Spotify will start tagging AI-generated artists as “AI Persona” and stop putting their music in editorial or algorithmic recommendations.
The company made the announcement on Tuesday. Users will see the badges on artist profiles from mid-September. Spotify says it will not rely solely on artists telling the truth about their identity.
Spotify will review profiles to find names and images that look like photorealistic AI creations. The review process will begin with accounts that have met specific audience thresholds. This ensures the most popular artists are checked first.
Once labelled, the badges will appear in the artist banner, the About section, search results, and next to tracks in playlists.
By default, Spotify will not include these profiles in its editorial or algorithmic suggestions. The music will not appear in personalised feeds either. The only exception is if a user has explicitly followed the artist. Following creates a signal that the listener wants more music from that specific identity.
This is the latest step in Spotify’s AI policy. First announced in September 2025, the rules identify and label AI music using standard industry techniques. The policy also bans unauthorised AI voice clones and deepfakes.
Spotify is trying to balance new tools like Prompted Playlists, AI DJ, and upcoming AI remixes against the risk of low-quality mass-produced content. Too much of this slop could ruin the user experience and cause people to cancel subscriptions.
Artists can appeal the label if they believe it was applied incorrectly.
The announcement notes a growing backlash against AI art. Spotify wrote that while creative choice is important, the platform’s programming focuses on elevating music from authentic artists building careers.
The company clarified that the badge is a judgment on the artist’s profile, not the music itself.
“Although there’s a broad spectrum in how artists use AI as a creative tool, the question of whether a profile represents an actual human is one where Spotify can help make a clear determination. This badge is about the artist’s public identity, not about how the music was made,” the company said.
Details on how the music was made will remain available through features like AI Credits and SongDNA.
Spotify will roll out a tool soon that lets users report artist profiles that look like AI Personas but have not yet been labelled.
The labels will help listeners distinguish between AI Personas and the forthcoming AI-generated remixes and covers. These are permitted under new licensing deals with labels UMG and Merlin. The latter allows fan-made remixes and covers while still funneling money back to the participating artists.
Artists can self-disclose their status starting August 11, 2026, through Spotify for Artists. The visible labels will appear next month.
What it means
Listeners will no longer see AI-generated artists in the main discovery flows. They will only appear if a user follows them or searches for them directly. This separates the automated content from the editorial curation.
