Believe has signed a licensing agreement with Spotify for the streaming service’s upcoming AI-powered covers and remixes tool.
The deal, announced on Tuesday (October 20), covers participating artists and labels at Believe and TuneCore, its platform for self-releasing artists.
It follows Spotify‘s agreements for the same tool with Universal Music Group in May, Merlin on August 4, and Kobalt on August 13.
Believe was one of five music industry partners that Spotify named in October 2025 to develop “artist-first AI music products.”
The others were Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Merlin.
Sony Music Group and Warner Music Group have yet to announce their own agreements for the covers and remixes tool.
According to Believe and Spotify, the tool is “designed specifically for AI-powered remixes and covers, not entirely new works.”
Participating artists and rights holders behind the original tracks will be paid royalties when the remixes are streamed on Spotify, the companies said.
The tool is designed to be offered as a paid add-on for Spotify Premium subscribers, creating “an additional revenue stream on top of what participating artists and songwriters already earn on Spotify,” according to the announcement.
Believe and Spotify said fan-made remixes “are already widespread, often without compensating the artists and songwriters.”
Unlike remixes on social media, they added, “every remix on Spotify links back to the original track and artist.”
Participation in the tool “will be entirely voluntary,” Believe said, in line with the responsible AI principles it established in 2023: consent, control, compensation, and transparency.
According to the announcement, Believe and TuneCore will run a two-step consent process, in which artists first decide whether they want to be considered for AI-related programs at all.
Those who opt in will then be presented with the Spotify partnership and can decide whether or not to take part.
“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,” said Denis Ladegaillerie, Founder and CEO of Believe. “Today, this partnership puts that vision into action.
“Together, we are turning an already widespread fan remixing activity into a licensed experience that will enhance fan remix creation within Spotify‘s controlled platform and generate revenues for artists. This is how our four principles – consent, control, compensation and transparency – translate into tangible benefits for artists.
“Equally importantly, we share a commitment to protecting artists, reflected in Spotify‘s strengthened safeguards against AI-generated spam and low-value content, and Believe‘s ongoing work to further reinforce its GenAI music content framework. These efforts illustrate how we are working together to eradicate AI slop and make AI a value creator for music fans, artists and right-holders.”
“These efforts illustrate how we are working together to eradicate AI slop and make AI a value creator for music fans, artists and right-holders.”
Denis Ladegaillerie, Believe
Charlie Hellman, SVP and Global Head of Music at Spotify, 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.
“Getting there takes partners across the industry, and Believe and independent artists have helped move the industry forward at every major turning point. I’m encouraged that their participation now strengthens the momentum toward artist consent, compensation and credit.”
“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.”
Charlie Hellman, Spotify
Believe said it is also building on its GenAI Music Content Framework and distribution safeguards, “with additional developments to be shared in due course.”
Speaking to MBW in September, Ladegaillerie described the two layers of consent that stand between Believe’s artists and any AI partner.
He said artists who opt in to the first layer are then presented with individual opportunities, naming Spotify, YouTube, and Suno, and can opt out of each one.
“The artist must consent first, period,” Ladegaillerie told MBW.
The announcement also pointed to Spotify‘s measures against spam, impersonation, and deception, including efforts to keep “AI-generated spam and slop out of recommendations.”
Spotify said earlier on Tuesday that it has taken more than 50 million “slop and spam” tracks out of its recommendations so far this year.
In April, Spotify introduced a “Verified by Spotify” badge for artist profiles, saying profiles that “appear to primarily represent AI-generated or AI-persona artists” would not be eligible at launch.
In August, Spotify announced an AI Persona badge, which flags artists whose identities it believes are AI-generated and, by default, keeps them out of its editorial and algorithmic recommendations.
Spotify has not announced a price or launch date for the covers and remixes tool.
On the company’s Q2 2026 earnings call on August 4, Co-CEO Gustav Söderström said the next step would be a research preview released to a subset of users.
Asked whether Spotify needed deals with every major label before going live, he said: “So the answer is we do not need a deal with all the majors.”
Elsewhere, Believe signed a global licensing deal with AI music platform Suno on September 8, covering participating repertoire from Believe and TuneCore.
“All tracks created by artists using Suno’s new industry partner model will become eligible to distribute through Believe and TuneCore,” Believe and Suno said at the time. “This change from Believe’s April 2026 decision to block the distribution of Suno’s then-current models reflects the progress achieved in recent months for artists.”
That decision, announced on April 30, saw Believe and TuneCore begin automatically blocking the distribution of AI-generated tracks made partly or fully on unlicensed platforms, a category in which Believe placed Suno.Music Business Worldwide