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Believe signs licensing deal for Spotify's planned AI remix and covers tool

Independent music company Believe has licensed its catalog for Spotify's forthcoming paid AI remix and covers tool, the fourth rights-holder deal for the product, which has not launched and has no announced price.

Evidence: 4 sources · 1 official record · 3 independent reports · 4 open questions

By Happened in AI Editors

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Licensing deals for Spotify's AI remix and covers tool, 2026 Deals for Spotify's AI remix and covers tool Rights holders announced in 2026. The tool has not launched. MAY Universal Music Group Recordings and publishing 4 AUG Merlin Independent labels 13 AUG Kobalt Publisher 20 OCT Believe incl. TuneCore Not announced as of 21 October: Sony Music, Warner Music
Rights-holder deals announced for Spotify's AI remix and covers tool, 2026. Source: Spotify, Variety, Music Ally. Happened in AI · Original graphic

What happened

  • On 20 October, Spotify and Believe announced a licensing agreement covering participating Believe and TuneCore artists and labels.
  • The deal is for a Spotify tool that lets fans make AI-assisted remixes and covers of existing songs, offered as a paid add-on to Premium.
  • Spotify previously signed deals for the same tool with Universal Music Group (May), Merlin (4 August), and Kobalt (13 August).
  • Rights holders behind the original tracks are to be paid royalties when remixes are streamed.

Why it matters

Spotify is building a paid AI product on licensed music rather than unlicensed training, and each new deal shows how rights holders are setting terms for fan-made AI derivatives of their work.

What is confirmed and what is claimed

Confirmed

  • Spotify and Believe announced the agreement on 20 October (Spotify newsroom; also reported by Variety and Billboard). 123
  • Participation by Believe and TuneCore artists is opt-in (company announcement; reported by Music Business Worldwide). 1
  • Believe follows earlier agreements with UMG, Merlin, and Kobalt for the same tool (trade press reports).

Claimed, not independently verified

  • Spotify says every remix will link back to the original track and artist. 1
  • The companies say the tool is designed for remixes and covers of existing songs, not for generating entirely new works.

Spotify has spent much of 2026 signing rights holders to a product it has not yet released: a paid add-on that lets Premium subscribers make AI-assisted covers and remixes of songs by artists who agree to take part. The Believe agreement extends that to the independent artists and labels that work with Believe and its distribution service, TuneCore.

According to the announcement, artists first decide whether to opt in to AI programs at all, and can then choose whether to join the Spotify tool. Royalties are to be paid to the rights holders behind the original track when a remix is streamed.

Context

Music has become one of the busiest areas for AI licensing. Labels and publishers have signed deals with AI music companies such as Udio and Suno this year, while some of the same companies remain in court over how earlier models were trained. Spotify's approach is different: it is licensing existing recordings and songs for derivative works made on its own platform. For the broader legal picture, see our explainer on AI and copyright.

The terms that matter most to artists, including the royalty split and the price fans will pay, have not been published. A press release confirms that a deal was signed, not how well the product will work or how much it will pay.

What to watch

Whether Sony Music and Warner Music sign, which would give the tool most of the major-label catalog; the launch date and price; and whether songwriters get a clear way to opt out when a song has several publishers.

What we don’t know yet

  • When the tool will launch and what the add-on will cost.
  • How royalties will be split between original rights holders and Spotify.
  • Whether Sony Music and Warner Music will sign; neither had announced a deal for this tool as of 21 October.
  • How songs with several writers across different publishers will be handled.

Evidence and sources

  1. Primary announcement Believe and Spotify Partner to Unlock New Opportunities for Artists Through Licensed Fan Remixes and Covers Spotify ·
  2. Independent reporting Spotify Inks Licensing Deal with Believe Music for AI Remixing Tool Variety ·
  3. Independent reporting Believe Signs Licensing Agreement to Participate in Spotify's AI Remixing Tool Billboard ·
  4. Independent reporting Kobalt signs on for Spotify's AI fan-made covers and remixes Music Ally ·