Spotify has purged over 75 million AI-generated tracks from its platform in the past year, marking an aggressive crackdown on artificially created content that threatens to overwhelm the streaming service. The massive removal coincides with the rapid proliferation of generative AI tools that have made music production increasingly accessible to those without traditional musical training or skills, creating unprecedented challenges for content moderation.
The streaming giant’s efforts target various forms of spam content, including mass uploads, duplicate tracks, low-quality AI-generated music, and unauthorized deepfakes impersonating established artists. Industry competitors face similar challenges, with Deezer reporting that it processes between 20,000 and 30,000 fully AI-generated tracks daily, highlighting the scale of the issue across the music streaming ecosystem. This surge in AI content has raised concerns about the ability of collecting societies to effectively track and distribute royalties for legitimate creators.
In response, Spotify has implemented an advanced music spam filter system that identifies suspicious uploaders and problematic content. The company is also working to improve enforcement of impersonation violations to further protect artists from unauthorized voice cloning. The technology aims to prevent spam tracks from appearing in recommendations while guaranteeing legitimate artists aren’t inadvertently affected. The company is rolling out these measures conservatively to minimize false positives that could harm authentic creators.
Beyond filtering, Spotify has strengthened its policies against unauthorized AI voice cloning, protecting artists’ identities while preserving their ability to license their voices for approved AI projects if they choose. The platform now requires disclosure for AI-assisted music through standardized AI credits developed in partnership with industry organizations like DDEX. This approach mirrors strategies employed by other platforms like SoundCloud, which uses community interaction features to help identify and report suspicious content.
These measures come as Spotify’s royalty payouts have grown from $1 billion in 2014 to $10 billion in 2024, creating powerful financial incentives for spam uploaders. Data from Deezer reveals that up to 70% of plays for AI-generated tracks have been identified as fraudulent, underscoring the significance of Spotify’s anti-spam initiatives. By removing fraudulent content, the company aims to maintain the integrity of its royalty distribution system and guarantee compensation reaches legitimate creators.
Spotify’s three-pronged approach—combining impersonation enforcement, spam filtering, and AI disclosure requirements—represents the most thorough response to AI-generated content in the music streaming industry to date, though the company acknowledges this will be an ongoing battle requiring continuous refinement of its detection capabilities.
