Spotify has begun verifying non-AI artists and adding detailed profiles, enhancing transparency and helping users distinguish between human and AI-generated music on the platform. The light green checkmark icon and the ‘Verified by Spotify’ badges will begin rolling out over the coming weeks.
Spotify has started to verify non-AI artists, in a bid to increase ‘authenticity and trust for the artists behind the music’. It's also a surefire way to imply that any artist who isn't verified is most likely AI. The streaming giant said ‘the concept of artist authenticity is complex and quickly evolving’ and the company will continue to develop its approach over time.
Spotify confirmed that 99% of the artists people actively search for will be verified at launch. It's prioritizing artists with active fan interest, or who have made important contributions to music culture and history, rather than functional music creators and content farms whose content is primarily designed for passive or background listening.
The Verified by Spotify badge will signify that the artist in question has consistent listener activity and engagement over time, in good standing with Spotify's platform policies, and "an identifiable artist presence both on and off-platform, like concert dates, merch, and linked social accounts".
The new badge will start appearing on artist profiles and next to artist names in search results over the coming weeks. There will be ‘Verified by Spotify’ text and a light green checkmark icon.
Spotify is also introducing a new beta section on all artist profiles that highlights details like career milestones, release activity, and touring activity. This will be available in the About section on mobile across artist profiles in the coming weeks, and users will also see this when they tap on the Verified by Spotify banner.
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Music streaming platform Deezer found in a survey late last year that an overwhelming majority of people cannot tell AI-generated music apart from songs written and performed by actual humans. The same survey had also found that 80% of listeners wanted AI-generated music clearly labeled, regardless of whether they were for or against it.
Deezer recently reported that 44% of its daily uploads were AI-generated songs, and it has been tagging AI-generated songs for a few months. Apple Music also began offering optional labeling for AI-generated music in March, though its effectiveness is uncertain because the distributor decides whether to apply the label.
‘In today’s music landscape, the concept of artist authenticity is complex and quickly evolving, and we’ll continue to develop our approach over time,’ Spotify said.