NurPhoto / Getty Images
A new pair of licensing agreements between Spotify $SPOT +6.11% and Universal Music Group, covering both recorded music and publishing rights, will give Spotify the legal foundation to build generative AI tools through which fans can produce covers and remixes featuring songs from UMG's participating artists and songwriters.
Artists and songwriters whose music is used in the feature would receive earnings beyond their existing Spotify royalties, the companies said, and access to the tool would require a paid upgrade from standard Spotify Premium subscriptions. Financial terms were not disclosed, and it is unclear when the feature will launch, according to Billboard.
UMG's roster includes Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Drake, and Billie Eilish, Reuters reported. Neither company named the specific artists whose catalogs would be included.
"What we're building is grounded in consent, credit, and compensation for the artists and songwriters that take part," Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström said in a statement.
