Spotify removes 75 million AI-generated tracks in major crackdown

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Spotify has taken action to combat the surge of low-quality, fraudulent content on its platform, announcing the removal of more than 75 million “spammy” AI-generated tracks over the last 12 months.

This massive clean-up comes as the streaming giant grapples with the rapid proliferation of content created by generative AI tools. The primary motivation for the removals, it claims, is twofold: to protect artists and preserve the integrity of the royalty system.

According to Spotify, “bad actors” and “content farms” are using AI to generate massive volumes of simple, often duplicate music, sometimes just over 30 seconds long, to exploit the royalty payment threshold and inject this content, which they refer to as “slop,” into the music ecosystem. This practice attempts to divert royalties from authentic artists and degrades the user experience.

In response, Spotify is implementing a three-pronged strategy. First, it is strengthening its impersonation policy, explicitly banning unauthorized AI voice clones and deepfakes to ensure artists retain control over their identity. Vocal impersonation will only be allowed if the original artist has authorized its use.

Second, the company is rolling out a new music spam filter designed to identify and tag manipulative uploads, such as mass uploads, duplicates, and tracks using SEO hacks, preventing them from being recommended in playlists.

For users, these measures should lead to a cleaner, more trustworthy listening experience, with fewer low-quality, fraudulent tracks cluttering personalized recommendations and playlists.

Thirdly, in a push for transparency, Spotify is working with industry partners to create a standardized system for AI disclosures in music credits.

This will allow artists who use AI responsibly to inform listeners how the technology was involved in a track’s creation, giving consumers greater clarity about the music they hear.

The company’s stance is not to ban AI entirely, but to aggressively protect against its misuse to ensure the future of the music industry remains artist-driven.

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