Spotify adding derivative AI fan covers and remixes for an extra fee

Spotify has announced a partnership with record label Universal to enable fans to generate AI-powered covers and remixes of their favourite tracks via the music streaming service. The forthcoming paid add-on for Spotify Premium subscribers will require the opt-in consent of artists who will then be compensated when their music is tampered with by listeners.

It’s not exactly clear what these “fan-made covers” will entail. Whether users will be able to ask for a song in the style of another artist, or whether they’ll be able to add their own voice to a song. The remixes part is pretty self explanatory. Spotify isn’t explaining the specifics, just that the deal itself has been agreed with Universal Music Group.

The new initiative “introduces a creation model where artists and songwriters can directly share in the value generated through AI-driven licensed covers and remixes on the Spotify platform,” the company says in a blog post. “It will create an additional source of income for artists and songwriters, on top of what they already earn on Spotify.”

It’s hard to imagine a lot of artists being enthusiastic about this. The media release, tellingly, doesn’t offer an endorsement from a single one. However, many songwriters may feel the need to opt-in to help make ends meet. Perhaps if Spotify paid artists a good rate in the first place, they wouldn’t feel the need to allow their life’s work to be torn to shreds by an LLM? The statement from Spotify’s co-CEO Alex Norstrom feels like pure gaslighting.

The company writes: “Solving hard problems for music is what Spotify does, and fan-made covers and remixes are next. What we’re building is grounded in consent, credit, and compensation for the artists and songwriters that take part. Through each technological transformation, we have worked together with Sir Lucian and his team to evolve the music ecosystem into a richer, more beneficial experience for fans and a more rewarding outcome for artists and songwriters.”

Universal calls it an “AI-enabled superfan initiative designed to support human artistry.”