When browsing social media it is sometimes hard to discern reality from AI. Is a video of bunnies jumping on a trampoline at night real-life? Probably not. But while some of us are stuck trying to figure out the authenticity of visual content, Spotify is jumping ahead to help users know if who they are listening to is actually human.
The streaming giant’s newest feature, Verified by Spotify, gives artists who have been reviewed by Spotify a mint-green check beside their profile. The company evaluates robust criteria to determine a profile’s authenticity and trust, including data related to listener activity, engagement over time, and an identifiable artist presence in and outside of Spotify.
“We’ll pair these standards with human review and judgment to identify real artists behaving in good-faith, not just filtering out bad actors, giving you a more reliable signal of the authentic artistry behind the music,” Spotify said of the announcement.
They added, “In today’s music landscape, the concept of artist authenticity is complex and quickly evolving, and we’ll continue to develop our approach over time.”
Users will be able to see the badges in the coming weeks, with the company claiming they ensured that “more than 99% of the artists Spotify listeners actively search for will be verified,” at its launch on April 30.
The new feature follows a series of added safeguards for listeners as AI scams proliferate in the music industry.
Take a recently published song by country singer Blaze Foley on Spotify which turns out was not by the singer—he’s been dead for over two decades—and was instead generated and published using AI. This practice has become increasingly common for scammers who seek to claim royalties from streaming services.
In response, Spotify has rolled out a number of safety features for both artists and listeners alike. Artist Profile Protection, for instance, is an opt-in service that enables an extra review step for artists by requiring them to manually authorize a new song populating on their profile.
Additional AI protections have also been implemented since last year, with strengthened rules on impersonations, a music spam filter, and efforts towards AI disclosures with industry-wide credits.
In addition to the verification badge, Spotify is also introducing a new beta section for artist profiles, similar to nutritional facts on a food package. Regardless of verification status, the artist details section allows listeners to learn more about the artist’s career milestones, release history, and touring activity.
Still, while new feature mean to offsett growing concerns around AI and the trust between artists and listeners, safeguards will continue to evolve alongside the emerging technology.
“Our goal is to make it easier for you to trust and understand the human artistry behind the music you listen to on Spotify, and develop long-term, meaningful connections with the artists and music you love,” the company said.
