One of Spotify’s central concerns is that the majority of these spam tracks are uploaded in hopes of collecting payouts with any stream played for more than 30 seconds generating a form of micro-royalties. This potentially diverts income away from legitimate artists. The sheer scale of the 75 million removals emphasises the challenge this poses to Spotify’s vast public catalogue.

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Beyond spam filtering, Spotify is set to expand upon its existing policies around vocal impersonation and deepfakes, permitting such work only with direct authorisation from the original artist. The platform also plans to back up a voluntary disclosure standard (via DDEX), allowing any track to indicate how AI was used, whether in vocals, instrumentation, or post-production.

However, the company has also clearly stated that it is not banning AI music outright. Rather, it hopes to distinguish between responsible, creative experimental use and against exploitative practices. Spotify maintains that AI-generated content remains a minimal presence on the service and insists it is not significantly affecting overall streaming habits or royalties paid to human creators.

These measures arrive at a time when generative AI tools such as Suno and Udio have made it easier than ever to rapidly produce synthetic audio. This trend places not just Spotify, but all major streaming platforms under scrutiny as they confront the intertwined issues of authenticity, identity, and legitimacy in music catalogues.

For many artists, the new protections could provide a welcome safeguard against identity theft, diluted royalties, and uncredited mimicry. Yet questions remain: how well will the filters perform in practice? Will smaller independent creators be mistakenly caught in the dragnet? And will disclosure standards gain real traction across the industry, or stay voluntary and unevenly applied?

As Spotify begins rolling out these changes in the weeks ahead, the industry is watching closely. The debate over AI’s role in music is no longer theoretical—it is unfolding in real time, on one of streaming’s biggest stages.

Honorary doctorates are regularly awarded to major figures in culture. Stars such as Usher, Stormzy and Lulu have all been recognised in recent years, placing Cave among a diverse list of musicians and artists acknowledged for their influence and body of work.

This will not be 67 year old singer’s first award for artistic service. In July 2025 Cave was honoured in Arles, France, where he was invested as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and received the City of Arles Medal. The awards recognised his decades of artistic work and his lasting influence across music, literature and film. Cave has often spoken of the inspiration he has drawn from French poets such as Charles Baudelaire and Arthur Rimbaud, making the recognition a fitting tribute to his creative relationship with French culture.

The upcoming British doctorate will be presented by RCA Chancellor Sir Jony Ive. The college describes the degree as the highest recognition it can bestow, celebrating exceptional accomplishments. Cave will be honoured alongside graduating students in a ceremony at Royal Festival Hall in London.

It has been a busy couple of years for Cave. The singer’s 18th studio album with The Bad Seeds, ‘Wild God’, was preceded by singles including:  ‘Wild God’, ‘Frogs’, and ‘Long Dark Night’. Around the same time, Cave also teased a large-scale hometown performance in Brighton for 2026, while a newly released video for the classic track ‘Tupelo’—directed by Andrew Dominik and featuring an AI-generated Elvis Presley which sparked debate over the role of generative technology in music. Cave himself condemned the use of artificial intelligence in songwriting in an interview, calling it “unbelievably disturbing” and warning of its “humiliating effect” on human creativity.

Looking ahead, Cave has announced a solo tour across his homeland of Australia in 2026. In addition, an eight-part television series based on his novel The Death of Bunny Munro is in development, starring Matt Smith in the lead role with Cave and Warren Ellis scoring the project.  A preview screening and discussion will take place later this year at the London Literature Festival.

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Between French honours, a new album, a major doctorate and upcoming projects for screen and stage, the singer’s recognition from the Royal College of Art reinforces his standing as one of the most significant cultural figures of his generation. His influence extending far beyond his music, inspiring generations of artists, writers and filmmakers who cite his lyrical intensity and dark romanticism as key influences. His ongoing collaborations and cultural presence continue to cement his status as one of contemporary music’s most enduring figures.

The band made the announcement on July 25, stating that none of their new or existing music will be available on Spotify going forward. Their latest release – a raw and experimental collection of demos – omitted the streaming platform, accompanied by a blunt message to fans on social media: “out everywhere except Spotify (fuck Spotify). You can bootleg it if you wanna.”

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Then, explaining the decision, the band later elaborated: “Hello friends. A PSA to those unaware: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests millions in AI military drone technology. We just removed our music from the platform. Can we put pressure on these Dr. Evil tech bros to do better? Join us on another platform.”

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek – whose company has faced repeated criticism over artist royalties and controversial podcast deals – has served as chairman of Helsing since 2021. In 2023, he helped led a $1.07 billion funding round for the company. Helsing’s work includes integrating AI into military operations, such as real-time battlefield mapping and data processing for NATO-aligned European militaries. The ethical implications of such partnerships, especially when backed by figures associated with global entertainment platforms, have sparked outrage across creative communities.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – who currently have 27 studio albums, live albums and compilations available on the platform – have now joined the growing musician-led exodus from Spotify. The protest is being driven not just by dissatisfaction with royalty pay-outs, but by broader concerns about how technology and creativity intersect with the global military-industrial complex.

 

 

 

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Experimental rock acts like Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof have also recently withdrawn from the platform. Californian art-rock band Xiu Xiu recently announced on that it was taking all of its music off “garbage hole violent Armageddon portal Spotify” as they “don’t want [their] music killing people”.

These artists are urging fans to follow them to Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Tidal, or other platforms more aligned with ethical transparency and artist-first models. As backlash against Big Tech continues to rise, King Gizzard’s bold move sets a precedent for music as both a political tool and a moral stand.

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In a conversation with Electronic Sound magazine, Thom said: “As far as I can tell in music and art and all creative industries, Al is so far only able to ‘create’ variations on genuine human artistic expression, and those are obvious. Is Al capable of genuine original creative thought? I have yet to see that. It analyses and steals and builds iterations without acknowledging the original human work it analysed. It creates pallid facsimiles, which is useful in the same way auto-accompaniment is useful, or a screensaver of a beautiful natural landscape in a billionaire’s bunker is.”

“But the economic structure is morally wrong… the human work used by AI to fake its creativity is not being acknowledged. Writers are not paid. It’s a weird kind of wanky, tech-bro nightmare future, and it seems this is what the tech industry does best. A devaluing of the rest of humanity, other than themselves, hidden behind tech. In the US right now, we are witnessing this spilling over into politics. We are, in modern parlance, creatives, which is a term I find deeply offensive because it arrived around the time that art morphed into ‘content’ for devices.”

The singer, who has always been very outspoken, was one of the many artists to sign the petition against AI amongst names such as ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, The Cure’s Robert Smith, Kate Bush, Blur’s Damon Albarn and more. The petition read: “The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted.”

Yorke recently issued a statement regarding his stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict. You can find our MXDWN coverage on that here.

Whilst speaking on BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg’s show on Sunday, the ‘Yellow Brick Road’ singer opened up about how the ministers’ plans to allow AI firms to use artists’ content without paying them would be “committing theft, thievery on a high scale”.

The UK government’s proposals to allow tech firms to use copyrighted material as training data has been a subject under fire from numerous big names of the music industry such as Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Dua Lipa, Thom Yorke and Kate Bush.

More than 1000 musicians featured on the silent album ‘Is This What We Want?’ released in February, in protest at the UK government’s planned changes to copyright law. All profits were donated to the music charity Help Musicians. The album, also supported by Billy Ocean, Ed O’Brien of Radiohead and Bastille’s Dan Smith, as well as The Clash, Mystery Jets and Jamiroquai, features sound recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, demonstrating what the artists fear is the potential impact of the proposed law change.

The track-listing for the record simply spells out the message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”

Imogen Heap, Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Riz Ahmed have also backed the silent album release as well as Tori Amos and Hans Zimmer. Composer Max Richter, noted how the plans not only have an impact on musicians but “impoverish creators” across the board, from writers to visual artists and beyond.

In 2023, UK music contributed a record £7.6 billion to the economy, external.

In a letter to The Times, signatories including Sir Paul, Lord Lloyd Webber and Sir Stephen Fry said that changes to the law will allow big tech to raid the creative sectors. They were joined by the likes of Bush, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Sting in opposing plans to change copyright laws.

Criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s team, Elton said they would “rob young people of their legacy and their income”, adding that he thought they were “just being absolute losers, and I’m very angry about it”.

The legendary guitarist of The Rolling Stones was recently speaking at a Q&A alongside The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Yungblud, in an event marking the launch of the new book Buddy Holly: Words Of Love.

Speaking to those in attendance, Wood raised concerns over the growing reliance on technology, especially AI, in creating music. This has become a contentious talking point within the arts world as AI becomes more prominent.

The ‘Gimme Shelter’ musician can’t seem to get no satisfaction regarding how music is created today compared to back in his day, saying: “We were throwing shit at the wall and some of it stuck.

“There’s something about the technology… I feel personally, we’re losing the heartbeat. Maybe it’s because I’m older, but there’s not much new music.”

The Rolling Stones recently won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Rock Album’ with ‘Hackney Diamonds’, beating off competition from exciting and young bands such as Fontaines DC and IDLES.

This garnered lots of criticism from within the music world, but producer of the award winning album, Andrew Watt, offered his support to the band, appearing on the podcast Rolling Stone’s Music Now, he said: “They’re 82 and 83 years old. Tell me another band ever in history that has made a latter-day album that good in their 80s, with that level of songwriting, that level of performance?”

Yungblud offered an alternative perspective to the future of rock music at the Q&A event, saying: “Modern music’s been in a strange place, but it’s exciting because it’s really, I feel it’s very democratic again.

“If you have a story to tell, you can tell it and tell it to the world. You don’t have to go through seven steps.

“The balance has never changed. I think that’s what’s really cool about rock music at the minute, and modern rock and roll music, I really feel like it’s finding it’s bounce back, and it’s becoming hysterical again and it’s exciting. It’s becoming younger again. That’s really cool.”

Last month, the Doncaster born singer-songwriter released his newest single, ‘Hello Heaven, Hello’, check out what mxdwn.co.uk had to say about it here.

Ronnie Wood, Yungblud and Roger Daltrey were promoting the new hardback copy of Buddy Holly: Words Of Love. Hitting shelves on April 8, the book documents the career and legacy of original rock ’n’ roller Buddy Holly.

It will include stories from those close to him as well as never-before-seen photography and personal items. The ‘Peggy Sue’ singer left a heavy mark on the world in his short time, being known as one of the most influential musicians ever.

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He was killed in a plane crash at just 22 years of age alongside fellow musicians ‘The Big Bopper’ J.P. Richardson and 17 year-old Ritchie Valens, in what later became known as ‘The Day the Music Died.’

The hardback book will be available in stores with a RRP of £60, with proceeds from the sales benefitting Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.

Ronnie Wood is neither the first nor the last musician to speak out against AI. Back in February, over 1,000 artists, including Damon Albarn and Kate Bush, released a silent album to protest against a planned change to AI copyright laws by the UK government. Check out what we had to say about it here on mxdwn.co.uk.

Artists like Paloma Faith have spoken out against Artificial Intelligence on red carpet:

@brits @paloma faith flying the flag for true creativity #BRITs #MakeItFair ♬ original sound – BRITs

The Don’t Let AI Steal Our Music campaign, launched by BPI, builds on the earlier Make It Fair initiative, which gained widespread support across the UK’s creative industries when it debuted in the media on February 25. The movement also follows the release of Is This What We Want?, a silent album featuring the backing of over 1,000 musicians as a form of protest against the government’s proposals.

In a collective effort artists including Kate Bush, Damon Albarn, and Cat Stevens, released the silent album which features recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, symbolizing the potential impact on artists’ livelihoods. In addition, a new website, dontletaistealourmusic.com, has been launched to provide more details on the campaign and its objectives.

The UK government is considering changes to copyright law that would allow global AI companies to train generative AI models using the country’s music, books, films, and other creative works—without requiring permission or compensation for creators and rights-holders.

While the proposals suggest that creators could theoretically ‘opt out’ of having their work used for AI training, experiences in other markets have shown that such opt-out systems are ineffective and fail to prevent misuse or unauthorised exploitation. Copyright law exists to protect original works of authorship, ensuring they cannot be copied, distributed, or performed without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

At the @BRITs on Saturday, students of @TheBRITSchool stood with the Make It Fair campaign and the silent album ‘Is This What We Want?’.

They send a clear message to the UK Government: don’t let AI steal our music.

Find out more here: https://t.co/6q76tnoS8v pic.twitter.com/Unrdg6SLQi

— BPI (@bpi_music) March 4, 2025

Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of the BPI, said: “This campaign’s message to the Government is clear: don’t let AI steal our music. Thousands of Britain’s most beloved artists and creators have already spoken out against the proposed weakening of copyright law, which would have a devastating impact on the UK’s world-leading creative industries. We greatly value the artists and students who added their powerful voices to the campaign over the weekend. They represent the incredible human creativity that exists all across the UK and is so vital to protect.”

In response to the backlash, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer emphasized the importance of the creative industries and assured that no final decision has been made regarding the copyright reforms. He stated that the consultation period has concluded, and the feedback will be reviewed to balance the interests of AI advancement and creator rights

The album features a wide range of artists, spanning various genres. Damon Albarn, Kate Bush, The Clash, Jamiroquai, Hans Zimmer, and The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra are amongst more than 1,000 artists who have released a silent album in protest of the British government’s proposed changes to AI copyright laws. All profits will be given to the charity Help Musicians. The full list is available here.

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The track-listing for the record simply spells out the message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.” In 2023, the UK music contributed a record £7.6 billion to the economy. 

The album features recordings of empty studios and performance spaces which showcases what the future could become for musicians in the UK if the changes go ahead.

In a statement released alongside the album, the purpose of the project was made explicit: “In late 2024, the UK government proposed changing copyright law to allow artificial intelligence companies to build their products using other people’s copyrighted work—music, artworks, text, and more—without a licence. The musicians on this album came together to protest this.”

The project was organised and put together by Ed Newton-Rex. Newton-Rex was formerly the lead of the audio team at Stability AI, resigning in November 2023 over the company’s stance that training AI models on copyrighted work fell under ‘fair use’. The following January, he launched Fairly Trained, an initiative that recognises and certifies AI companies that obtain consent to data mine protected works.

A spokesman for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said in a statement: “The UK’s current regime for copyright and AI is holding back the creative industries, media and AI sector from realising their full potential – and that cannot continue. That’s why we have been consulting on a new approach that protects the interests of both AI developers and right holders and delivers a solution which allows both to thrive… No decisions have been taken, no moves will be made until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers each of our objectives.”

The album comes just weeks before the end of the government’s consultation period on the issue. The government’s preferred approach is an ‘opt-out’ system, forcing artists to actively request for the removal of their work. Alternative proposals have been suggested, such as an opt-in, or a model which compensates the artists fairly for access to their work, as well as allowing them to profit from any projects which make use of their work.

The new plans fail to reimburse artists for AI recreating and copying their work, stifle creativity, and the proposed opt-out scheme places an unnecessary burden on artists, critics say. The petition was signed by Bush, Radiohead star Thom Yorke, ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and The Cure frontman Robert Smith.

Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney were also voices that spoke out against the law. During a recent interview on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, the former Beatles member said: “You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it, and they don’t have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it off … We’re the people, you’re the government! You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job. So you know, if you’re putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you’re not going to have them.”

Response to the album online has been overwhelmingly positive. Yusuf/Cat Stevens shared the project on his X account, seemingly bringing the issue to a new audience. One user commented under the musician’s post, saying, “AI should be banned from harvesting the products of human creativity in the arts, music, writing, or painting. Limit it to diagnostics for science, tech, engineering, medicine, and housework. Free people to think and be paid for their creativity.”

AI should be banned from harvesting the products of human creativity in the arts, music, writing or painting.
Limit it to Diagnostics for Science tech, engineering , medicine, house work.
Free people to think and be paid for their creativity.
Grow the Arts economy don’t kill it.

— Phil (@PhilipBagLowe) February 25, 2025

The debate is raging in other countries too. Two weeks ago, a judge in Delaware ruled in favour of a copyright holder against an AI company who claimed their practices were covered by ‘fair use’.

With only two weeks of the consultation period left, ‘Is This What We Want?’ represents the final push to influence those who can really make a difference. Whether the project will be able to change the minds of a seemingly entrenched government position is yet to be seen, though the UK creative sector isn’t going down without a fight.

This article was co-reported and co-written by Lewis Pinto and Marie Choquet

These proposals would have permitted AI developers to train their models using artistic work, without the required consent from music creators. Suggested a controversial ‘rights reservation’ system, this framework would require creators to explicitly reserve their rights to prevent AI firms from using their work freely. 

Drawing widespread criticism, many argued that this approach undermines the foundation of copyright law and contradicts international copyright law. 

The @UKHouseofLords has voted to extend #copyright law to cover #AI training, sending a bill back to the commons to be debated again #GenAI #tech https://t.co/SOnb657R5J

— AI Media News (@AI_Media_News) January 30, 2025

Sir Paul McCartney, bass guitarist and pianist for the Beatles, has been one of the loudest voices in the fight against these proposals. Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg in a BBC interview, he shared “You get these artists coming through who write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it, they don’t have anything to do with it, and anybody can rip it off. The truth of it is that the money is going somewhere. When it makes its way onto streaming platforms, somebody is getting the money, and it should be the creator rather than some tech giant.”

Thankfully, in a vote of 145 to 126, the House of Lords passed amendments to the Data (Use and Access) Bill which reinforces copyright protections against unauthorised AI use. 

Crossbench Peer Baroness Kidron, who proposed these amendments, stated, “It surely goes without saying that our United Kingdom copyright law has to counter the increasing theft of intellectual property by artificial intelligence companies.” 

She went on to compare the Government’s approach to a shopkeeper being required to opt out of shoplifting and challenged the claim that AI could contribute £400 billion to the UK economy by 2030, revealing that this figure originated from an AI lobbying group funded by Google.

Paul McCartney Speaks Out on AI and Artist Rights The legendary Beatle urges the UK government to protect creators from AI misuse! McCartney warns that proposed copyright law changes could allow tech companies to exploit artists’ work without fair compensation. … pic.twitter.com/B4pMTlOSVF — TechAmerica (@techamericaofcl) January 25, 2025

McCartney, Kate Bush, and others have long campaigned for stronger AI regulations. A petition he signed last year, calling for stricter AI copyright protections, has garnered over 40,000 signatures including other artists like ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and Kate Bush. 

Beyond the policy, McCartney warns of AI’s broader impact on artistic expression, stating “If they take the incentive away by not protecting copyrights, I think you’d see a loss of creativity. That’s a great pity because it brings so much joy to the world.”

This issue extends beyond copyright – it’s about the future of music and culture. The UK’s creative sector generates £125 billion annually, which fuels the UK’s soft power and is essential to the nation’s global influence, with these new amendments highlighting the Government’s commitment to protecting the creative industries and putting artists first. 

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This debate brings to light a broader struggle between technological developments and the rights of human creators. While AI presents opportunities for innovation, it must not come at the cost of artistic integrity. Moving forward, a balanced approach – one that fosters AI development while ensuring creators are properly recognised and rewarded – will be crucial in preserving the nation’s culture.

McCartney’s remarks highlight a growing frustration among artists whose work is used to train AI without credit or compensation. “You get these artists coming through who write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it, and they don’t have anything to do with it, and anybody can rip it off. The truth of it is that the money is going somewhere. When it makes its way onto streaming platforms, somebody is getting the money and it should be the creator rather than some tech giant.”

His comments come as the UK government’s consultation on AI and copyright enters its final month, set to close on February 25. The consultation explores approaches like an opt-out system for creators. This approach was criticised by one of the shows panelists, Baroness Beeban Kidron, who likened it to a shop owner opting out of shoplifting in a House of Lords debate.

Kidron, who sits as a crossbench peer and advises the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University, used her appearance on the Sunday show to correct a figure repeated by the government. The claim is that AI could inject £400 billion into the UK by 2030. In fact, this figure was presented by an AI lobbying group, paid for by Google, and made up by generative AI as a global estimate.

Baroness Kidron is spot on here re. the UK government’s plan to give AI companies the life’s work of the country’s creators for free.

“It is shocking that a government that promised a period of rule of law is enabling theft at scale.”https://t.co/HsDvlCOkkq pic.twitter.com/yXMbNU7QQJ

— Ed Newton-Rex (@ednewtonrex) January 15, 2025

The Musicians Union have weighed in on the government’s consultation, cautiously saying: “A solution is available that will allow developers to comply with the law and license musical works that are willingly offered by creators for the purpose of training AI systems – in return for a fair share of the income generated from the exploitation of the output. The MU will be fighting to make sure this happens.”  

While the UK debates its stance, and government departments fight between themselves, other regions have already moved on with legislation. The EU implemented limited protections for copyrighted material in July 2024, and Tennessee passed the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act last March. The latter was criticised by AI companies, who claimed that the act’s language was overly vague, and therefore open to misuse.

McCartney’s plea for fairness was echoed in a petition he signed last year, which calls for governments to overhaul how AI companies handle copyrighted material. With over 40,000 signatures, the petition has garnered support from figures like ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and Kate Bush, as well as an assortment of actors and writers.  

However, McCartney’s comments go beyond policy, addressing the broader cultural implications of AI. “If they take the incentive away by not protecting the copyrights, I think you’d see a loss of creativity. That’s a great pity because it brings so much joy to the world.” 

Comment byu/kaychyakay from discussion innews

A similar sentiment was shared by synth-pop pioneer Gary Numan last week, who optimistically predicted that audiences may eventually turn their backs on AI art in favour of work born from real human experiences. This was backed up by a fan responding to the McCartney interview, who said: “In the long run, I hope that the need for human [spontaneity] will be valued for what it’s worth.”

This debate isn’t just about copyright; it’s about the future of culture. As Foreign Secretary David Lammy recently said, soft power—driven by the UK’s creative industries—is fundamental to the nation’s global influence. For McCartney, protecting that power starts with protecting the creators.

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The results of the consultation will be pivotal for the UK’s artists and creative industries. As McCartney said, governments should be protecting everyday people first and foremost, “so protect them!”