AI News

Epidemic Sound Advances AI in Music with Open Collaboration and Fair Remuneration

Credit: epidemicsound.com (edited)

Key Points

  • The music industry is grappling with how to use AI responsibly without undermining human artistry.
  • Linn Westerberg, Director of Music Distribution at Epidemic Sound, explains how the company built its AI tool Adapt through transparency, collaboration, and trust with artists.
  • By involving creators from the start and ensuring fair compensation, Epidemic Sound sets a new standard for ethical AI in music through open collaboration and shared value creation.
Linn Westerberg - Director of Music Distribution | Epidemic Sound
We were happily surprised by how much the artists wanted to lean in once they saw what we were building. I think that comes down to the trust we’ve built with our roster over time. They understood this was something they could really capture value from. By proving that we can do it in an ethical way, it gives a lot of hope for the future of the industry.Linn Westerberg - Director of Music Distribution | Epidemic Sound

The future of ethical AI in music won’t be written by algorithms alone. It will be shaped by the people behind them. At Epidemic Sound, that belief guided the creation of Adapt, a tool that helps creators customize music to fit their projects. By inviting artists to co-create from the start, the company is showing that real innovation begins with trust, transparency, and a deep respect for the art itself.

Linn Westerberg knows what happens when artistry and technology meet in the same room. As Director of Music Distribution at Epidemic Sound and a former Music Programming Manager at Spotify, she has spent her career building bridges between creative vision and technical innovation. For her, the future of AI in music depends on something simple but often overlooked: treating artists as true partners, not data points.

"We were happily surprised by how much the artists wanted to lean in once they saw what we were building. I think that comes down to the trust we’ve built with our roster over time. They understood this was something they could really capture value from. By proving that we can do it in an ethical way, it gives a lot of hope for the future of the industry," says Westerberg.

  • Creative companion: The company's blueprint began with a principle that was in place long before AI entered the conversation. The tool's stated purpose is to serve artistry. "We really believe that AI should enhance human creativity and not replace it. When we developed Adapt, we wanted to make it more of an accompaniment to a track rather than generating a full track."

  • Artist insights: The philosophy was put into practice through a transparent model that fosters an ongoing partnership, creating a feedback loop where artists become co-developers shaping the product's future. "We're constantly learning from how the artists are using the tool. There's something in there that we want to keep exploring. It's still very early days for the Adapt tool, so we will keep working with the artists to see what interesting things can come out of it," Westerberg explains.

    Linn Westerberg - Director of Music Distribution | Epidemic Sound
    Getting remuneration right was a priority from the very beginning. We knew that without a fair system in place, the project couldn’t move forward. Fair pay has been at the top of our priority list since the company was founded, long before we started developing any AI tools.Linn Westerberg - Director of Music Distribution | Epidemic Sound

    The long-term investment in artist relationships has built a foundation of trust that has inspired an enthusiastic response from artists. But collaboration is meaningless without compensation. As the industry grapples with how to structure artist royalties in the age of AI, fair pay was a non-negotiable prerequisite for the tool's launch. Epidemic Sound’s overall artist remuneration model includes a fixed fee upfront per track, a 50/50 split on all streaming royalties, a Soundtrack Bonus pool of $4.2 million, and now with the launch of Adapt it has introduced a new $1 million AI bonus pool.

  • The dealbreaker: "Getting remuneration right was a priority from the very beginning. We knew that without a fair system in place, the project couldn’t move forward. Fair pay has been at the top of our priority list since the company was founded, long before we started developing any AI tools," says Westerberg.

Westerberg explains that the tool offers dual benefits, providing creative flexibility alongside a new stream of valuable data to generate insights into how the adapted tracks are used. This information can then inform an artist's marketing and distribution strategy, helping to boost the reach of their entire catalog. But for Epidemic Sound, how the company measures success perhaps offers the clearest window into its priorities.

  • Measuring what matters: The company prioritizes human satisfaction as its clearest measure of success. Westerberg says that while data helps guide decisions, the real indicator lies in how artists and creators feel about using the tool. "All of it matters, but one part is the qualitative data we’ve captured throughout the process. By staying in close communication with both the creative community and the artists, we’ve been able to ensure that what we release genuinely satisfies them."

Ultimately, Westerberg frames Adapt as the first exciting step on a much longer journey. The future of music and AI may be unwritten, but by grounding its development in this collaborative methodology, Epidemic Sound offers a model for how the industry can navigate it with confidence.

"We're just scratching the surface of how we can empower human creativity through Adapt or any other tools that we will roll out for creators. Who knows exactly where the technology is going to take us. But it's an exciting time."