Spotify Introduces Artist Profile Protection to Prevent AI Music Fraud

Spotify has launched a new feature called Artist Profile Protection, giving musicians the ability to review and approve music before it appears under their name as the company moves to address AI-generated impersonation on its platform.

The feature, rolling out in beta on March 24, introduces an opt-in approval step where artists are notified when a release is submitted under their profile. From there, they can choose to approve or reject the track before it goes live on Spotify, adding a direct control layer over how their catalog is represented.

Spotify said the system is designed to tackle a growing issue tied to AI-generated music and misattributed releases. “Music has been landing on the wrong artist pages across streaming services, and the rise of easy-to-produce AI tracks has made the problem worse,” the company said. “That’s not the experience we want artists to have on Spotify, and that’s why we’ve made protecting artist identity a top priority for 2026.”

If an artist approves a submission, the release is published normally and contributes to metrics and recommendations. If declined—or if no action is taken—the track will not appear on the artist’s Spotify profile, though it may still be available on other platforms. Spotify advises artists to follow up with distributors in those cases.

To streamline the process, Spotify is also introducing an “artist key,” a unique identifier that can be shared with trusted distributors. Releases submitted with this key bypass manual approval and are automatically accepted, allowing artists to avoid delays for verified partners.

The rollout marks the first time Spotify has given artists a proactive role in managing releases tied to their identity, rather than relying on reporting tools after the fact. It also comes as the company faces criticism over AI-generated tracks appearing in playlists such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar.

While the system does not remove AI-generated music from Spotify entirely, it adds friction to unauthorized uploads and aims to improve accuracy in recommendations by ensuring only approved tracks are tied to an artist’s profile. The feature is optional, but when enabled, unapproved music will not be published under the artist’s name, creating a stricter control mechanism over releases.

The move positions Spotify alongside broader industry efforts to address AI-related issues in music distribution, while shifting more responsibility—and control—to artists themselves.

This analysis is based on reporting from TechRadar.

Images courtesy of Spotify.

This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.