Spotify is publicly acknowledging the music industry’s growing AI problem, but its plan to fix it is still very much a work in progress. In a new blog post, the streaming giant announced it is partnering with the three major music labels—Sony, Universal, and Warner—to “develop responsible AI products.” However, the announcement was heavy on principles and light on actual details.
The move comes a month after Spotify said it would start cleaning up the flood of low-quality, AI-generated music that has been appearing on its platform. The company is now trying to position itself as a leader in the responsible use of AI, warning that “if the music industry doesn’t lead in this moment, AI-powered innovation will happen elsewhere, without rights, consent or compensation.”
Spotify says its goal is to build new AI tools that are “built to power their careers,” and that it will do so with “upfront agreements, not by asking for forgiveness later.” The company laid out a few guiding principles for its new AI push, including partnerships, artist choice, fair compensation, and building connections between artists and fans.
While Spotify is trying to clean up the AI mess, it’s also been busy rolling out its own AI features, like its popular AI DJ and personalized playlists. The company is trying to draw a clear line between its “good” AI, which it says helps people discover real artists, and the “bad” AI that it’s now trying to combat.
For now, the partnership with the major labels is more of a promise than a plan. The music industry is still trying to figure out how to deal with the AI revolution, and Spotify is clearly trying to be part of the solution—even if it doesn’t quite know what that solution is yet.
