Spotify introduces verified artist badges to distinguish humans from artificial intelligence

As AI-generated artists and tracks flood music streaming platforms, Spotify is rolling out a new “Verified by Spotify” badge to help listeners more easily identify authentic human artists.

To receive the badge, artists must meet certain criteria. Spotify looks for an identifiable artist presence both on and off the platform, such as concert dates, merch, and linked social media accounts to the artist’s profile. Profiles that primarily represent AI-generated music or AI artists are not eligible for verification.

Additionally, artists must have consistent listener activity and engagement over time. Spotify focuses on profiles of artists that people actively seek out over an extended period of time, rather than those who experience single peaks of engagement.

At launch, more than 99% of artists actively sought out by listeners will be verified. Most are independent, representing a broad mix of genres, career stages and regions, Spotify says.

Users will begin to see the new badges appear on artist profiles and next to artist names in search results in the coming weeks. Badges will have “Verified by Spotify” text along with a green check mark.

Given the sheer number of profiles on the platform, Spotify says that verification will roll out on an ongoing basis, and that the absence of a badge doesn’t mean a profile won’t receive one in the future.

Spotify prioritizes artists with an active fan base and notable contributions to music culture, rather than so-called “functional music” creators — think algorithm-optimized background or focus playlists — whose content is designed for passive or background listening.

“We’ve carefully designed this new verification program with listeners and artists in mind, and we’ll continue to evolve this program over time,” Spotify wrote in a blog post. “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 to develop long-term, meaningful connections with the artists and music you love.”

The platform is also launching a new profile section in beta across all artist profiles that will highlight career milestones, release activity and touring. Spotify says this section will give users a quick way to see an artist’s authentic activity even if they don’t yet meet the criteria for a verification badge.

These updates mark Spotify’s latest efforts to tackle the rise of low-quality AI slop and imitators on its platform. Last month, the company began beta testing an “Artist Profile Protection” feature that allows artists to check releases before they go live on their profiles, to give them more control over the tracks associated with their name.

Spotify launched the feature just weeks after Sony Music said it had requested removal of over 135,000 AI-generated songs featuring its artists on streaming services.

While Spotify has not shared details on the number of AI tracks being added to its platform, rival streaming service Deezer announced last week that AI-generated tracks now account for 44% of new music uploaded to its platform every day.