Principal Research Scientist - Music

We are seeking a Principal Research Scientist to join our Artist‑First AI Music lab. Our team pioneers state‑of‑the‑art generative technologies for music that create breakthrough experiences for fans and artists.

All of our products will put artists and songwriters first, through these four principles:

• Partnerships with record labels, distributors, and music publishers: We’ll develop new products for artists and fans through upfront agreements, not by asking for forgiveness later.
• Choice in participation: Artists and rights holders will choose if and how to participate to ensure the use of AI tools aligns with their values.
• Fair compensation and new revenue: We will build products that create wholly new revenue streams for rights holders, artists, and songwriters, ensuring they are properly compensated and transparently credited.
• Artist‑fan connection: AI tools we develop will not replace human artistry. They will give artists new ways to be creative and connect with fans.

For more information, see this press release:

• Conduct ground‑breaking research in music generation (diffusion, flow matching, or autoregressive models), as well as related domains like ML‑based audio processing, music information retrieval, machine learning, and signal processing.
• Run large‑scale experiments with access to Spotify’s extensive infrastructure and an audience of more than 700 million monthly active users.
• Create practical applications that harness generative technologies, pushing the boundaries of possible listening experiences.
• Collaborate as part of a cross‑functional team—working closely with scientists, engineers, product managers, designers, user researchers, and analysts—to craft innovative solutions to complex challenges.
• Have a direct impact on Spotify’s products, tools, and services, working on projects that influence the entire organization.
• Engage with the broader research community by publishing your findings, delivering talks, and attending top conferences.

• You hold a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related field. Previous industry experience is helpful.
• You have experience in one or more of the following fields: generative modeling, machine learning, music information retrieval, speech processing, audio processing, signal processing, probabilistic modeling, computer vision, or related areas.
• You have publications in communities such as ICASSP, ISMIR, INTERSPEECH, ICLR, AAAI, IJCAI, NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, ECCV, ICCV, or related.
• You have strong coding skills in Python, PyTorch, and Num Py.
• You are a creative problem solver who is passionate about building outstanding products that add real value to millions of people.
• You are enthusiastic about learning how to turn research ideas into products operating at scale.
• You can explain complex topics in simple terms and enjoy building strong relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.

• You may work within the North American region; the team operates within Eastern Standard Time for collaboration.
• Core working hours are CET 3 pm‑6 pm / EST 9 am‑12 pm.

The United States base range for this position is $252,318 – $360,454 plus equity.

Benefits include health insurance, six‑month paid parental leave, a 401(k) retirement plan, a monthly meal allowance, 23 paid days off, and 13 paid flexible holidays. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Spotify transformed music listening forever when we launched in 2008. Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving millions of creatives the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the chance to enjoy it. Everything we do is driven by our love for music and podcasting. Today, we are the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service.

Spotify is an equal‑opportunity employer. You are welcome at Spotify for who you are, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or what’s playing in your headphones. Our platform is for everyone, and so is our workplace.

At Spotify, we are passionate about inclusivity and making sure our entire recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We have ways to request reasonable accommodations during the interview process and help assist in what you need. If you need accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know—we’re here to support you in any way we can.