Spotify has recently introduced new policies in response to the increasing prevalence of AI-generated music on its platform. The surge in such content, fueled by tools like Suno and Udio, has raised concerns among listeners and artists regarding the authenticity of music. Spotify’s announcement aims to address three main issues: “slop,” impersonation, and the need for transparency about the use of AI in music creation.
The company’s global head of music product, Charlie Hellman, stated that the efforts aim to protect artists from spam and false representations while ensuring that listeners are not misled. Despite these measures, Spotify remains open to artists utilizing AI technologies in their creative processes.
To enhance transparency, Spotify is collaborating with the music standards organization DDEX to establish a new metadata standard that will require the disclosure of AI involvement in music production. This initiative encompasses various aspects of music creation, such as AI-generated sounds, vocals, and the mixing process. Currently, 15 record labels and music distributors have committed to implementing these AI disclosure standards, although no specific timeline has been provided for their rollout.
In addition to tackling impersonation—defined as using another artist’s voice, whether real or artificially generated—Spotify is set to launch a music spam filter aimed at identifying and removing fraudulent uploads. This filter will target tactics commonly employed by spammers, such as submitting slightly altered versions of tracks to exploit streaming royalties.
Spotify has also addressed ongoing rumors suggesting that AI-generated music is being added to its playlists to minimize royalty payouts. Duboff, a Spotify representative, refuted these claims, asserting that all music on the platform is created and owned by licensed third parties. However, he did not clarify if AI music would be included in curated editor playlists moving forward.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/785136/spotify-ai-slop-impersonation-disclosure