By Todd Spangler, Variety | Spotify founder Daniel Ek is formally ending his tenure as CEO of the audio-streaming giant. As of Jan. 1, 2026, Ek will “transition” to the role of executive chairman of Spotify, the company said Tuesday. At that time, Gustav Söderström, currently co-president and chief product and technology officer, and Alex Norström, co-president and chief business officer, will become Spotify’s co-CEO. Söderström and Norström will report to Ek and both will also serve on the company’s board of directors (subject to shareholder approval).
According to the company, the executive change “formalizes how Spotify has successfully operated since 2023 with the co-presidents largely leading strategic development and operational execution of Spotify.” As executive chairman, Ek’s role “will more closely reflect a European chairman setup,” where he will oversee capital allocation and scope out the long-term future and strategy for Spotify while continuing to provide support and guidance to its senior team.
> > > > > > > >
Go here to read more on this story:
https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/daniel-ek-step-down-spotify-ceo-1236534775/
# # # # #
Spotify Targets AI-Generated Music, Deletes 75 Million “Spam” Tracks
By Alexandra Adamidis (alexandra.adamidis@earlygame.com) Early Game | Spotify has reinforced its commitment to maintaining a high-quality listening experience by launching a major initiative against AI abuse and spam uploads. As part of this effort, the platform has already removed more than 75 million “spammy” songs in the last 12 months.
The Issue
Impersonation, fraudulent uploads, and the distribution of low-quality, AI-generated songs are a major issue for the music industry as technology evolves.
Concerns about spam, deepfake vocals, and misleading uploads are piling up as AI-content becomes more and more present in everyday life. For example, a band called “The Velvet Sundown” appeared and had people questioning its actual existence. Many people accused the band of being AI-generated, which later turned out to be true.
Spotify Is On It
Spotify has already spoken up about the issue, saying that they already removed more than 75 million “spammy” songs in the last 12 months. They also addressed their concerns about the fast evolving technology of generative AI:
> > > > > > >
Read more of this development:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/spotify-targets-ai-generated-music-deletes-75-million-spam-tracks/
Photo: Daniel Ek
October 2, 2025| Music-Related Business| Barb Dye