Topic
Spotify now calls its 1,000-stream royalty threshold a "first line of defense" against AI-generated tracks, which it says are 10 times more likely to fall below it. The same rule decides whether a new human artist earns anything, and Spotify still keeps one of its two tests secret.
Industryvia Spotify Newsroom
Believe and TuneCore became the fourth licensor of Spotify's planned AI covers and remixes add-on on 20 Oct 2026, and the first to describe an artist-level, two-step opt-in. The earlier UMG and Kobalt announcements talk about "participating" artists without saying who makes that choice, and Merlin says artists get a choice without describing how. Price, revenue split and launch date are still undisclosed.
AIvia Spotify Newsroom
The American Federation of Musicians wants consent, credit and pay for AI training written into its next contract with Universal, Sony, Warner and Hollywood Records, which covers major-label recordings in the US and Canada. Talks resume on 3 November, while the union's lawsuit over the labels' Suno and Udio deals waits for a ruling.
Industryvia American Federation of Musicians
Apple bought assets from Samplab, a Swiss maker of AI audio-editing software, and hired some of its staff in June. The deal only became public on 19 Oct 2026 through a European Commission filing. Samplab's tools edited single notes inside chords, detected chords and split stems. Apple hasn't announced any Logic Pro feature, but the hire points to AI that edits what you played rather than writing music for you.
Industryvia Apple Support
Grammy nominations land on 16 November. The rulebook lets AI material in, as long as the human part is "meaningful and more than de minimis" and fits the category. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr says a majority of a song must be human-written, which is a higher bar than the rulebook sets.
AIvia Recording Academy
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