Spotify, the world’s leading music streaming platform, has announced a collaborative effort with major record labels to explore the “responsible” integration of artificial intelligence (AI).
The company stated its intention to develop AI tools that “put artists and songwriters first” while upholding their copyright protections.
The streaming service will license music from the three major labels dominating the industry: Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group.
However, critics express concern that increased AI implementation on the platform could lead to reduced streaming revenue for human artists.
Music rights organization Merlin and digital music company Believe are also party to the agreement.
Specific details about the AI tools remain unclear, but Spotify has indicated that initial development is already underway.
Acknowledging the “wide range of views on use of generative music tools within the artistic community,” Spotify stated that artists will have the option to participate.
This announcement follows concerns voiced by prominent musicians, including Dua Lipa, Sir Elton John, and Sir Paul McCartney, regarding AI companies training generative AI tools on their music without proper authorization or compensation.
Spotify affirmed its commitment to ensuring artists, songwriters, and rights holders are “properly compensated for uses of their work and transparently credited for their contributions.”
These protections will be implemented through “upfront agreements” rather than a policy of “asking for forgiveness later.”
“Technology should always serve artists, not the other way around,” stated Alex Norstrom, Spotify’s co-president.
MidCitizen Entertainment, a New Orleans-based artist management company, characterized AI as having “polluted the creative ecosystem.”
Managing Partner Max Bonanno argued that AI-generated songs have “diluted the already limited share of revenue that artists receive from streaming royalties.”
However, Ed Newton-Rex, founder of Fairly Trained, an organization advocating for AI firms to respect creators’ rights, welcomed the announcement.
“Lots of the AI industry is exploitative – AI built on people’s work without permission, served up to users who get no say in the matter,” he told BBC News.
“This is different – AI features built fairly, with artists’ permission, presented to fans as a voluntary add-on rather than an inescapable funnel of AI slop.
“The devil will be in the detail, but it looks like a move towards a more ethical AI industry, which is sorely needed.”
Spotify has consistently maintained that it does not create music itself, either through AI or other means.
Nevertheless, the company employs AI to curate personalized playlists, such as “daylist,” and its AI DJ feature.
Spotify also hosts AI-generated music on its platform and recently announced stricter enforcement measures against artists who fail to disclose AI usage or employ it to impersonate other artists.
As an example, an AI-generated song that went viral using voice clones of Drake and The Weeknd was removed from the streaming service in 2023.
The company further stated that AI is now integrated into various stages of the songwriting process, including autotune, mixing, and mastering.
The Beatles’ Grammy Award-winning final single, “Now and Then,” released in 2023, utilized AI to isolate and clean up John Lennon’s vocals from an old recording.
“We’ve been consistently focused on making sure AI works for artists and songwriters, not against them,” said Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl.
“That means collaborating with partners who understand the necessity for new AI licensing deals that protect and compensate rightsholders and the creative community.”
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