Spotify Signs Deals With Believe and TuneCore for Future AI Remix Tool

Spotify is extending its licensed AI remix strategy to a new swath of independent artists. In a newsroom post published Tuesday, the company said it signed a licensing agreement with Believe and TuneCore for an upcoming tool that would let fans create AI-powered remixes and covers of songs from participating artists and labels inside Spotify. TuneCore is a Believe business, and the deal applies only to artists and labels that choose to take part.

Spotify described the product as a future paid add-on for Spotify Premium subscribers, not a service available now. The tool is meant for AI-powered remixes and covers of existing songs, rather than entirely new works. Spotify said streams of those fan-made versions would generate royalties for the participating artists and rights holders behind the original works, framing the feature as an additional revenue stream for artists and songwriters.

Participation is voluntary and runs through a two-step consent system. First, artists decide whether they want to opt in to being considered for AI-related programs at all. Then, those who have opted in are shown the specific Spotify partnership and can separately decide whether to participate. Believe founder and CEO Denis Ladegaillerie said in Spotify’s announcement: “A year ago, we shared a vision with Spotify: AI must create new opportunities for artists while protecting their rights and the value of their music. Today, this partnership puts that vision into action. … This is how our four principles—consent, control, compensation and transparency—translate into tangible benefits for artists.”

Spotify said it plans to pair the tool with safeguards aimed at problems that have dogged AI music more broadly. The company said it will use protections against spam, impersonation and deception. It also said it will show when artists disclose using AI and is working to make that information easier for users to find. Charlie Hellman, Spotify’s senior vice president and global head of music, said “Done right, fan creativity can deepen the connection between fans and the artists they love, creating new value for artists and driving attention back to the original music.”

The Believe and TuneCore agreement is the latest step in Spotify’s 2026 push to build a licensed, platform-native system for fan-made AI remixes and covers instead of leaving that activity to unlicensed uploads elsewhere. Spotify previously announced similar agreements with Universal Music Group on May 21, Merlin on Aug. 4 and Kobalt on Aug. 13.

The licensing approach also helps explain why Spotify is negotiating directly with rights holders. In the United States, some covers can be distributed under the compulsory mechanical license in Section 115 of the Copyright Act, which allows certain recordings of previously released songs. But that framework does not by itself clear rights in existing sound recordings or sampling, and it limits how far a new version can change a song’s basic melody or character.

Spotify’s announcement left several key business details unanswered. The company did not disclose the royalty split or payment formula, a launch date, the price of the Premium add-on, the first markets where it will be offered, or whether remixes made with the tool can be exported or published outside Spotify. For now, the announcement is an agreement for a future product, not a public launch.