Spotify has roped the indie publisher Kobalt into its AI platform for covers and remixes
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Spotify has added independent music publisher Kobalt to its planned AI platform for fan-made covers and remixes, following an earlier partnership with Universal Music Group. The deal matters because it would allow participating artists’ songs to be used under licence, with Spotify presenting the tools as a way to create new royalties and improve artist discovery rather than using music without permission.
Kobalt represents artists including Phoebe Bridgers and IDLES, who will be able to opt in to the scheme. The AI creation tools will be sold as an extra paid feature for Spotify Premium subscribers, but Spotify has not disclosed the price, a launch date, or whether non-AI human-recorded covers will also be supported.
- Kobalt joins Spotify’s licensed AI covers and remixes initiative.
- Participating artists may earn additional royalties.
- Pricing and launch timing remain unknown.
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Spotify is a streaming service where listeners pay, or use an ad-supported version, to access recorded music. It has been developing tools that would let fans make new versions of songs, such as covers and remixes, using artificial intelligence.
Kobalt is an independent music publisher that manages song rights for writers and artists including Phoebe Bridgers and IDLES. Music publishers control rights in the underlying song, such as lyrics and melody, and can license their use; record labels usually control particular recordings.
The main issue is whether AI-generated music uses songs with permission and how the people who own the rights are paid. Spotify’s proposed system would rely on artists choosing to take part, while the company says the tools could generate royalties and help audiences find participating musicians.
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The case for
Supporters argue that licensing Kobalt’s catalogue and requiring artist opt-in is a more responsible way to develop AI music tools than training on or exploiting music without consent. They see fan-made covers and remixes as a potential new source of royalties, engagement and discovery, particularly for independent artists who may gain exposure through creative reinterpretations. A paid feature could also provide a clearer commercial framework in which rights-holders, artists and the platform share value.
The case against
Critics argue that even licensed AI remixes may dilute artists’ creative control, blur the distinction between human performance and machine-generated imitation, and flood listeners with low-effort derivative material. Opt-in arrangements can also create uneven bargaining power, especially if artists feel commercial pressure to participate or lack clarity about how their voice, style and works will be used. Without published details on pricing, attribution, safeguards and treatment of human-recorded covers, they contend that the scheme’s benefits and risks cannot yet be assessed fully.
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