Spotify is letting artists manually approve releases to combat AI fakes

The Verge / 3/26/2026

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Key Points

  • Spotify is beta-testing “Artist Profile Protection,” a feature that lets artists manually review and approve releases before they go live on their profiles.
  • The move targets impersonation and AI-generated fake tracks that have increasingly appeared under artists’ names due to metadata mixups and bad actors.
  • Spotify cites real-world cases involving high-profile artists and indie/experimental creators, where incorrect or likely AI-generated tracks have surfaced on streaming platforms.
  • By adding a approval buffer, Spotify aims to reduce harm from unauthorized releases and improve control over what appears on artist pages.
Spotify Artist Profile Protection screen showing the option to approve or decline releases.

Spotify is beta-testing a new feature called Artist Profile Protection that lets artists review releases before they go live. Sometimes songs end up on the wrong artist pages because of metadata mixups or shared names. But increasingly, artists have been targeted by impostors and AI-generated fakes. Profile Protection offers a buffer against bad actors.

Everyone from Drake and Beyonce, to experimental composers like William Basinski, and indie rock acts like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have had fake tracks appear under their names on streaming platforms, with some that were likely AI-generated. It's an issue that has stoked a lot of …

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