labels from Merlin's network into the product, allowing for fan-created content based on participating artists' work.
Spotify's co-CEOs emphasized that the product is designed to feature "real artists, not fake artists," ensuring that artists provide consent, receive credit, and are compensated for their music being used in AI-generated covers and remixes. This approach aims to establish a legal framework for artists to benefit from the growing AI trend in interactive music.
The streaming service noted that a significant portion of daily track uploads on platforms like Deezer are now AI-generated, highlighting the evolving landscape of music creation. Spotify plans to release a research preview of its fan remix and covers product to a select group of users, without requiring a full music catalog to begin. The company intends for the tool to be a paid add-on, thereby creating an additional revenue stream for artists.