In May 2026 Spotify announced a licensing agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG) for a new artificial-intelligence-based tool that would allow fans to create covers and remixes from existing songs. At the time the company said the feature would be offered as a paid add-on for Spotify Premium subscribers.
According to the Financial Times, Spotify now plans to launch the service in the first quarter of 2027, with an official announcement likely in February around the Grammy Awards. The newspaper reports that the company is considering an additional monthly charge of $4–5 for the feature, on top of the existing Premium subscription. A straight currency conversion would suggest roughly a HUF 1,500–1,600 monthly increase, although the final price may differ.
Spotify has not yet decided whether the fee would be mandatory for all Premium subscribers or optional for those who want the extra capability. The company declined to comment on the Financial Times report, and sources told the paper that both pricing and the launch date remain subject to change.
What the tool does and how royalties would be handled
The AI tool would enable users to generate their own versions of songs — for example, reworking folk songs into modern styles or producing content that sounds as if one artist were performing another artist’s song. Reports say royalties from these fan-made remixes would go to the original song performers.
Spotify is also exploring technical and accounting approaches that would allow remixes to appear in playlists and for their plays to count toward the original recordings’ streaming statistics.
Recommendation system changes: emphasizing human artists
The company is overhauling its recommendation system to ensure users are more likely to encounter music by real, human artists. The move responds to a growing volume of AI-generated music, which is increasingly appearing on major streaming platforms. Spotify’s aim is to reduce the prominence of automatically or mass-generated tracks through algorithmic adjustments.
Ongoing talks with other labels and artist consent
The Financial Times reports that Spotify is still negotiating with Sony Music and Warner Music. The situation is further complicated by the fact that individual artists may opt out of participation even if their label signs an agreement — so artist consent could be required for inclusion.
Sources familiar with the talks say today’s active artists are generally harder to persuade to join the program than long-established acts.
Next steps
How Spotify finalizes agreements and the outcomes of negotiations will determine who gets access to the AI remix tool and under what terms. The intended announcement timing and tentative pricing may change as the company continues to finalize details and secure deals with additional rights holders.
