Spotify is introducing a new system to help listeners identify artists whose public personas may have been created using artificial intelligence.
Reports say the streaming platform will begin adding an AI Persona badge to selected artist profiles from mid-September. The label will alert users when an artist’s identity may be AI-generated rather than representing a real person.
The move aims to give listeners more transparency about the music and artists they encounter on the platform. Spotify said some users have raised concerns after discovering that artists they believed were real people were actually AI-generated.
Artists carrying the badge will be excluded from Spotify’s personalised recommendations. However, they can still appear in a listener’s recommendations if that person already follows the artist.
The AI Persona badge will be displayed on artist profile banners and in the “About” section. It will also appear when the artist shows up in search results or when their music is included in playlists.
Spotify said the system will focus on an artist’s public identity rather than whether AI was used to create their music. The company noted that AI tools are increasingly being used by human musicians as part of the creative process, making it difficult to treat all AI-assisted music in the same way.
Artists will also be encouraged to disclose voluntarily if their public identity has been created using AI. Spotify will review accounts that appear to meet its criteria and will allow affected artists to confirm the label or challenge the decision.
The badge will also indicate how the artist was identified — whether they disclosed their AI-generated identity themselves or were flagged through Spotify’s review process.
The move has received support from some musicians and listeners, who believe clearer labelling will help audiences understand what they are listening to without necessarily removing AI-generated music from the platform.
For Spotify, the issue is increasingly tied to trust. As generative AI becomes more common across the music industry, the company says listeners should be able to understand who is behind the music and whether an artist’s identity is genuine.
