Global music streaming platform Spotify has unveiled new policies aimed at shielding artists, songwriters, and producers from the rising misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) in the music industry.
Announcing the measures in a statement on Thursday, the company said the rapid growth of AI tools has created both opportunities and risks for creatives, including the threat of impersonation, spammy content, and exploitation.
According to Spotify, its new rules will strictly regulate the use of AI to clone artists’ voices, only permitting voice clones when the original creator has given explicit approval. The platform also introduced a clear impersonation policy to curb the spread of vocal deepfakes—AI-generated tracks that mimic popular stars without consent.
“Unauthorized use of AI to clone an artist’s voice exploits their identity, undermines their artistry, and threatens the fundamental integrity of their work. Some artists may choose to license their voices to AI projects—and that’s their choice to make. Our job is to do what we can to ensure that the choice stays in their hands,” Spotify said.
The streaming giant disclosed that it is testing new tactics with music distributors to block scammers who fraudulently upload tracks under other people’s profiles and is expanding its “content mismatch” system to allow artists to flag suspicious uploads even before release.
Spotify also plans to launch a new spam-filtering system this fall to combat the flood of low-quality AI-generated music, including duplicate tracks, artificially short songs, and SEO tricks designed to game streaming royalties.
In another move toward transparency, Spotify will begin displaying disclosures in music credits to indicate when and how AI was used in a track. Working with industry partners under the DDEX standard, this system will let listeners see whether AI contributed to vocals, instrumentation, or post-production.
The company said the new measures are designed to preserve trust in music streaming while allowing genuine creators to experiment with emerging tools. “Our priorities are constant. We’re investing in tools to protect artist identity, enhance the platform, and provide listeners with more transparency,” it noted.
Spotify revealed it had removed more than 75 million spam tracks in the last 12 months alone, underscoring the scale of the challenge.
The use of AI in music has divided the global industry, with some artists embracing it while others see it as a threat. In 2023, Universal Music Group petitioned streaming services to block AI companies from scraping its catalogue for training data—a sign of the tensions between innovation and intellectual property protection.
