Spotify Taps Kobalt for AI Covers and Remixes Platform
The upcoming feature, which allows Premium subscribers to generate covers using officially licensed tracks, follows a separate partnership with Universal Music Group.
Spotify has formalised a partnership with indie music publisher Kobalt to support its forthcoming artificial intelligence platform, which enables fans to generate covers and remixes of songs. The service is structured as a paid add-on for Premium subscribers, allowing artists to opt in and earn additional revenue through royalties.
Kobalt, which represents a roster including Phoebe Bridgers and the post-punk band IDLES, will integrate its catalogue into the platform. The move follows earlier announcements regarding a partnership with Universal Music Group, signalling a broader strategy by the streaming service to incorporate generative AI into its core offering.
The platform utilises AI tools to let fans repurpose songs, operating within a framework of officially licensed material. This approach contrasts with unlicensed generative services that scrape the internet for content. Spotify has marketed the feature as a mechanism to open up additional revenue streams and drive discovery for artists, rather than a potential source of exploitation.
Laurent Hubert, chief executive of Kobalt, stated that the company’s artists would directly benefit from the creative opportunities these new features provide. The company views the integration as a way to monetise fan engagement while maintaining control over how its catalogue is used.
Details regarding the pricing of the paid add-on and the specific launch window for the platform have not been disclosed. It remains unclear whether consumers will be willing to pay for the ability to create AI-generated covers, or if a non-AI option for covering songs will exist within the licensing framework.
