Spotify Purges 50 Million AI-Generated Tracks to Protect Recommendations
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The streaming giant is updating its discovery algorithms to prioritize human artists over 'AI slop.'
Spotify has removed more than 50 million songs categorized as AI-generated spam or "slop" from its user recommendations over the last year, according to reporting from The Verge. The company announced on Tuesday that it has modified its recommendation system to specifically highlight music created by human artists.
To identify this content, Spotify utilizes a combination of third-party AI detection tools, metadata, upload patterns, and listener feedback and engagement. While the company has not mandated labels for all AI-generated tracks, it has introduced an "AI Persona" badge for artists who do not represent real people. Spotify stated it will not recommend music from these AI personas, and noted that its editors do not program content identified as spam or slop into their selections.
This move follows a broader trend among streaming services to address the influx of generative content. The Verge reports that Bandcamp has banned AI music entirely, YouTube Music is applying labels to AI songs, and Deezer has provided users with a filter to remove AI slop.
Despite these restrictions, Spotify is collaborating with the independent music publisher Believe and Universal Music Group to develop a tool for AI music remixes. This latest purge follows a previous effort last year in which Spotify reported removing over 75 million songs identified as spam.