● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsMedium impact2 neutral
Spotify Expands AI Music Remix and Cover Project with Merlin and Kobalt Partnerships
Key points
- Spotify partners with Merlin and Kobalt for AI music project.
- Merlin adds over 30,000 independent labels to the platform.
- Kobalt artists can opt-in for AI-powered covers and remixes.
- Project focuses on artist consent and new revenue streams.
- Aims to differentiate from controversial AI music startups.
Spotify Expands AI Music Initiative
Spotify has announced new partnerships with Merlin, a licensing partner for independent labels, and indie music publisher Kobalt. These collaborations expand the reach of Spotify's upcoming AI music product, which will enable fans to create covers and remixes of artists' music using artificial intelligence tools.
New Partners and Artist Participation
The agreement with Merlin brings over 30,000 independent labels from its network into the AI music effort. Similarly, Kobalt's artists, which include musicians like Phoebe Bridgers and IDLES, will have the option to opt-in to the platform. This expansion follows an earlier partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG).
Focus on Consent and Compensation
Spotify emphasizes that its AI music product is centered on artist consent. Co-CEO Gustav Söderström stated the product is about "real artists, not fake artists," and co-CEO Alex Norström added that artists must consent to their work being used. The initiative is positioned to provide new revenue streams and discovery opportunities for artists, differentiating it from other AI music startups that have generated fully artificial songs without explicit licensing.
Product Functionality and Revenue
The upcoming product will be a paid add-on for Premium subscribers, allowing them to use AI-powered creative tools to repurpose licensed songs. Spotify aims for this to be a legal and compensated method for artists to engage with AI-generated music, ensuring artists receive credit and financial benefits.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Spotify announced a partnership with indie music publisher Kobalt to integrate its catalog into Spotify's upcoming AI platform for generating song covers and remixes. This initiative aims to create new revenue streams for artists through a paid add-on for Premium subscribers, allowing fans to use AI tools to repurpose licensed songs.
Spotify announced a partnership with Merlin, a licensing partner for independent labels, to expand its upcoming AI music product for fan-made covers and remixes. This collaboration brings over 30,000 independent labels into the program, which focuses on artist-consented AI use and aims to provide a legal and compensated way for artists to engage with AI-generated music.