'Verified By Spotify' is the music streamer's new way to help you avoid AI artists, but it doesn't go as far as I'd like — especially with Deezer, Qobuz and Apple Music making major anti-AI steps

• 'Verified by Spotify' badge will roll out over the next few weeks
• Certifies that artist is real, not an AI creation
• No way to use the info to filter playlists, just yet

Spotify listeners are growing increasingly frustrated about the proliferation of AI slop in the streamer's library. The service has made a few steps towards addressing it, such as letting artists approve songs on their profile, but fans' more proactive AI blockers have fallen afoul of the streamers' ToS. But finally, Spotify is doing something with a more solid impact.

The streaming giant has announced 'Verified by Spotify', a checkmark badge that's due to start showing up on artist's profiles (and next to their name in playlists) over the next few months. It looks similar to the verification checks on other platforms, such as Instagram or X.

This badge doesn't explicitly tag an artist as a real person, but instead one who follows three principles: They need to have consistent activity over time (both from themselves and listeners); abide by Spotify's policies; and have evidence that they're a real person (or people).

The latter is the clincher; evidence such as concert dates, merchandise being sold, social media accounts linked, and more factors help Spotify decide if an artist is real.

According to the platform "At launch, profiles that appear to primarily represent AI-generated or AI-persona artists are not eligible for verification", later clarifying "we’ll continue to develop our approach over time." So a Verified by Spotify check hopefully means an artist is real now, but technically might not continue to mean that in the future, depending on how the service "develops" its approach.

Half measures

Music fans have been asking for filters, to stop AI music finding its way onto algorithmically-generated playlists, and so that they can support their favorite artists without money going to AI generators. This verification options seems like a good way to implement that — I'd like to be able to tell the system to only play verified artists in those kinds of playlist — but that doesn't seem to be an option right now, which just feels like a missed opportunity.

Instead of changes like that, we're having to publish advice on how to spot AI-generated music in Spotify, so you can avoid it yourself, as fans avoid some of Spotify's main features to get away from it.

The problem is proving fantastic for rival music streaming platforms, with Deezer seeing success with its AI detection tools and Qobuz surging up the streaming charts too. Even Apple Music is taking a stand against AI-generated music.

In previous comments to TechRadar, Spotify has stated that it removed 75 million AI tracks in the past year, but fans' continuing annoyance at the proliferation of slop shows there's more that really needs be done.

And while the Verified by Spotify tag might help in some way, it's not going to actively affect the kind of tunes that show up in your playlists — at least, not yet. But as a first step to helping users take control, this is a solid one.

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