Spotify is reportedly developing AI tech that can clone podcast hosts' voices to generate ads without them ever stepping into a booth. The tool would let creators produce localized or multi-language sponsor reads with their permission. Spotify hasn't officially confirmed the feature, but admitted it's actively exploring generative audio.
Spotify just yanked tens of thousands of tracks generated by AI startup Boomy, wiping out about 7% of the platform's catalog. The takedown came after Universal Music flagged suspicious bot activity aimed at inflating play counts and siphoning streaming royalties. Spotify confirmed it took action to protect honest artists from artificial streaming scams.
An AI-generated song mimicking Drake and The Weeknd just got wiped from Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube following takedown demands from Universal Music Group. The viral track racked up over 625,000 plays on Spotify and 275,000 on YouTube before disappearing. It puts the music industry at an urgent crossroads over synthetic voices and copyright law.
Spotify just rolled out DJ, a new beta feature that pairs personalized music recommendations with an uncannily realistic voice commentary. Powered by OpenAI's tech and Sonantic's voice engine, it gives context on artists and songs as it plays. If the vibe isn't right, users can simply tap the DJ button to switch genres instantly.
Apple and audiobook distributor Findaway have agreed to halt using audio files for machine learning training following pushback from voice actors and union SAG-AFTRA. Narrators discovered a buried contract clause letting Apple feed their voices into AI models designed to automate narration. While file access is now paused for union members, discussions over compensation and data safeguards are ongoing.
