Music streaming platform Spotify has removed an estimated 75 million AI-generated songs from its service as part of one of the largest efforts to c...
STOCKHOLM — Music streaming platform Spotify has removed an estimated 75 million AI-generated songs from its service as part of one of the largest efforts to combat streaming fraud and protect royalty payments for legitimate artists.
The company said the action is aimed at tackling the misuse of artificial intelligence rather than restricting musicians who use AI as part of their creative process. Spotify says the removed tracks were largely created to manipulate the platform’s royalty system rather than produce original music.
According to Spotify Senior Director Sam Duboff, the platform is targeting what has become known in the industry as “AI slop”—low-quality songs generated within seconds using artificial intelligence and uploaded in large volumes with little or no creative input.
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Advances in AI music technology now allow users to generate complete songs from simple text prompts, making it possible for individuals to upload thousands of similar tracks in a short period.
The rapid growth of AI-generated content has transformed music streaming platforms. Around 100,000 new songs are uploaded to Spotify every day, while industry estimates suggest that nearly half of all new music uploaded to streaming services is now generated using artificial intelligence.
Spotify said the main concern is the growing number of users exploiting the platform’s royalty system. Every stream contributes to a shared royalty pool, creating opportunities for fraudsters to profit by artificially increasing the number of plays on their music.
Many of the removed tracks consisted of generic ambient music, meditation sounds and repetitive instrumental recordings published under fictitious artist names. In many cases, automated bots were allegedly used to generate fake streams, allowing fraudsters to collect royalty payments that would otherwise go to genuine musicians.
The company said such activity undermines artists who invest time, talent and financial resources into producing original music by reducing the royalties available to legitimate creators.
Spotify has stressed that it is not banning AI-generated music altogether. The platform continues to allow music created with artificial intelligence provided artists hold the necessary commercial rights and AI is used as a legitimate creative tool.
To combat abuse, Spotify has strengthened its machine-learning systems to identify suspicious upload patterns and unusual streaming activity associated with automated bots. The company has also prohibited the unauthorised cloning of artists’ voices using artificial intelligence and introduced measures to prevent its music catalogue from being used to train AI models without permission.
The use of artificial intelligence in music continues to generate debate across the industry. Organisations including the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) have called for clearer labelling of AI-generated and AI-assisted music to improve transparency for listeners and protect artists’ work.
Supporters of AI in music argue that the technology can enhance creativity when used responsibly, while critics warn that it could be exploited to undermine artists’ earnings and distort streaming platforms if appropriate safeguards are not maintained.
Spotify’s removal of an estimated 75 million tracks represents one of the largest actions taken against AI-related streaming fraud to date. As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the music industry, streaming platforms are expected to increase efforts to distinguish legitimate creative works from content designed primarily to exploit algorithms and royalty systems.
