Spotify Introduces Verified Badge For Human Artists To Combat AI-Generated Music Crisis

In an attempt to tackle the "AI slop" crisis that is plaguing the music industry, Spotify is rolling out a new "verified by Spotify" badge to help listeners easily identify authentic human artists. On Thursday (Apr 3)0), the music streaming giant said users will start to see the new badges, which look like green checkmarks, on artists' profiles that have been reviewed by the company, in the coming weeks.

"We're introducing a new Verified by Spotify badge, as well as additional details about artists' activity (in beta) on Spotify. These updates build on recent song-level context features like SongDNA, expanded song credits, About the Song, and AI credits, all designed to give you more insight and transparency into the music and artists you're discovering," Spotify said in a statement.

To receive the badge, the artists must meet Spotify's criteria for authenticity and trust. The company will look for identifiable artists with a presence both on and off the platform. Details like concert dates, merchandise, and linked social accounts on the profile will help an artist receive the new badge.

Spotify will focus on artist profiles that people are actively seeking out over a sustained period of time, rather than those that are experiencing one-time spikes in engagement.

The company will also introduce a new section across all artist profiles that will highlight key details like career milestones, release activity, and touring activity, helping users better understand and connect with the artist beyond the music.

"Much like nutrition facts offer a quick, reliable snapshot on what's inside packaged food, these details, based on Spotify's platform data, give meaningful signals of an artist's authentic activity on Spotify, even for those who haven't yet met our Verified by Spotify criteria," the company said.

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Menace Of AI-Generated Songs

Last month, music streaming company Deezer revealed that the sheer quantity of AI-generated songs being uploaded on the platform was nearly on par with human creators. The company said it receives a staggering 75,000 AI song submissions every day, representing 44 per cent of all daily uploads.

In March, a US man pleaded guilty to orchestrating a massive AI-driven music fraud. Accused Michael Smith used AI to produce thousands of music tracks, then deployed automated bots to stream them billions of times, pocketing over $8 million in royalties.

"Although the songs and listeners were fake, the millions of dollars Smith stole was real. Millions of dollars in royalties that Smith diverted from real, deserving artists and rights holders. Smith's brazen scheme is over, as he stands convicted of a federal crime for his AI-assisted fraud," said US Attorney Jay Clayton.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Smith now faces up to five years in prison and the forfeiture of $8,091,843.64 when he is sentenced on July 29 by US District Judge John G. Koeltl.