Spotify to label AI-generated artist identities with 'AI Persona' tag

Spotify will introduce an 'AI Persona' label from mid-September 2026 to identify artist profiles whose public identity—name and images—was generated by artificial intelligence, signaling that the profile does not represent a real person Source: infobae. The label applies to the artist's identity, not to how the music was created; a song may be fully human-made even if the profile uses an AI-generated face Source: infobae.

Key points

• Default exclusion: Music from 'AI Personas' will be excluded from Spotify's editorial and algorithmic recommendations, reducing their visibility Source: abc.es.
• Self-declaration and review: Artists can declare their profile as an 'AI Persona' via Spotify for Artists, but Spotify will also proactively review profiles with photorealistic AI identities, starting with those reaching certain audience thresholds Source: euronewses.
• Appeals and reporting: Artists can appeal if Spotify applies the label, and listeners will soon be able to report suspected 'AI Personas' Source: elconfidencial.

Context

The move responds to listener concerns about deceptive AI-generated artist identities, exemplified by The Velvet Sundown, a psychedelic rock project that gained over a million monthly listeners before being exposed as AI-generated Source: euronewses. Another case is Michael Bennett, a supposed 65-year-old singer who went viral on 'America's Got Talent' but was later revealed to be an AI creation Source: emolcl.

Spotify frames the label as part of its broader transparency efforts, alongside existing features like 'Verified by Spotify', 'SongDNA', and 'AI Credits' Source: diariolibree. The company states: "The programming of Spotify is focused on giving visibility to the music of authentic artists who are building a professional career in the music industry" Source: abc.es.

While the label clarifies identity, it does not address AI use in music production; for that, Spotify points to its 'AI Credits' and 'SongDNA' features Source: infobae.