Spotify Strengthens Artist Protection Against AI Invasion

Spotify Strengthens Artist Protection Against AI Invasion

In a context where AI-generated tracks are proliferating on streaming platforms, Spotify is testing a new beta feature called “Artist Profile Protection.” This new tool is designed to give artists greater control over the tracks that appear under their name on the service. By allowing artists to review releases before they go live, Spotify aims to ensure that only approved works are associated with their profile.

Spotify explained in a blog post that publishing music on the wrong artist pages is an ongoing issue, exacerbated by the rise of AI-generated tracks, which are easy to produce. “This is not the experience we want artists to have on Spotify, and that’s why we have made protecting artist identity a top priority for 2026. Today, we are announcing an unprecedented solution to a problem that has affected streaming for years.”

Artists participating in this testing phase have the option to review and approve or reject the tracks delivered to Spotify. Thus, only the titles they validate will appear on their profile, influence their statistics, and be recommended to users.

This initiative from Spotify comes shortly after Sony Music demanded the removal of over 135,000 AI-generated songs that attempted to pass themselves off as works by its artists on streaming platforms.

Spotify acknowledges that while open distribution has made it easier for independent artists to access the market, it has also opened the door to errors and malicious behavior. Tracks can be attributed to the wrong artist due to metadata errors, confusion between artists with similar names, or deliberate attempts to associate music with an incorrect artist profile.

“When this happens, it can affect your catalog, your statistics, your Release Radar, and how fans discover your music,” explains Spotify. “We know how frustrating this can be for both artists and fans, and one of the main requests we have heard from artists over the past year is that they want more visibility before music appears under their name.”

Although this new feature may not be necessary for all artists, it is particularly useful for those who have experienced repeated publishing errors, share a common artist name, or desire better control over what is published under their name.

Artists included in the beta will see this feature in their “Spotify for Artists” settings on both desktop and mobile versions. By enabling “Artist Profile Protection,” they will receive an email notification each time new music is delivered to Spotify with their name attached. They will then be able to approve or reject the request.