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Spotify expands AI remix and covers project with Merlin partnership
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Spotify is expanding its AI-powered remix and covers tool by adding Merlin, which brings over 30,000 independent labels to the project alongside Universal Music Group.
This expansion increases the pool of music that fans can legally remix and cover using AI, provided artists give consent and receive credit and compensation. It positions Spotify as a licensed alternative to unregulated AI music generators, potentially creating a new revenue stream for artists and a paid feature for listeners. The move also highlights how streaming platforms are trying to shape the emerging AI music landscape while avoiding the controversies surrounding fully synthetic tracks.
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Merlin’s partnership adds more than 30,000 independent labels to Spotify’s AI remix and covers initiative.
The tool will be offered as a paid add-on, requiring artist consent, attribution, and compensation for any fan-made covers or remixes.
Spotify differentiates the product from other AI music services by emphasizing that it works only with real artists’ music and not with fully artificial songs.
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Spotify announced that Merlin, representing over 30,000 independent labels and distributors, has joined Universal Music Group in backing its upcoming AI remix and covers product. This expands the available catalog beyond major-label content, giving fans a broader selection of source material for AI-assisted creations. The partnership was disclosed during a recent earnings call where Spotify reiterated its plans for the feature.
Adopting the tool requires artists to opt in, granting consent for their tracks to be used, and agreeing to receive credit and compensation for any fan-made covers or remixes. Listeners will need to purchase a paid add-on to access the feature, creating a new revenue stream for Spotify and participating artists. Spotify must manage licensing agreements and ensure that all used tracks have the appropriate permissions.
The feature’s effectiveness stops working if artists or labels decline to participate, as their music cannot be included in the AI-generated covers or remixes. It also remains inaccessible to users who do not subscribe to the paid add-on, limiting adoption. Furthermore, the product is designed exclusively for creating covers and remixes of existing tracks, so it does not enable the generation of wholly artificial songs, which may reduce appeal for users seeking fully synthetic content.
In contrast to services where a large share of daily uploads are AI-generated tracks, Spotify’s approach aims to provide a legal, artist-centric avenue for interactive AI music. By focusing on real artists and requiring explicit consent, the company seeks to avoid the controversies surrounding unauthorized deepfakes and fully synthetic music. This positioning could help Spotify capture a segment of the market interested in creative, compliant AI-assisted music creation.
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