Spotify working on AI music tools with major record labels

Spotify, the world's biggest music streaming service, has announced it is working with major labels on using artificial intelligence (AI) in a "responsible" way.

The firm said it wanted to make AI tools which "put artists and songwriters first" and respect their copyright.

The streaming giant will license music from the three record labels which make up the vast majority of the industry: Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.

However, critics say adding more AI to the platform would result in less streaming revenue for human artists.

Spotify has always maintained it does not create any music itself, using AI or otherwise.

However, it does use the technology to create custom playlists, such as the "daylist" and its AI DJ.

It also hosts AI-generated music on its platform, and recently announced it was cracking down on artists who did not disclose the use of AI or who used it to impersonate real artists.

For example, a viral AI-generated song using voice clones of Drake and The Weeknd was removed from the streaming service in 2023.

The company also said AI is now used in many stages of the song-writing process - such as autotune, mixing and mastering.

The Beatles' Grammy Award-winning last single Now and Then, released in 2023, used AI to clean up John Lennon's voice from an old audio recording.

"We've been consistently focused on making sure AI works for artists and songwriters, not against them," said Warner Music Group boss Robert Kyncl.

"That means collaborating with partners who understand the necessity for new AI licensing deals that protect and compensate rightsholders and the creative community."

Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.