Spotify to Label AI-Generated Artists With New "AI Persona" Badge Starting September
Spotify has announced it will begin displaying an "AI Persona" badge on some artist profiles starting in mid-September, flagging accounts whose identity may be AI-generated rather than belonging to a real person. Flagged accounts will also be excluded from editorial playlists and algorithmic recommendations. Spotify said listeners need to be able to trust that the artist behind the music "is who they say they are," calling this increasingly important in the generative-AI era. According to Far Out Magazine, the move extends the platform's Verified by Spotify authentication system launched in May.
How the AI Persona badge works
Spotify said listeners have made clear they feel uneasy encountering profiles that look human but are actually AI-generated — the direct motivation for the badge. Beyond profiles that voluntarily disclose themselves as AI Personas, Spotify says it will also apply the badge to other relevant profiles based on internal review.
AI-generated accounts can self-report their status through the Spotify for Artists dashboard, but the platform stressed it "will not rely on self-disclosure alone." Spotify also clarified that the badge targets an artist's public identity, not how the music itself was produced — real musicians who use AI tools during the creative process will not be classified as AI Personas.
Unequal treatment in recommendations
Profiles flagged as AI Personas will not appear in editorial or algorithmic recommendations. Spotify said that unless a user actively follows such an account, its music won't surface in personalized recommendations. The platform said that while it believes all artists have creative freedom in how they present themselves, its content curation "is focused on elevating real artists who are building their careers."
Spotify said it will continue adjusting its approach as the industry evolves, incorporating feedback from artists, listeners and industry partners.
The scale of AI uploads industry-wide
Rival platform Deezer disclosed earlier this year that it receives roughly 75,000 AI-generated songs daily, accounting for 44% of all daily uploads. Spotify, meanwhile, said in September 2025 that it had removed 75 million AI-generated tracks from the platform over the preceding 12 months.
The Verified by Spotify badge, launched in May, applies only to real artists who complete identity verification — Spotify said at the time it hoped this would curb AI artist accounts. The AI Persona badge is an extension of that same identification system.