Spotify adds Believe and TuneCore to its AI remix plans
Spotify’s upcoming licensed remix tool is gaining another industry partner, giving participating Believe and TuneCore artists the option to earn royalties from AI-powered fan creations.
Spotify has signed a licensing agreement with Believe, extending its upcoming AI-powered covers and remixes tool to participating artists and labels across Believe and its distribution platform, TuneCore. Announced on the 20th of October, the deal adds another independent music partner to Spotify’s plans to let fans reinterpret existing songs while compensating the artists and rights holders behind them.
How will Spotify’s AI remix tool work?
The tool will allow fans to create AI-powered remixes and covers of participating artists’ music, rather than entirely new works. Spotify plans to offer it as a paid add-on for Premium subscribers, generating an additional potential revenue stream alongside artists’ existing streaming royalties.
Fan-made remixes are already widespread, but creators don’t always have permission to use the original music, and artists and songwriters may not receive compensation. Spotify aims to bring this activity into a licensed environment, where streams of remixes will generate royalties for participating artists and rights holders.
Each creation will also link back to the original track and artist, potentially helping fans discover or revisit the music that inspired it.
Spotify first announced the initiative through its licensing agreement with Universal Music Group in May. It subsequently signed deals with independent music organisation Merlin in August and, as Music Ally notes, music publisher Kobalt, before adding Believe.
The growing list of partners expands the range of artists who could participate, although eligibility will depend on the relevant agreements and individual consent. Spotify has yet to confirm a launch date, pricing or how royalties will be calculated.
Artists must opt in to participate
Under the Believe agreement, artists won’t automatically have their music included. Believe and TuneCore will use a two-step consent process. Artists first choose whether to be considered for AI-related programmes, then decide separately whether to participate in Spotify’s tool.
The approach follows Believe’s responsible AI principles of consent, control, compensation and transparency, established in 2023. It gives artists a choice over whether their music can be used for these AI-generated adaptations.
The agreement also comes amid wider industry efforts to address AI-generated spam, impersonation and unauthorised uses of music. Spotify says it is strengthening safeguards against low-quality AI content and giving artists more control over their profiles. Believe is also developing its existing GenAI Music Content Framework and distribution safeguards.
What does the deal mean for independent artists?
Believe’s involvement follows Spotify’s agreement with Merlin, which extended the initiative to eligible artists on labels represented by the independent music organisation. Alongside the earlier Universal Music Group deal, these partnerships show Spotify building a licensing model that gives participating artists a choice over how their music is used in AI-powered creations.
There are potential benefits beyond royalties. If remixes direct listeners back to original recordings, they could become another route to music discovery and fan engagement. However, the actual value for artists will depend on the tool’s terms, royalty structure and how it works once launched.
For independent musicians, the important distinction is that this is an opt-in opportunity, not blanket permission for AI tools to use their music. With no confirmed launch date or detailed payment model yet, artists will need to assess the terms when more information becomes available.