Spotify Moves to Curb AI-Generated Content With Verified Artist Badge
In Focus
- Artists must meet specific requirements to receive the verification badge
- Spotify uses an identifiable artist presence on and outside its platform to determine eligibility
- Verification badges will start appearing on artist profiles in the coming weeks
Spotify is introducing a verified artist badge to enable users to distinguish between human artists from AI-generated profiles. The music streaming platform said to get the “Verified by Spotify” badge, artists must meet specific requirements to receive the verification badge. Spotify unveiled its verification badge at a time when AI-generated content has flooded the internet.
How Does Spotify Identify Authentic Human Artists?
Spotify has a criteria for identifying human-generated content on its platform. The music streaming platform searches for an identifiable artist presence on and outside its platform, including concert dates and social accounts linked to an artist’s profile.
Spotify does not consider profiles that feature AI-persona artists and AI-generated music as eligible for verification. Artists must also have consistent listener engagement over time to get Spotify’s verified badge.
Instead of considering artists whose engagement fluctuates frequently, the company is targeting profiles that listeners actively seek over a period of time. By the time Spotify launches verification badges for artists, over 99% of profiles that are actively sought by listeners will have been verified.
Majority of these are independent in different regions, career stages, and produce a wide range of genres. The music streaming platform is introducing the Spotify music verification feature weeks after it expanded its AI discovery to podcasts in a recent update.
Spotify Prioritizes Artists With Active Fan Base
Spotify’s verification program will prioritize artists who have an active fan base and have made notable contributions to music culture.
“We’ve designed this new verification program thoughtfully with listeners and artists in mind, and we’ll continue to evolve this program over time. Our goal is to make it easier for you to trust and understand the human artistry behind the music you listen to on Spotify, and develop long-term, meaningful connections with the artists and music you love,” Spotify stated in a blog post.
Besides the Spotify AI artist badge, the streaming platform is adding a profile section in beta for all artists. In these profiles, Spotify will highlight their release activity, career milestones, and tours. This section is intended to give users a sneak preview of an artist’s authentic activity even before they see the verification badge.
The latest updates highlight Spotify’s efforts to fix the AI slop challenge and impersonation on its platform. Other streaming platforms like Apple Music have also taken measures to curb AI-generated content on their platforms. Last month, Apple Music introduced disclosure labels, including track and composition tags, to improve transparency around such content.
When Will Spotify’s Verified Badge Launch?
Spotify, which introduced AI playlists to Premium users in the U.S. and Canada early this year, said the new verification badges will start appearing on artist profiles in the coming weeks. The badges will appear next to the artists’ names in search results and the text “Verified by Spotify” will appear alongside the green checkmark.
Due to the high number of profiles on the platform, Spotify will roll out the new feature gradually. The company said the absence of a badge does not necessarily imply that an artist’s profile will not have one in the future.
