Spotify removes 75 million AI songs, strengthens artist protection

Music streaming platform Spotify has reportedly removed more than 75 million AI-generated songs in 2025. This action is part of a broader effort to combat spam content and safeguard royalty distribution for legitimate artists and creators. The platform is targeting what it terms "AI slop" – music produced with minimal effort using AI technology solely to manipulate the platform's algorithms and unfairly earn royalties.

Spotify stated that while AI in music production is still permitted, the company will not compromise on fraudulent practices that could undermine the integrity of the platform and the music streaming ecosystem. To strengthen these efforts, Spotify has introduced several new measures. These include prohibiting the use of unauthorized voice clones, employing machine learning technology to detect spam patterns, and implementing an anti-scraping system to prevent mass content collection for training AI models.

Furthermore, the company has established a dedicated team to monitor spam tactics and emerging threats in real-time, ensuring that any form of misuse is detected and addressed promptly. Spotify also emphasized that any AI content mimicking famous artists' voices or identities without permission will be immediately deleted, even if the uploader claims to be the artist.

In related developments, major music industry organizations like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), and the Recording Academy support the proposal for voluntary labeling to identify songs fully generated by AI or produced with AI assistance. This initiative draws inspiration from content warning labels used in the music industry, aiming to provide clearer information to listeners about a song's production process without entirely banning AI use. While implementation depends on voluntary disclosure by creators or distributors, proponents stress the importance of transparency as AI-generated music becomes increasingly indistinguishable from human creations.