Spotify, Daniel Ek, recently sat down with the BBC's tech editor, Zoe Kleinman
They discussed AI generated music, and it turns out, they're not planning to kick these pieces of art off the platform entirely.
Ek mentioned there are three "buckets" of AI use in music: first, there are tools like auto-tune, which are all good and fine. Then, there are those tools that try to mimic real artists, and Spotify's not too keen on those. But things get tricky in that middle ground where AI-generated music is influenced by existing artists but doesn't directly impersonate them.
They're playing the cautious card, and it looks like this AI-in-music debate is here to stay for "many, many years."
While Spotify isn't throwing AI out the window completely, they're drawing a line in the sand. They won't let their content be used to train AI models that generate music. Artists are voicing their concerns about AI in the creative world, and some, like Hozier, are even talking about strikes. It's not just about protecting artists but also about making sure the music streaming game stays fair and square. And hey, Spotify's also got its hands full with podcasting and is taking on the big dogs, but some big names like the Obamas and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex might not be re-upping.
They're testing the waters there. Plus, Spotify's in a bit of a tiff with Apple and Google over those app store fees, but it's a whole other story when you've got billions of internet users in the mix.
