Spotify moves further into AI music with Sony, Universal, Warner

Spotify announced Thursday that it will be partnering with Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, as well as independent licensing agency Merlin and digital music company Believe, to create “responsible” artificial intelligence products.

Although the company did not confirm any specific AI tools in development, Spotify said in a release that it is making “significant investments in AI research and product development,” including a new AI research lab and product team.

“AI is the most consequential technology shift since the smartphone, and it’s already reshaping how music is created and experienced,” co-president Gustav Söderström said in a statement. “At Spotify, we want to build this future hand in hand with the music industry, guided by clear principles and deep respect for creators, just as we did in the days of piracy.”

Spotify said that it hopes to add more rightsholders and distributors in the future.

The company has already incorporated AI features into its app, including an AI DJ and AI Playlist, which rolled out in beta in September, that generates a personalized playlist using written prompts.

The entertainment industry has expressed rising concerns over harmful AI use infringing on artist copyrights during the AI boom.

UMG CEO Sir Lucian Grainge sent a memo to staff on Monday that the company “will not license any model” that uses an artist’s voice or generates songs incorporating an artist’s music without consent.

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“It is essential that we work with strategic partners such as Spotify to enable Gen AI products within a thriving commercial landscape in which artists, songwriters, fans, music companies and technology companies can all flourish,” Grainge said in a statement.

The partnership comes less than a month after Spotify cracked down on AI “slop” under the rising threat of viral AI-generated music. The streaming platform removed over 75 million “spammy tracks” over the past 12 months and rolled out policies to protect artists from AI impersonation and deception.

AI-generated band The Velvet Sundown was in the spotlight this summer after racking up 1 million monthly listeners. The band, which later clarified its bio page to say it is a “synthetic music project,” is currently a verified artist on Spotify that has more than 264,000 monthly listeners.

Spotify outlined four principles the collaboration will focus on: partnerships with record labels, distributors and music publishers, choice in participation, fair compensation and new revenue, and artist-fan connection.

“Musicians’ rights matter,” Spotify said in the release. “Copyright is essential. If the music industry doesn’t lead in this moment, AI-powered innovation will happen elsewhere, without rights, consent, or compensation. “

The streaming giant has also received backlash after CEO Daniel Ek, who will step down from the role next year, led a 600-million-euro funding round for defense technology startup Helsing in June.

Musicians including King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Xiu Xiu, Deerhoof, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and most recently, Massive Attack, have removed their catalogue from Spotify in protest.

“‘Daniel Ek uses $700 million of his Spotify fortune to become chairman of AI battle tech company’ was not a headline we enjoyed reading this week,” Deerhoof wrote in a statement on Instagram. “We don’t want our music killing people. We don’t want our success being tied to AI battle tech.”