In just12 months, Spotify managed to remove over 75 million tracks. The mass removal raised questions among both artists and listeners. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the rise of AI-generated music and why Spotify deleted 75 million songs.
Spotify’s announcement to strengthen AI protections
On the 25th of September 2025, Spotify issued a statement reading “Spotify Strengthens AI Protections for Artists, Songwriters, and Producers”. In the statement, Spotify announced a new impersonation policy, spam filtering system and disclosure to prevent AI “slop” from entering the platform’s ecosystem. The company also announced new investments in its content mismatch system, which removes tracks from an artist’s profile if they were uploaded there without authorization.
Why Spotify deleted 75 million tracks
Spotify announced that, over the previous 12 months (Sep 2024-Sep 2025), it had removed more than 75 million “spammy” tracks from the platform. Spotify did not give a definition of the term, but it seems include duplicates, mass uploads and artificially short tracks.
The mass deletion comes as a result of the explosion of generative AI tools. Platforms like Suno have made it possible to create fully AI-generated songs with just prompts. AI tools like this have made it possible to mass create not only songs but podcasts, voiceover and other forms of audio content.
The rise of AI in music creation
In January of 2026, Deezer, a major streaming platform, reported that 39 % of all daily music on the platform uploads were AI-generated. That accounts for over 60 000 AI-songs every day. Even though the number sounds high, the company stated that it only accounts for 1-3 % of the total streams.
A survey by Ipsos and Deezer involving 9,000 people across eight countries found that 97% couldn’t tell the difference between an AI-generated track and a human-made one. An example of this is the AI-band The Velvet Sundown which has gathered over 10 million streams on Spotify alone.
The AI vision of Spotify
Spotify’s vision is that artists and producers are in control of how they incorporate AI into their creative processes. Through this, Spotify introduced a new disclosure system for AI technology. Together with DDEX, a new credits system was developed in which artists can disclose how and where AI was used. The information is submitted through labels, distributors and music partners and is then displayed in the app.
The “Verified by Spotify” badge system
In 2026, Spotify introduced a new verification system to meet platform’s criteria for authenticity and trust. There are three requirements to get the verification badge on your profile. Consistent listener and engagement activity over time, good standing with Spotify’s platform policies and signals of a real artist represented in the profile.
In the end of the press release on Spotify Newsroom, the company stated “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.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, Spotify’s removal of 75 million songs highlights how rapidly AI-generated music is reshaping the streaming industry. As generative AI tools make it easier to mass-produce songs, podcasts, and audio content, streaming platforms are being forced to strengthen moderation and authenticity systems. Through new AI disclosure tools, spam filtering systems, and the “Verified by Spotify” badge, Spotify is trying to separate authentic artist profiles from spam and misleading uploads. The future of music streaming will likely depend on how well platforms can balance AI innovation with transparency, artist protection, and trust.
Want to understand how streaming platforms decide what music gets recommended? Read our article about how music streaming algorithms shape what you listen to.