People who like creating custom versions of their favorite tunes may soon be able to do that legally via Spotify. The music streaming service is reportedly working on tools that would enable users to remix — that is, manipulate and edit — songs, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday, citing people familiar with the discussions.
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Certain people who stream music, especially those among the younger crowd, often like to play around with songs by adding their own unique spin. They may speed up or slow down a song, splice and move different parts of the track, and even mash up different songs into a single tune. They’ll then share their custom music on social media for others to enjoy.
The problem? Artists and music labels don’t get compensated for these modified versions of their songs, especially since they’re difficult to track as they spread across streaming platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, the WSJ said. The tools reportedly being devised by Spotify would give people a more effective and legal way of manipulating music and appeal to younger users as a bonus.
The new tools would work as a kind of playback feature, sources told the WSJ. As one example, Spotify users could choose the speed at which they want to hear a song and then save their custom versions to listen to them in the future.
Certain basic features, such as speeding up and slowing down a song, would most likely be accessible by regular Spotify subscribers, who pay $10.99 a month for an individual plan, $14.99 a month for a duo plan, and $16.99 a month for a family plan, the WSJ said. But the more advanced features, such as mashups, could be reserved for a new and more expensive Super Premium subscription that Spotify reportedly has in the works.
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Discussions about the tools are still in the early stages, and licensing agreements haven’t yet been reached, the WSJ added. However, the idea would be to let users share their customized songs across Spotify but not to other streaming services or social media platforms.
