AI at Spotify isn’t just about writing code — it’s about owning unique data.

Co-CEO Gustav Söderström emphasized that Spotify is building a proprietary dataset around music preferences that large language models can’t easily commoditize.

Unlike factual datasets such as Wikipedia, music taste is subjective and culturally dependent. What counts as “workout music” in the U.S. may differ completely from preferences in Scandinavia or across Europe.

Spotify also addressed AI-generated music, allowing artists to disclose how tracks were created while actively policing the platform for spam.

The company’s message is clear: AI isn’t just a tool — it’s becoming core infrastructure for product development, personalization, and long-term competitive advantage.