In a new feature announced Thursday, Spotify said it will give a “Verified by Spotify” badge to artists who comply with Spotify’s policies, have consistent listeners, and “have a recognizable artist presence both on and off the platform.”
With the new initiative, Spotify aims to tackle something that’s become a bit of a headache for the company and a big headache for listeners: AI-generated music.
The AI slopification of music really became a mainstream talking point last year, when a rock band with one million Spotify streams called The Velvet Sundown turned out to be completely AI-generated. This incident caused outrage and some embarrassment among fans on social media who were unable to tell the difference, but it happens.
A survey late last year by music streaming platform Deezer found that most people can’t tell AI-generated music apart from songs written and performed by real humans. The same survey also found that 80% of listeners wanted AI-generated music to be clearly labeled, whether they were for or against it.
Under Spotify’s new initiative, the company is implementing previous promises. Shortly after the Velvet Sundown incident last year, the company announced it would help develop “a new industry standard for AI disclosure in music credits.”
“In the AI age, it’s more important than ever to be able to trust the authenticity of the music you listen to,” Spotify said Thursday.
But this platform also lags only behind its rivals in the industry. Deezer recently shared that 44% of its daily uploads were AI-generated songs, and it has been tagging AI-generated songs for the past few months. Apple Music also introduced optional labeling for AI-generated music in March, although its efficacy is uncertain as the distributor gets to decide whether to apply the label.
The light green checkmark icon and “Verified by Spotify” badges will roll out in the coming weeks. Spotify said it aims to verify more than 99% of the artists that listeners actively discover for the first time at launch, so if you don’t see a badge on your favorite super niche singer, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re an AI psy-op.
While some platforms have opted to ban AI music, Spotify’s initiative signals the potential acceptance of more AI-generated music on the platform. Spotify said that initially, “profiles that appear to represent primarily AI-generated or AI-personified artists” will not be eligible for the badge, but things may change in the future.
Spotify said, “In today’s music landscape, the concept of artist authenticity is complex and rapidly evolving, and we will continue to evolve our approach over time.”
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