Spotify will soon label AI artists and remove their music from user recommendations. The change begins rolling out in mid-September, and it means an “AI Persona” badge will appear on an artist’s profile across the app if the act does “not represent a real person”.
The streaming platform is allowing artists to disclose that they are an AI persona from today, but it will not rely solely on self-identification. Spotify says it will use human review alongside AI tools to determine whether a profile, including its name and image, “appears to represent photorealistic AI-generated identities”. Where the company judges that an artist’s identity may be AI-generated, it will apply a “Likely AI Persona” badge. Profiles that meet “defined audience thresholds” will be reviewed first, covering the acts people listen to most.
How recommendations will change
Music from AI personas will not appear in editorial suggestions or personal recommendations by default. “Listeners have been clear in telling us that they don’t like seeing an artist profile that seems human, only to find out that the persona is AI-generated,” Spotify says. “We tune our algorithms to highlight authentic human artists and, based on available signals, strive to not include spam, slop, or low-effort content in our recommendations.”
The move comes as AI music continues to flood streaming platforms. The rival service Deezer recently revealed that AI-generated tracks now make up half of its daily song uploads.
What the labels cover
Spotify says its new labels relate only to an artist’s identity, rather than how their music was created. The platform does not currently have a system to identify AI-generated music, but it allows artists to disclose AI use and has launched a “Verified by Spotify” badge to indicate that they are a real person.
Artists will be notified if a “Likely AI Persona” badge is placed on their profile, and they will be able to appeal. Spotify also plans to add a feature that lets listeners flag artists with potential AI-generated identities.
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Image: theverge.com
