Spotify and Universal Music Group have revealed an agreement for a new feature that allows premium subscribers to make AI-generated covers and remixes of songs.
The new feature, which wasn’t given a release date, was revealed during Spotify’s investor day on Thursday, available for subscribers and only for music from participating artists and songwriters. UMG and Spotify are touting the feature as a new revenue driver for music creators as they profit from the streams the fan-made content generates.
“Solving hard problems for music is what Spotify does, and fan-made covers and remixes are next,” Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström said in a statement. “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 [Grainge, CEO of UMG] 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.”
Spotify didn’t share details about how the cover feature works, or what artists would be participating in the new feature, though Norström added later that the company welcomes all artists to take part in this. UMG is the world’s largest music company, and its roster of artists and songwriters includes Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Post Malone among many others.
