Spotify has announced an official but somewhat vague partnership with all three major record companies, indie label repping Merlin and independent distributor Believe to “develop artist-first AI music products”.
It announced the alliance in a blog post yesterday, with no real information on what those products might be, but it shared four principles which will inform the company’s AI experiments.
It also made a forthright statement to the effect that Spotify – unlike certain other tech companies we could mention – won’t be infringing any copyrights and then feebly pleading ‘fair use’, instead committing to ensure all of its AI ventures are fully licensed.
“Some voices in the tech industry believe copyright should be abolished – we don’t”, it declared, adding that “musicians’ rights matter” and “copyright is essential”, and that the music industry must take the lead on AI innovation in music, otherwise it will happen elsewhere “without rights, consent or compensation”.
Of course, Spotify would jeopardise relationships that are fundamental to its core music streaming business if it started developing AI products without the consent of its music industry licensing partners, so it’s no surprise it’s taking this position.
But such statements, although unsurprising, are still useful for a music industry that is busy countering claims from other tech companies that AI training is or should be covered by copyright exceptions, and that expecting them to license music rights is just too big an ask.
All of Spotify’s AI products, yesterday’s blog post said, “will put artists and songwriters first” via four key principles. First, all innovations will be developed in partnership with record labels, music distributors and music publishers. Second “artists and rightsholders will choose if and how to participate” in any one AI product.
Third, Spotify will ensure artists, songwriters and rightsholders are “properly compensated” and “transparently credited”. And finally, Spotify’s AI tools “will not replace human artistry” and instead “give artists new ways to be creative and connect with fans”.
Which is all lovely stuff. Although, of course, the devil is always in the detail, and artists and songwriters will no doubt be waiting for a bit more information – from both the streaming company and their labels and publishers – before deciding whether Spotify’s “artist-first” AI products are something to be excited about.
Not least because, while Spotify has committed to allow “artists and rightsholders” to “choose if and how to participate” in its AI ventures, many labels – the majors in particular – and yet to confirm if they’ll be extending that right to choose to artists in their catalogues. If they don’t, that will make Spotify’s second principle pretty pointless from an artist perspective.
With Spotify now having two in-coming CEOs who both need a mention, plus five music industry partners all involved in this big announcement, there were a lot of official quotes at the bottom of Spotify’s blog post. Given you’re all presumably super busy this Friday afternoon, here’s the edited highlights…
Gustav Söderström, incoming co-CEO at Spotify: “Ecosystem”.
Rob Stringer, CEO at Sony Music: “Spotify”.
Lucian Grainge, CEO at Universal Music: “Landscape”.
Robert Kyncl, CEO at Warner Music: “Guardrails”.
Charlie Lexton, COO at Merlin: “Principles”.
Denis Ladegaillerie, CEO at Believe: “Value-creative AI”.
Alex Norström, incoming Spotify co-CEO: “Love”.
