Spotify has taken a decisive step toward better artist recognition.
By acquiring a third-party service, the platform is now expanding and strengthening song credits across its entire ecosystem.
Just a year earlier, the #RespectTheCreators campaign had already sparked conversations on social media about fair credit in electronic music.
While sampling and remixes are deeply rooted in EDM culture, properly crediting everyone involved has often been a challenge.
Through this move, Spotify aims to help fix that long-standing issue.
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Using Samples for Creating EDM Track
From the very beginning, sampling has shaped electronic music culture.
In the early days, DJs built their sets by playing and blending existing records.
As technology evolved, artists gained the tools to create original material.
Still, samples and vocal cuts remain essential elements that many producers rely on today.
In commercial releases, artists must clear samples through formal copyright processes, often involving royalties.
However, in underground and enthusiast scenes, creators usually ask for proper acknowledgment rather than payment.
This practice mirrors online norms, such as YouTubers crediting others when using shared material.
A similar approach can be found in digital gaming platforms.
In this ecosystem, online games act as hosts rather than creators.
The games themselves come from third-party developers, who receive clear credit and share in the revenue through formal agreements.
At the same time, the rise of social media has changed how music spreads.
Festival clips and DJ set videos often circulate widely, but song credits frequently get lost along the way.
Even when the industry credits tracks correctly, those details rarely reach audiences on platforms like Instagram or TikTok.
Uploaders sometimes fail to credit songs, either through oversight or because they are unaware of the many samples involved.
This gap helped spark the #RespectTheCreators movement.
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Spotify is Ready to Tackle
In November, Spotify made a strategic move.
The platform acquired WhoSampled, a respected database known for tracing samples, covers, and remixes throughout music history.
While WhoSampled continues to operate independently, its extensive database now connects directly to Spotify’s ecosystem.
As a result, Spotify can roll out several new features.
One of them, About the Song, offers insights into a track’s creative background when relevant.
More importantly for EDM, SongDNA visually maps relationships between tracks, including sampling connections.
Meanwhile, Spotify’s expanded Song Credits feature shifts the spotlight beyond the headline artist.
It carefully lists everyone involved in a release.
DJs and producers now appear clearly in the credits.
They stand alongside songwriters who helped shape the track.
Even performers behind specific instrumental or orchestral samples finally receive proper recognition.
Spotify also allows artists to update and correct their credits to ensure accuracy.
With these tools in place, Spotify could make proper crediting far more accessible, especially on social media.
Artists and promoters can simply share a Spotify link that clearly lists all contributors.
This approach not only promotes the headline DJ but also shines a light on the creators whose work formed the foundation of the track.
Ultimately, the system makes crediting easier, more transparent, and more likely to become standard practice across the electronic music industry.
