True artist-fan connection can only be built on a foundation of trust and authenticity. In music, that means listeners need to be able to trust that the artist behind the music is who they say they are. That’s more essential than ever in the age of generative AI.
So this year, Spotify has made Artist Identity & Trust one of its very top priorities with the launch of Verified by Spotify, SongDNA, AI Credits, and Artist Profile Protection. The move forms part of efforts to ensure Spotify is the most transparent and trustworthy place to listen to music.
Starting mid-September, users will begin to see an AI Persona badge on some artist profiles. The badge signals to listeners that an artist’s identity may be AI-generated and does not represent a real person. Alongside artist profiles that self-disclose as AI Personas, badges will begin to be applied to relevant profiles.
By default, Spotify will not include AI Personas in any editorial or algorithmic recommendations. That means listeners won’t see any music from AI Personas in their personalized recommendations, unless they follow AI Personas, for example. While the company believes all artists have creative choices in determining how they present themselves, Spotify’s programming is focused on elevating music from authentic artists building careers in music.
How it works
Starting today, artists can share that their profile represents an AI Persona through Spotify for Artists.
Spotify will also review artist profiles and identify those whose public identity—the identity an artist presents on their profile, including name and imagery—appears to represent photorealistic AI-generated identities. The company will start with artists who have met defined audience thresholds, so the labels cover the vast majority of artist profiles that users visit.
In mid-September, consumers will start to see the AI Persona badge appear on artist profiles (in the banner and About section), in Search, and on track rows across playlists. When listeners tap the badge, they’ll be able to see whether the artist transparently shared that they’re an AI Persona to build trust with potential listeners, or if Spotify had to review and make an informed determination.
For artist profiles where Spotify’s review team have applied the badge, artists will be notified and given the opportunity to self-disclose or appeal. In the coming months, Spotify will also give listeners the ability to report artist profiles they believe represent AI Personas to its review team.
Although there’s a broad spectrum in how artists use AI as a creative tool, the question of whether a profile represents an actual human is one where Spotify can help make a clear determination. This badge is about the artist’s public identity, not about how the music was made. For more information about how the music was made, Spotify offers AI Credits and SongDNA.
Credit: ameyawdebrah.com
