Kobalt signs Spotify's AI covers and remixes deal, the first publisher outside Universal

Spotify signed Kobalt to its AI-powered covers and remixes tool on Thursday, August 13, 2026. It is the first publishing deal for the feature outside Universal Music Group, and it lands 9 days after Merlin signed on for the independent sector.

Kobalt represents songwriters rather than recordings, which is the side of the split that decides whether a cover or remix can legally exist at all.

What Spotify has and has not said about paying Kobalt songwriters

The press release runs 229 words, and most of it is quotes. Participating songwriters get a share of the add-on revenue, the feature stays a paid extra for Premium subscribers, and Spotify repeated its three-word frame of consent, credit and compensation. Kobalt CEO Laurent Hubert called the tools “built on a foundation of ethical training, fair compensation, and intentional guardrails.”

The release names no rate, no launch date, and no price. It also skips any detail on which copyrights are covered, which points to songwriters opting in one by one rather than a blanket grant. Digital Music News noted Primary Wave is absent from the text despite sitting under Kobalt, so it appears to have entered separately.

Three deals in three months tells you Spotify is buying coverage before it ships anything. Universal in May, Merlin on August 4, Kobalt on August 13. Hellman closed with “we look forward to welcoming more partners,” which is the only forward-looking detail in the announcement.

If your publishing sits with Kobalt, ask two questions before you opt in: what you get paid per creation, and whether you can pull out later. Neither has a published answer yet.