Spotify expands AI music remix and covers project with Merlin partnership
UKPulse Sport Desk
Spotify has announced that Merlin, representing over 30,000 independent labels, has joined Universal Music Group in backing its upcoming AI-powered remix and covers product.
- The new paid tool will allow fans to create AI-generated covers and remixes of participating artists' music.
- Artists will need to opt in to the product, receive credit, and be compensated for their work.
- A research preview of the product will initially be available to a subset of users.
Spotify has announced a partnership with Merlin, a licensing partner for independent labels and distributors, for its upcoming AI music product. Merlin, which represents more than 30,000 labels, joins Universal Music Group (UMG) in supporting the initiative.
The new product will be a paid tool that allows music fans to create AI-generated covers and remixes of artists' music. Spotify co-CEO Gustav Söderström stated the product focuses on "real artists, not fake artists," with artists needing to consent to their work being used, receiving credit, and being compensated.
Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström described it as the "first legal way to partake in this AI tailwind that we see coming for interactive music." A research preview of the fan remix and covers product will initially be made available to a subset of users, though a release date for the preview was not provided.
Why this matters: This initiative aims to provide a legal and compensated framework for artists to participate in AI-generated music, contrasting with other AI music startups that create fully artificial songs.
What this means for you: If you are a music fan, you may eventually be able to use a paid Spotify tool to create AI-generated covers and remixes of participating artists' music.