Spotify Plans To Charge Extra For A Controversial New Feature In 2027

One of the uncomfortable truths about using Spotify is that it's filled with sloppy, AI-generated music — and that problem is about to get a lot worse. Spotify announced on October 20, 2026 that it's partnering with Believe, a prominent music distribution company, to introduce an AI-powered remix feature to the platform. For an extra cost of about $5 per month, Spotify subscribers will be able to generate a remix or cover of any participating music track with the push of a button, according to a report from the Financial Times. The new feature is slated to launch in early 2027.

In the October press release from Spotify, the company justified the introduction of this feature by saying, "Fan-made remixes are already widespread, often without compensating the artists and songwriters." The streaming giant added that the original artists and rights holders will receive royalties when listeners stream AI-generated remixes created with the new tool. Furthermore, these remixes and covers will link back to the original track and artist so that listeners can discover the original music.

Whether you're interested in using this feature or not, it represents a change in tone from Spotify. Last year, Spotify had a plan to clean up the AI slop on its service. Now, it's planning to actively encourage users to pay more money so they can inundate the platform with even more AI-generated music — only this time under the company's control. The announcement has understandably sparked a lot of controversy.

The new AI-powered remix and cover tool on Spotify could reportedly be used to transform a song into a different genre or cover the track with a different artist's voice, among other possibilities. One highly upvoted comment on Reddit said that this is "insulting to artists." Users are also rallying around the sentiment that the feature is "soulless" and that "this should be rejected by anyone who likes music."

Not everyone is utterly against official AI remix tools, though. Producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri expressed his willingness to accept Spotify's new direction so long as the company "cut us in" and empowers artists to set their own fees (via Instagram). Spotify has confirmed that rights holders will receive compensation for opting in to the AI remix feature, but it is currently unknown how individual artists stand to benefit.

Some critics are also worried that many listeners may not even realize they're listening to AI-generated covers when listening to a Spotify AI-remixed song. One survey showed that only 3% of listeners can identify AI-generated music by ear to begin with. When and if this paid add-on is introduced, listeners will have to be even more vigilant to avoid AI slop on Spotify.