Spotify to crackdown on AI “slop” in bid to protect artistsBack in June, Spotify announced that it was in no rush to purge AI music from its platform. However, the company’s stance has since changed; Spotify has just announced a mass crackdown on artificially generated “spammy” tracks.
On 25 September, the streaming giant shared its plans to “strengthen AI protections” for its artists. In a bid to “aggressively protect” creatives, Spotify notes that it has already removed 75 million tracks from the platform over the last 12 months, and will continue to do so.

READ MORE: Fake artists, real opportunities: Hoaxes and scams are holding back the potential of AI music

In order to crack down on AI tracks, the company shares that it will be implementing a more rigid ‘impersonation policy’ to remove tracks with unauthorised AI generated voice clones. “Unauthorised use of AI to clone an artist’s voice exploits their identity, undermines their artistry, and threatens the fundamental integrity of their work,” the company explains.
“Some artists may choose to license their voices to AI projects – and that’s their choice to make,” Spotify continues. “Our job is to do what we can to ensure that the choice stays in their hands.”
Elsewhere, the announcement also notes that a new spam filtering system will be in place. The new filter will restrict “mass uploads, duplicates, SEO hacks, artificially short track abuse, and other forms of slop” which are often ways generative AI can exploit Spotify’s algorithm. To tackle this, the company will be introducing a new system that will “identify uploaders and tracks engaging in these tactics, tag them, and stop recommending them”.
The new system will hopefully benefit genuine artists, as AI uploads can massively dilute Spotify’s royalty pool. “Our new music spam filter will help prevent spammers from generating royalties that could be otherwise distributed to professional artists and songwriters,” Spotify explains.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Spotify for Artists (@spotifyforartists)

Spotify will also introduce a new “AI disclosure” agreement, forcing artists to disclose whether AI has been used in the creation process. Developed through standards-setting organisation DDEX, the new agreement will allow users to see what aspects of a track were created with forms of AI.
Of course, some artists might use AI tools as an aid rather than a way of generating “spammy slop”, so the new system will add some nuance to the discussion of AI in music. “This standard gives artists and rights holders a way to clearly indicate where and how AI played a role in the creation of a track, whether that’s AI-generated vocals, instrumentation, or post-production,” Spotify says. “This change is about strengthening trust across the platform. It’s not about punishing artists who use AI responsibly or down-ranking tracks for disclosing information about how they were made.”
“Ultimately this preserves trust across the entire music ecosystem, as listeners can understand what’s behind the music they stream,” the company adds. “We see this as an important first step that will undoubtedly continue to evolve.”
While Spotify is starting to tackle AI tracks, the streaming platform seems to be following in the footsteps of Deezer, which has been firm about its stance on AI tracks over the past year, sidelining AI tracks and making sure no AI generated content is diluting its royalty pool.
The post Spotify to crackdown on AI “slop” in bid to protect artists appeared first on MusicTech.