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Spotify<\/a> has removed more than 75 million \u201cspammy tracks\u201d from its platform over the past year, the streaming giant revealed today as it announced a suite of new policies for managing AI-generated content on its service.<\/p>\n The figure was disclosed during a press briefing where executives outlined a three-pronged<\/strong> approach to combat AI-enabled fraud while supporting legitimate artistic use of artificial intelligence tools.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past 12 months alone, a period marked by the explosion of generative AI tools, we\u2019ve removed over 75 million spammy tracks from Spotify,\u201d the company confirmed in its official blog post announcing the measures.<\/p>\n The announcement comes as the streaming industry grapples with an unprecedented influx of AI-generated content.<\/p>\n Rival platform Deezer<\/a> recently reported<\/a> that it now receives over 30,000<\/strong> fully AI-generated tracks daily, marking a sharp increase from the 20,000 figure it reported in April<\/a> and the 10,000 it disclosed<\/a> in January when it first launched its proprietary AI detection tool.<\/p>\n According to Deezer, up to 70% of plays for these fully AI-generated tracks have been detected as fraudulent, with the company filtering these streams out of royalty payments.<\/p>\n Spotify\u2019s new framework comprises three key policies<\/strong> targeting different aspects of AI-related challenges, including:<\/p>\n Spotify explained the reasoning behind the introduction of these measures in the blog post published today: \u201cAt its best, AI<\/strong> is unlocking incredible new ways for artists to create music and for listeners to discover it,\u201d the company said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe future of the music industry is being written, and we believe that aggressively protecting against the worst parts of Gen AI is essential to enabling its potential for artists and producers.\u201d<\/p>\n Spotify<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It added: \u201cAt its worst, AI can be used by bad actors and content farms to confuse or deceive listeners, push \u2018slop\u2019 into the ecosystem, and interfere with authentic artists working to build their careers. That kind of harmful AI content degrades the user experience for listeners and often attempts to divert royalties to bad actors.<\/p>\n \u201cThe future of the music industry is being written, and we believe that aggressively protecting against the worst parts of Gen AI is essential to enabling its potential for artists and producers.\u201d<\/p>\n Spotify is introducing a new impersonation policy<\/a> that prohibits unauthorized AI voice clones, deepfakes, and any form of vocal replicas or impersonation. Spotify is also investing in preventing \u201ccontent mismatches\u201d \u2013 where fraudulent actors upload music to another artist\u2019s profile across streaming services.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cVocal impersonation is only allowed in music on Spotify when the impersonated artist has authorized the usage,\u201d Spotify said today.<\/p>\n \u201cUnauthorized use of AI to clone an artist\u2019s voice exploits their identity, undermines their artistry, and threatens the fundamental integrity of their work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cWe\u2019re also ramping up our investments to protect against another impersonation tactic, where uploaders fraudulently deliver music (AI-generated or otherwise) to another artist\u2019s profile across streaming services. We\u2019re testing new prevention tactics with leading artist distributors to equip them to better stop these attacks at the source.\u201d<\/p>\n Spotify added: \u00a0\u201cUnauthorized use of AI to clone an artist\u2019s voice exploits their identity, undermines their artistry, and threatens the fundamental integrity of their work. Some artists may choose to license their voice to AI projects\u2014and that\u2019s their choice to make. Our job is to do what we can to ensure that the choice stays in their hands.\u201d<\/p>\n Second, Spotify is introducing a spam filter<\/strong> specifically designed to combat AI-enabled content manipulation.<\/p>\n The system will target accounts engaging in mass uploads, creating excessive duplicates with altered metadata, manipulating SEO, and uploading tracks just over 30 seconds to accumulate royalty-bearing streams.<\/p>\n \u201cOur new spam filter will flag tracks and uploaders using these tactics and stop recommending them across Spotify programming,\u201d said Sam Duboff, Global Head of Marketing and Policy for the Music Business during the press briefing.<\/p>\n Spotify also announced that it\u2019s helping develop and will support \u201ca<\/strong> new<\/strong> industry standard<\/strong>\u201d for AI disclosures in music<\/strong> credits<\/strong>, developed through DDEX<\/strong> (Digital Data Exchange). Spotify says that this standard enables artists and rightsholders to clearly indicate where and how AI played a role in track creation \u2013 whether in AI-generated vocals, instrumentation, or post-production.<\/p>\n \u201cAs this information is submitted through labels, distributors, and music partners, we\u2019ll begin displaying it across the app,\u201d the company stated. \u201cThis change is about strengthening trust across the platform. It\u2019s not about punishing artists who use AI responsibly or down ranking tracks for disclosing information about how they were made.\u201d<\/p>\n The initiative has secured broad industry support, with Spotify working alongside partners including: Amuse<\/a>, AudioSalad, Believe<\/a>, CD Baby<\/a>, DistroKid<\/a>, Downtown<\/a> Artist & Label Services, EMPIRE<\/a>, Encoding Management Service \u2013 EMS GmbH, FUGA<\/a>, IDOL<\/a>, Kontor New Media, Labelcamp, NueMeta, Revelator, SonoSuite, Soundrop and Supply Chain.<\/p>\n \u201cThis industry standard will allow for more accurate, nuanced disclosures,\u201d explained Duboff during the briefing. \u201cIt won\u2019t force tracks into a false binary where a song either has to be categorically AI or not AI at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Spotify\u2019s list of partners for the DDEX initiative published today doesn\u2019t appear to include the names of the three majors, but MBW understands that the streaming platform is in talks with them and that they are broadly supportive of the new policies.<\/p>\n A UMG spokesperson told MBW in a statement that the company \u201cwelcome[s] Spotify\u2019s new AI protections as important steps forward consistent with our longstanding Artist Centric principles\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe welcome Spotify\u2019s new AI protections as important steps forward consistent with our longstanding Artist Centric principles.\u201d<\/p>\n Universal Music Group<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n UMG\u2019s spokesperson added: \u201cWe believe AI presents enormous opportunities for both artists and fans, which is why platforms, distributors and aggregators must adopt measures to protect the health of the music ecosystem in order for these opportunities to flourish.<\/p>\n \u201cThese measures include content filtering; checks for infringement across streaming and social platforms; penalty systems for repeat infringers; chain-of-custody certification and name-and-likeness verification.\u00a0 The adoption of these measures would enable artists to reach more fans, have more economic and creative opportunities, and dramatically diminish the sea of noise and irrelevant content that threatens to drown out artists\u2019 voices.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe appreciate and support Spotify on taking these steps to do just that and look forward to working with them on further safeguarding the rights of artists, songwriters and copyright owners.\u201d<\/p>\n Warner Music Group<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n A Warner Music Group spokesperson told us that \u201cWMG has been working with our distribution partners to set the right environment and ecosystem for AI, where the value of artistic creativity is protected\u201d.<\/p>\n They added: \u201cWe appreciate and support Spotify on taking these steps to do just that and look forward to working with them on further safeguarding the rights of artists, songwriters and copyright owners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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1. Improved enforcement of impersonation violations<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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2. A new spam filtering system<\/strong><\/h6>\n
3. AI disclosures for music with \u201cindustry-standard credits\u201d.<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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