AI翻唱的版权灰色地带，终于出现了第一个正式的合法出口。
8月5日，Spotify发布2026年第二季度财报，同时扔出一个比财报本身更受关注的消息：独立音乐授权机构Merlin正式加入Spotify的AI混音和翻唱项目。Merlin代表超过3万家独立厂牌和发行商，覆盖全球15%以上的音乐市场。加上此前已经加入的环球音乐集团（UMG），Spotify的AI翻唱功能已经获得了主流唱片公司和独立音乐圈的双重背书。
财报里的AI信号
先看财报数字。Spotify Q2付费订阅用户首次突破3亿，季度净增700万；月活跃用户（MAU）达到7.77亿，同比增长12%；营收47.8亿欧元，略低于市场预期的47.9亿欧元；经营利润6.55亿欧元，同比大幅增长61%。
用户增长依然强劲，但更值得关注的是AI功能的商业化路径。Spotify并没有像某些平台那样偷偷上线AI生成内容、等音乐人抗议了再下架，而是选择了一条更稳妥但也更慢的路：先拿授权，再做产品，最后收费。
具体来说，Spotify的AI翻唱/混音功能将作为付费附加服务推出。用户付费后，可以选择参与该计划的艺术家的歌曲，生成AI翻唱版本（比如用AI生成"泰勒·斯威夫特风格翻唱周杰伦"）或AI混音版本。每一次生成和播放，参与的艺术家和厂牌都会获得报酬。艺术家有完全的选择权——可以选择加入，也可以选择不加入；可以选择哪些歌曲开放，也可以随时退出。
Spotify联合CEO Daniel Ek称这是"第一个让艺术家真正点头、署名、拿到报酬的AI音乐参与方式"（the first legal way for artists to participate in AI music）。这句话的潜台词是：在此之前的AI翻唱，不管是Suno、Udio生成的，还是YouTube、TikTok上流行的AI翻唱视频，绝大多数都没有获得正版授权，本质上都是版权灰色地带甚至直接侵权。
为什么Merlin的加入很重要？
环球音乐集团加入是意料之中——三大唱片公司（环球、索尼、华纳）一直在和Spotify谈判AI音乐授权，UMG作为最大的一家率先签约不意外。但Merlin的加入具有特殊意义。
Merlin代表的不是泰勒·斯威夫特、周杰伦这种头部巨星，而是全球数以万计的独立厂牌、独立音乐人、小型发行商。这些创作者是音乐生态里的"长尾"——他们没有强大的法务团队去和平台谈授权，也没有足够的流量去和AI平台侵权行为做斗争。之前AI翻唱最受伤的恰恰是这些独立音乐人：大明星的歌被AI翻唱了至少还能涨知名度，独立音乐人的歌被AI翻唱了，既拿不到钱也涨不了粉，甚至听众都不知道原唱是谁。
Merlin作为独立音乐的集体授权组织加入，意味着独立音乐人也能通过集体谈判的方式从AI翻唱中获得收益。这比单独跟平台谈判效率高得多，也公平得多。
当然，这个模式远非完美。批评者指出几个问题：第一，报酬分配机制不透明——艺术家到底能从每次AI翻唱播放中拿多少钱？目前Spotify没有公布具体分成比例。第二，"选择加入"模式意味着不主动选择加入的艺术家的歌仍然可能被侵权——Spotify的授权只覆盖选择加入的曲目，不选择加入的呢？第三，AI翻唱可能会稀释原唱的播放量——如果听众听了AI翻唱版本就不听原版了，艺术家的整体收入是增是减还不好说。
Deezer 2026年4月的数据显示，主流流媒体平台上每10首歌里就有1首是AI生成的。这个数字还在快速增长。AI音乐的洪流是挡不住的，问题从来不是"要不要允许AI音乐"，而是"如何让创造音乐的人拿到应有的报酬"。Spotify的模式虽然不完美，但至少提供了一个可操作的框架：授权、选择、署名、分成。
从文字（ChatGPT）到图片（Midjourney）到代码（Cursor）到音乐——AI内容创作的每一个领域都在经历"野蛮生长→侵权争议→授权和解→商业化"的四步曲。音乐行业走到了第三步，其他领域还停留在第二步。Spotify和Merlin的合作，可能成为AI内容版权问题的第一个行业级范本。
明天见。
AI covers' copyright gray zone finally has its first formal legal outlet.
On August 5, Spotify released its Q2 2026 earnings, and along with them dropped news that overshadowed the financials themselves: independent music licensing agency Merlin is officially joining Spotify's AI remix and covers program. Merlin represents over 30,000 independent labels and distributors, covering more than 15% of the global music market. Combined with Universal Music Group (UMG), which previously joined, Spotify's AI covers feature now has backing from both major labels and the independent music world.
The AI Signals in the Earnings
First, the numbers. Spotify Q2 paid subscribers topped 300 million for the first time, with 7 million net adds in the quarter; monthly active users (MAU) hit 777 million, up 12% year-over-year; revenue was €4.78 billion, slightly below the €4.79 billion consensus; operating profit was €655 million, up a hefty 61% YoY.
User growth remains strong, but the more notable story is AI's commercialization path. Unlike some platforms that quietly launched AI-generated content and took it down only after musician outcries, Spotify chose a more cautious — if slower — path: secure licenses first, build the product second, monetize last.
Specifically, Spotify's AI covers/remix feature will launch as a paid add-on. Subscribers who pay extra can select songs from participating artists and generate AI covers (e.g., "Taylor Swift-style cover of Jay Chou") or AI remixes. Artists and labels get paid for every generation and play. Artists have full choice — they can opt in or out; they can choose which songs to make available; they can exit at any time.
Spotify co-CEO Daniel Ek called this "the first legal way for artists to truly opt in, get credited, and get paid" for AI music. The subtext: prior AI covers — whether generated by Suno, Udio, or the AI cover videos circulating on YouTube and TikTok — overwhelmingly operated without proper licensing, essentially occupying copyright gray areas or constituting outright infringement.
Why Merlin's Membership Matters
Universal Music Group joining was expected — the three majors (UMG, Sony, Warner) have been negotiating AI music licenses with Spotify, and UMG as the largest signing first is no surprise. But Merlin's addition has special significance.
Merlin doesn't represent A-list superstars like Taylor Swift or Jay Chou; it represents tens of thousands of independent labels, independent musicians, and small distributors worldwide. These creators are the "long tail" of the music ecosystem — they don't have powerful legal teams to negotiate licenses with platforms or enough traffic to fight AI platform infringement. Independent musicians are precisely the ones most harmed by AI covers: when a superstar's song gets an AI cover, it at least boosts their profile; when an independent artist's song gets an AI cover, they get neither money nor new fans, and listeners may not even know who the original artist is.
Merlin joining as independent music's collective licensing body means independent artists can also earn revenue from AI covers through collective bargaining — far more efficient and fair than negotiating individually with platforms.
Of course, this model is far from perfect. Critics point to several issues: first, the royalty distribution mechanism is opaque — how much do artists actually earn per AI cover play? Spotify hasn't published specific revenue splits. Second, the "opt-in" model means songs from artists who don't actively opt in may still be infringed — Spotify's licenses only cover opted-in tracks; what about the ones that don't? Third, AI covers could cannibalize original plays — if listeners listen to AI covers instead of originals, whether artists' overall income rises or falls remains unclear.
Deezer data from April 2026 shows 1 in 10 songs on major streaming platforms is AI-generated. That number is growing fast. The flood of AI music cannot be stopped; the question has never been "should we allow AI music" but "how do the people who create music get paid fairly." Spotify's model, imperfect as it is, at least provides an actionable framework: license, choice, credit, royalties.
From text (ChatGPT) to images (Midjourney) to code (Cursor) to music — every domain of AI content creation goes through the same four stages: wild growth → copyright disputes → licensing settlements → commercialization. The music industry has reached stage three; other domains are still at stage two. Spotify and Merlin's partnership could become the first industry-level template for AI content copyright.
See you tomorrow.
AI音乐的洪流挡不住，问题从来不是"要不要允许"，而是"如何让创造音乐的人拿到报酬"。
—— Dawn Vision编辑部
The flood of AI music cannot be stopped; the question has never been 'should we allow it' but 'how do creators get paid.'
— The Dawn Vision Editorial Desk
Spotify · Merlin · AI翻唱 · AI混音 · 3亿付费用户 · 7.77亿MAU · 音乐版权 · 授权分成 · 3万独立厂牌 · AI内容商业化
Spotify · Merlin · AI covers · AI remix · 300M paid subscribers · 777M MAU · music copyright · licensed royalties · 30K indie labels · AI content commercialization
Sources · 信源 Sources
本文基于 Dawn Vision 认知引擎处理的 14 个源信号生成，经编辑部人工审核。素材来源：TechCrunch、Spotify Q2财报、网易科技。
This article was generated by the Dawn Vision cognitive engine processing 14 source signals, with human editorial review. Sources: TechCrunch, Spotify Q2 earnings, NetEase Tech.
