Playing around with your favourite artists song is an ultimate expression of fandom: Spotify is taking another step into participatory music tools with
its upcoming AI remix feature but it signals red flags for industry professionals

Date:
Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:30:00 +0000

Description:
Spotify's agreement with Merlin brings it one step closer to launching its AI-powered remix tool, but where do industry professionals stand on it?

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Spotify wants to introduce new ways for listeners to engage with the artists they love the most, all while expressing their own creativity.

The streamers audio mixing feature for playlists has sky-rocketed in popularity, introducing a new way for listeners to modify their playlists.
Now Spotify is working on a new AI-powered fan-made covers and remix tool
and its seeking the help of Merlin. Spotifys upcoming remix tool will come as a subscription add-on, though we dont know when its due to drop or how much
it will be on top of the current $12.99/ 12.99/ AU$15.99 monthly Spotify Premium plan. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Despite knowing very little about it, we do know that the remix feature will garner significant attention across the board of users, artists, organizations, and analysts alike. So whats the end-goal for Spotify, and
what are people saying about its potential knock-on effects for musicians and listeners? What is the agreement? (Image credit: Spotify) On August 4,
Spotify and digital licensing partner Merlin announced a new agreement that would give artists on labels under the Merlin name the option to lend their music to Spotifys remix feature. Merlin is the second organization to sign on to the deal, following Universal Music Group in May. You may like Former Head of Innovation at Spotify is building interactive 'digital music playgrounds' Lorde criticizes Spotify's AI-generated 'About the Song' feature for inaccuracies Spotify updates its song-mixing feature with new customization tools

For Spotify, the goal is simple: to give listeners a new way to engage with the music they love from participating artists and songwriters, as stated in the announcement. Spotify also says the tool will create an additional
revenue stream for participating artists.

However, despite knowing the tool will be AI-powered, Spotify hasnt gone into detail as to exactly how it will allow listeners to create their own remixes of their favorite songs. The discourse around AI-generated slop is still a
hot topic, and Spotify is still bearing the brunt of harsh criticism, so its venture into launching AI-powered music add-ons has left everyone scratching their heads. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me
with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. What
are Spotifys competitors saying? (Image credit: Qobuz) As far as rival music streamers go, its safe to say the top dogs arent too interested in
integrating AI throughout their respective UXs. While the likes of Apple
Music and Tidal use algorithmic recommendations to fuel discovery, the number of generative AI tools is nowhere near as saturated as Spotify.

Listening to an artists music in the way it was released is the only concern for most companies, particularly for Dan Mackta, Managing Director at Qobuz, who gave us the following statement: Qobuz isnt looking at anything like this. The finished music that great artists release is good enough for us and our community.

The desire to keep the traditional listening experience in place is quite prevalent on the one hand. Some users just want to kick back with an album or playlist, hit the play button, and let the music do its thing. But as music analyst and founder of MIDiA Research Mark Mulligan points out, the yearning for active participation is growing. What to read next 'No need to feed water-gobbling, planet-heating data centers': Deezer's new Remix Lab tool
uses absolutely no AI and debunks slop music myths No, Spotify isn't deliberately uploading AI artists and music Spotify updates its podcast features with interactive Q&A and personal briefings

Mulligan detailed this in a comment shared with us: A growing share of consumers want to do more than just listen. Audio modification is an opportunity both to tap into consumer creativity and fandom. Playing around with your favourite artists song is an ultimate expression of fandom.

Additionally, he backed this up with his own findings from the recent MIDiA
Q1 2026 consumer survey: The potential of audio modification is significant. Consumer demand is clear, with 54% of consumers interested in some form of audio modification, from changing speed to swapping vocals, rising to 80% for 1619-year-olds.

Participatory music is a rising phenomenon, and software labels like A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya want to create experiences that go beyond just listening to a song. However, AI is out of the question, and the creativity is placed in the hands of the user, not generated by a machine. What are artists/
organizations saying? (Image credit: Musician's Union) In light of Spotifys announcement, its not just competitors that are having their say on the AI-powered remix tool. Additionally, artists and music organizations are questioning the long-term financial effects the feature could have.

Musicians Union is a UK-based organization that represents artists in all areas of the music industry, and its General Secretary Naomi Pohl views Spotifys partnership with two minds.

The Merlin and Spotify announcement sounds positive as it suggests artists will have the choice to participate in licensing deals or not and, crucially, that they will share in any revenue generated by the use of their works. This is better than the blanket approach taken by some major labels, she tells us, but she also raises concerns about how artists will be paid, adding the following:

However, as with music streaming royalties, there is a question over how artists signed to independent labels will be paid by their label. Artists should in theory get 50% of any revenue their label receives, but in practice this may not happen in all cases as it will depend on the labels interpretation of the artists contract. Many artists signed before AI deals were even conceived of. And, as with music streaming, session or backing musicians on tracks currently stand to receive no share of revenue.

When it comes to royalties, Spotify has faced severe criticism due to its payment model. Because Spotify pools money generated from subscriptions, it means the most streamed artists over the year will receive a higher
percentage of the profits made. So, even if you spend an entire year supporting and streaming an up-and-coming indie band, your subscription money is still going to artists like Taylor Swift.

Royalties aside, the other concern lies within the protection of music in its original form. PRS for Music, who handle the rights and royalties behind music, feel this strongly. More generally, streaming services are embracing new technologies, including AI, to give fans new ways to engage with the
music they love, a PRS spokesperson told us.

But despite these emerging consumer tools, what could easily get lost is the care for the music itself. PRS fears this will become less of a priority, adding Creators, and their work, must be central to the development of these new tools. They must be designed specifically to protect the integrity of the work above all else, and to ensure creators are fairly paid for the value
they bring to each and every platform.

At the end of the day, these platforms are there not only for fans to listen and engage with music, but they're there for artists to allow fans to hear music the way they intended. Though Spotify's AI-powered remix tool would be
a creative addition to the service, how long will it be before everyone reverts to streaming AI-generated mashups instead of the real thing? Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/spotify/playing-around-with-your-favourite-art ists-song-is-an-ultimate-expression-of-fandom-spotify-is-taking-another-step-i nto-participatory-music-tools-with-its-upcoming-ai-remix-feature-but-it-signal s-red-flags-for-industry-professionals


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