Spotify introduces verified artist badges to help distinguish humans from AI
Source: TechCrunch
Verification criteria
- Identifiable presence – Artists must have a recognizable profile both on and off Spotify, such as concert dates, merchandise, and linked social‑media accounts on their artist page.
- Human‑generated content – Profiles that primarily represent AI‑generated music or AI‑persona artists are not eligible.
- Consistent activity – Artists need sustained listener engagement over time, rather than one‑off spikes in plays.
At launch, more than 99 % of artists that listeners actively search for will be verified. Most are independent, spanning a broad mix of genres, career stages, and regions.
Rollout and badge appearance
- Badges will appear on artist profiles and next to artist names in search results over the coming weeks.
- The badge features the text “Verified by Spotify” alongside a green checkmark.
Image credit: Spotify
Given the vast number of profiles on the platform, verification will roll out on an ongoing basis. The absence of a badge does not mean a profile will never receive one.
New artist profile section (beta)
Spotify is also launching a beta profile section that highlights:
- Career milestones
- Release activity
- Touring activity
This gives users a quick way to see an artist’s authentic activity even if they haven’t yet met the verification criteria.
Related initiatives
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Artist Profile Protection – A beta tool that lets artists review releases before they go live on their profiles, giving them more control over which tracks are associated with their name.
- Details: TechCrunch article on the feature
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Industry context – Sony Music recently requested the removal of more than 135,000 AI‑generated songs impersonating its artists from streaming services.
- Reference: BBC report
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Competitor data – Deezer reported that AI‑generated tracks now represent 44 % of all new music uploaded to its platform daily.
- Reference: TechCrunch article on Deezer