Spotify Adds 'Verified' Badges to Distinguish Human Artists from AI

Spotify is taking steps to help users distinguish between human artists and AI-generated content on its platform. The music streaming giant is introducing a 'Verified by Spotify' badge, which will appear next to artist names that meet certain standards demonstrating authenticity. The verification process will prioritize acts with significant contributions to music culture and history, rather than 'content farms.' According to Spotify, more than 99% of the artists listeners actively search for will be verified, representing hundreds of thousands of artists.

The 'Verified by Spotify' text and green checkmark icon will be displayed next to artist names, indicating that they have linked social accounts, consistent listener activity, or other 'signals of a real artist behind the profile,' such as merchandise or concert dates. However, some experts argue that the verification process may not go far enough in addressing concerns over AI-generated music. Ed Newton-Rex, a campaigner for creators' rights and former AI executive, suggests that Spotify could instead automatically label AI-generated music, rather than relying on a verification system that only proves an artist is human.

'It's possible that this approach could punish real human artists who don't have some of the markers the verification is based on,' he said. Professor Nick Collins, a music professor at the University of Durham, agrees that Spotify's decision is 'unsurprising' given the ongoing debate around generative AI. However, he notes that labeling AI-generated music will be a more complex task.

'AI usage is not a binary position between 'entirely authentically handmade' and 'fully AI generated' but can have lots of in-between cases,' he said. Spotify has faced criticism in recent years for its approach to AI-generated content on its site. In 2023, then-CEO Daniel Ek told the BBC that he had no plans to completely ban AI-generated content from the platform.

The company has also been targeted by users who have requested clearer labels for AI-generated songs. The introduction of 'Verified' badges is the latest move by Spotify to address concerns over AI-generated music. The company has previously faced high-profile cases of AI-generated artists, such as The Velvet Sundown, which had a verified page with 850,000 monthly listeners before being revealed to be a synthetic music project.