In another example of the progress of AI, Spotify, and Universal Music Group have partnered to allow Spotify users to be able to create covers and remixes of their favourite songs, from participating artists and songwriters, in a ‘responsible’ fashion.

At their Investor Day this week, Spotify also announced they were beta testing Audiobook Creation Tools to help self-published authors create the audio version of their book using ElevenLabs’ digital voice technology to be able to publish without exclusive contracts.

There will also be a membership option for podcast creators and, AI specific again, “Verified by Spotify” badges alongside a light green checkmark icon to indicate that a podcast has an actual creator, publisher, or brand as compared to AI ones.

Oh, and they changed their logo to a disco ball, which seems to have distracted many people from all the AI above.

While the above might be great for reader, music and podcast lovers and potential DJs, I wonder how Taylor Swift (signed to Universal) and Audible feel about the above? I would imagine that Taylor has chosen not to be one of the participating artists above, but Audible has no choice but to keep adapting to provide a better audiobook experience to their paid subscribers.

I’ve only recently discovered the audiobook selection that I can utilise with my Spotify premium plan. 15 hours a month, which I’ve spent across May, when I can, listening to KIIS 97.3 Brisbane breakfast host Robin Bailey‘s book Flamingos Aren’t Born Pink.

Robin’s book is clearly read by her, and her boys, and is all the more impactful because of that. I was so impressed with the audiobook experience that I mentioned this new discovery to my husband, an avid audiobook fan, who has just this month cancelled his Audible subscription as we tighten our belts and seek to utilise better what is freely available or a cheaper alternative (we have the Spotify family plan).

A further free option I should mention is ABC Listen’s expansion into audiobooks as well. Not a huge range yet, but free to listen to and definitely not AI recordings.

While I am embracing my Spotify perks I am cautious about the above. The way AI is being funneled to us increasingly without us being aware in some instances and that, should our publisher choose, our voices being allowed to be remixed for other purposes (with a small recompence) if a money making venture, but equally potentially for nefarious use.

The music genre plunderphonics is a piece composed by the sampling of any known and recognisable voice alongside a beat or rap, described, by John Oswald in 1985, in an essay called “Plunderphonics, or Audio Piracy as a Compositional Prerogative”, as a ‘referential and self-conscious practice which interrogates notions of originality and identity.’

It is best demonstrated in Australia by the ‘songs’ below:

My son introduced me to the Mashd N Kutcher example above. He had no idea of the context or who Dan Andrews was. It is also worth noting that while Mashd N Kutcher credits Dan Andrews as a ‘songwriter’ (he must be so proud), Pauline doesn’t not credit the other, and real, Pauline.

Then, celebrating one of our nation’s most joyous moments, is this one fusing Olympics with rave culture:

I doubt many countries would be allowed to get away with twisting the words of a political leader to create a hit record. If Pauline Hanson gets verified for a future podcast she begins, I wonder if this audio might pop up in the ‘if you liked this, then you’ll probably enjoy this too’ options?

Probably not.

There’s a lot of change to further remove the humanity from music, audiobooks and podcasts happening presently. If might just be time for some more of our brilliant DJs to further interrogate notions of originality and identity through a clever remix, to remind us of the difference.

Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo.