Thomas Fuller | Lightrocket | Getty Images<\/p>\n
Spotify announced Thursday that it will be partnering with Sony<\/a> Music Group, Universal Music Group<\/a>, Warner Music Group<\/a>, as well as independent licensing agency Merlin and digital music company Believe, to create “responsible” artificial intelligence<\/a> products.<\/p>\n Although the company did not confirm any specific AI tools in development, Spotify said in a release<\/a> that it is making “significant investments in AI research and product development,” including a new AI research lab and product team.<\/p>\n “AI is the most consequential technology shift since the smartphone, and it’s already reshaping how music is created and experienced,” co-president Gustav S\u00f6derstr\u00f6m 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.”<\/p>\n Spotify said that it hopes to add more rightsholders and distributors in the future.<\/p>\n The company has already incorporated AI features into its app, including an AI DJ<\/a> and AI Playlist, which rolled out<\/a> in beta in September, that generates a personalized playlist using written prompts.<\/p>\n The entertainment industry has expressed rising concerns over harmful AI use infringing on artist copyrights during the AI boom.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n The partnership comes less than a month after Spotify cracked down<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n AI-generated band The Velvet Sundown<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “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.\u00a0“<\/p>\n The streaming giant has also received backlash after CEO Daniel Ek<\/a>, who will step down from the role next year, led a 600-million-euro funding round for defense technology startup Helsing<\/a> in June.<\/p>\n Musicians including King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Xiu Xiu<\/a>, Deerhoof, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and most recently, Massive Attack<\/a>, have removed their catalogue from Spotify in protest.<\/p>\n “‘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<\/a> on Instagram. “We don’t want our music killing people. We don’t want our success being tied to AI battle tech.”<\/p>\n