Spotify Universal add paid AI remix for Premium users

Spotify has entered into a licensing agreement with Universal Music Group that will allow its Premium subscribers to create AI-generated covers and remixes of songs from participating artists. Announced on May 21, 2026, the new feature will be offered as a paid add-on, with the companies stating it is designed to provide an additional revenue stream for artists and songwriters on top of existing royalties.

The deal represents a significant move to formalize and monetize fan-driven AI music creation, which has proliferated online in recent years. Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström described the model as grounded in consent, credit, and compensation for creators. Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge said the partnership advances artist-centric principles. Participating artists and songwriters will share in the value created from the AI covers and remixes, and artists retain the right to opt out of the program.

The announcement comes amid ongoing industry tension over the use of generative AI in music and follows years of legal disputes between Spotify and music publishers over royalty payments. In early 2025, a judge dismissed a lawsuit from the Mechanical Licensing Collective that...