Building a Trusted Platform – Spotify for Artists

A trusted platform that protects authentic artistsWe’re making sure Spotify is the place where authentic artists can thrive, bad actors are kept out, and listeners can trust what they hear.

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Strengthening artist profile controlsStrengthening artist profile controlsStrengthening artist profile controlsStrengthening artist profile controlsStrengthening artist profile controlsStrengthening artist profile controls

Protecting the platform and royalty poolProtecting the platform and royalty poolProtecting the platform and royalty poolProtecting the platform and royalty poolProtecting the platform and royalty poolProtecting the platform and royalty pool

Increasing AI transparency Increasing AI transparency Increasing AI transparency Increasing AI transparency Increasing AI transparency Increasing AI transparency

Our commitment to a fair platformArtists deserve a platform that protects and recognizes the work they put into their music. That’s why Spotify is investing in tools and policies which elevate authentic artistry, and help you build trust and fandom with your listeners. From Verified by Spotify and Artist Profile Protection to fighting fraud and manipulation, here’s what we’re doing and how you can take advantage of it.

Helping fans know who they’re hearingFans want to know who’s behind the music they love and whether artists are who they say they are. Verified by Spotify and SongDNA help build that connection between artists and listeners alike.

HIGHLIGHTING THE HUMANS BEHIND THE MUSICContext to build fan connection

Verified by SpotifyA Verified by Spotify badge on artist profiles and in search means an artist has been reviewed for listener activity, platform compliance, and profile authenticity. Hundreds of thousands of artists are already verified, most of them independent.

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SongDNAWe want fans to fall in love with the human creative process behind the music. SongDNA lets fans explore the people, collaborations, samples, and influences behind a song, helping ensure everyone who contributed gets recognized.

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Control what appears under your nameArtists should be able to decide what appears on their profile and alongside their music. Artist Profile Protection gives you more control over what appears on your profile, while Artist Ad Preferences gives you more input over which types of ads appear next to your music across Spotify for listeners using our Free tier.

STRENGTHENING ARTIST PROFILE CONTROLSHow to use Artist Profile Protection Artist Profile Protection helps you stay in control of your presence on Spotify by letting you review music delivered to your profile, and take action if something isn’t right. Artist Profile Protection is currently in limited beta, with general availability coming late 2026.

Turn on Artist Profile Protection

Enable Artist Profile Protection in Spotify for Artists to be notified when releases are delivered to Spotify that list you as an artist.

Review new releases

Make sure it’s an expected release from a provider you recognize, and that your role is represented correctly.

Keep your profile accurate

You can remove yourself from releases delivered by most providers, so they won’t appear on your profile or count toward your stats.

Let legitimate releases go live

Releases go live automatically, so the music that’s yours can reach listeners on schedule without requiring approval.

Report infringement or mismatch

You can also let us know if a release on Spotify violates your intellectual property or is on the wrong profile by reporting a content mismatch.

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Real music shouldn’t compete with spamSpotify detects, penalizes, and removes spam, artificial streams, and bad actors, including those engaging in impersonation and copyright infringement, so real artists and genuine fan engagement drive what gets surfaced to listeners and is reflected in who gets paid from the royalty pool.

PROTECTING THE PLATFORM AND ROYALTY POOL

How we catch and remove bad actors

Music Spam Filter: A system that identifies spam and keeps it out of recommendations and discovery. When violations are severe and/or persistent, content is removed from the platform entirely: over 75M tracks have been removed since September 2025.

Impersonation rules: Music that clones an artist’s voice without permission is removed from Spotify, whether or not it uses the artist’s name. We also work with distributors to block fraudulent uploads before they go live.

Infringement protections: Spotify takes action on copyright violations, including unauthorized samples and remixes, and music uploaded under the wrong name. Artists can report this directly, and Spotify also works with distributors to address violations.

PROTECTING THE PLATFORM AND ROYALTY POOLStrengthening the royalty pool for emerging and professional artists

No payouts for artificial streamsSpotify identifies and filters artificial streams so they don’t earn royalties, count toward charts, or influence recommendations. Depending on severity, artificial streaming may result in penalties, including removal of music or account suspension.

Track monetization eligibilityTracks need at least 1,000 streams in the past 12 months to generate recorded royalties. Revenue from tracks below this threshold is redistributed across eligible tracks, preventing bad actors gaming the system with high volumes of low-quality tracks.

Enabling AI transparencyAs AI plays a growing role in some music, listeners want to know what they’re hearing and if and how AI was involved. Spotify gives artists ways to share that context directly. AI Credits and AI Persona badges let artists disclose AI usage on their own, with Spotify also proactively labeling AI-generated identities for listeners.

INCREASING AI TRANSPARENCYBuild listener trust through AI transparency

AI CreditsArtists can disclose how AI was used in a track, from vocals and lyrics to instruments. Added through participating distributors, AI credits appear in Song Credits, giving fans more context into the creative process and helping artists build trust.

AI Persona badgesAn AI Persona badge shows when an artist’s public identity is AI-generated. Badges are self-disclosed or applied by Spotify. By default, AI Personas aren’t recommended editorially or algorithmically unless a listener intentionally engages with the artist.

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