‘There’s a lot of rogue attempts at this’: Amid AI music remixing plans, Spotify chief says he wants the company to be ’the one that’s legal’ and ’the one that’s controlled’
Spotify has announced a licensing agreement with Universal Music Group that will allow the streaming platform’s subscribers to create AI-generated covers and remixes of songs from participating artists. Under the partnership, artists and songwriters whose work is used will receive compensation for these AI creations.
The feature will be offered as a paid add-on service, creating what Spotify describes as an additional revenue stream for creators. The move comes as the music industry grapples with the proliferation of unauthorized AI music generation tools.
Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström framed the initiative as the company’s effort to establish itself as the responsible player in AI music creation. He noted that “there’s a lot of rogue attempts at this,” referring to unlicensed AI music tools currently circulating online. By positioning itself as both legal and controlled, Spotify aims to differentiate its AI music offering from the unregulated alternatives that may not properly compensate artists.