Spotify will begin rolling out an AI Persona badge in mid-September for artist profiles that the company determines represent AI-generated identities rather than real people.
The company announced the change Aug. 11 as part of its broader Artist Identity & Trust initiative. Spotify said the policy responds to concerns from listeners who may initially believe an artist profile represents a human before discovering that the identity is artificially generated.
The new system focuses on artist identity, not whether artificial intelligence was used to create the music. Spotify said artists can continue using AI in songwriting, production and other creative processes without automatically being classified as AI Personas.
AI Persona profiles will be excluded from recommendations
Spotify said music from profiles designated as AI Personas will not be included in its editorial or algorithmic recommendations by default.
However, listeners who already follow an AI Persona may continue to receive its music. Spotify said the approach is intended to prioritize what it describes as authentic artists while still allowing artists flexibility in how they create and present their work.
The company did not say that AI Persona music would be removed from Spotify. Instead, the main change concerns how that music is surfaced through discovery and recommendation systems.
Spotify will combine disclosure with profile reviews
Artists can disclose through Spotify for Artists that their profile represents an AI Persona. Spotify said it hopes artists will provide the information voluntarily but will also conduct its own reviews.
The company plans to examine profiles whose names, images or other public-facing elements appear to represent photorealistic AI-generated identities. Spotify said its initial reviews will focus on profiles that meet certain audience thresholds.
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Beginning in mid-September, the badge is expected to appear in several areas, including artist profile banners, About sections, Search and track rows within playlists.
Listeners who select the badge will be able to see whether the artist disclosed the AI Persona status or whether Spotify identified the profile through its own review.
Artists whose profiles receive a badge after a Spotify review will be notified. They will have an opportunity to disclose their status or appeal the decision.
Spotify also plans to introduce a reporting system that will allow listeners to flag profiles they believe represent AI Personas for review.
AI-assisted music remains a separate issue
Spotify is drawing a clear line between who an artist appears to be and how a song was created.
An artist can use AI for elements such as vocals, lyrics, instrumentation or production without becoming an AI Persona. Spotify has previously introduced AI Credits to give artists and rights holders a way to disclose AI’s role in individual recordings.
That distinction is important because AI use in music has become increasingly broad. Spotify has said its goal is not to treat all AI-assisted music as inherently deceptive or to penalize artists for using AI responsibly.
Instead, the AI Persona system addresses cases where the artist identity itself may mislead listeners about whether a real person is behind the profile.
New policy builds on Spotify’s identity system
The AI Persona badge follows other identity and transparency measures Spotify introduced this year.
In April, Spotify launched Verified by Spotify, a badge for artist profiles that meet its standards for authenticity and trust. The company said its initial verification effort was designed to cover more than 99% of the artists that listeners actively search for, representing hundreds of thousands of artists.
Spotify has also introduced Artist Profile Protection and additional artist information intended to give listeners more context about the people behind the music. The company has separately developed SongDNA and AI Credits to provide greater information about contributors and the production process.
The company has also been developing systems to combat impersonation and music spam. Spotify said in 2025 that it was strengthening protections against unauthorized AI voice impersonation and developing systems to identify and limit spam and low-quality mass-uploaded content.
Together, the measures point toward a broader effort to distinguish authentic artist identities from synthetic or misleading profiles while allowing legitimate use of AI as a creative tool.
Spotify said its approach will continue to evolve as AI changes the music industry and as it receives feedback from artists, listeners and industry partners.
Reporting credit: Spotify Newsroom.
This JournosNews report is based on information released by Spotify as part of its Artist Identity & Trust initiative, supplemented by Spotify’s earlier public disclosures on artist verification and AI transparency.
