Spotify is reportedly aiming for early 2027 to launch a paid tool that lets Premium users make AI covers and remixes of songs, as long as the artist opts in.
Spotify wants to let you remix songs with AI, and it reportedly wants $4 to $5 a month on top of Premium to do it.
The streaming giant is targeting the first quarter of 2027 for a paid add-on that lets subscribers make their own AI-generated covers and remixes of existing songs, the Financial Times reported Oct. 30, citing people familiar with the plans.
The tool could be unveiled around the Grammy Awards in February. Neither the price nor the date is final, and Spotify declined to comment on the report.
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What would Spotify’s AI remix tool do?
The idea is simple: pick a song and have AI make a new version of it.
According to the FT, a user could turn a folk track into a dance remix, or imagine one artist performing another artist’s song. Spotify has said the tool is meant for remixes and covers of existing music, not for generating brand-new tracks from scratch.
Fans would reportedly be able to add their remixes to playlists, and plays of a remix would count toward the original song on Spotify’s charts.
Do artists get paid for Spotify AI remixes?
That’s the pitch. Royalties from fan remixes would go to the artists and rights holders behind the original song.
There’s a catch for fans hoping to remix anything they want. Only artists who explicitly agree to take part would be available, even if their record label has already signed a licensing deal with Spotify.
So far, Spotify has announced deals with Universal Music Group, Merlin, Kobalt and Believe, and it’s reportedly still negotiating with Sony Music and Warner Music. The Universal deal in May was the first time a major label agreed to let generative AI use music from Spotify’s catalog.
Why are some musicians against Spotify’s AI remixes?
Critics worry the feature could flood Spotify with AI remixes, crowd out human-made music and pressure more artists into opting in.
Composer and AI-rights advocate Ed Newton-Rex is among those who have warned about that. Spotify co-CEO Alex Norstrom has argued that a licensed, controlled tool built around artist consent is better than the unauthorized AI music already spreading online.
How many people would pay extra for Spotify AI remixes?
Probably not most subscribers, at least not at first.
One analyst quoted by the FT estimated that about 8% of Spotify subscribers could be paying for the AI add-on by the end of 2028. That’s a small slice, but Spotify has hundreds of millions of users, and even a small slice adds up.
It also fits a bigger trend. After years of raising Premium prices, streaming services are now looking for optional extras to sell on top.
Article compiled and written by Thom Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Clownfish TV newsroom.
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Hat Tips:
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Financial Times (Oct. 30): launch window, pricing and analyst estimate, via The Next Web and TechSpot.
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The Next Web (Oct. 30): opt-in rule and the Universal deal.
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AndroidPure (Nov. 2): announced label deals and chart crediting.
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Mezha (Nov. 2): Sony and Warner talks.
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TechSpot (Nov. 2): Norstrom and Newton-Rex comments.
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Dexerto on X (Nov. 2): tip.
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