Spotify Removes Millions of Song in Crackdown on AI 'Slop' and 'Spam'

Spotify has removed more than 75 million tracks from its platform as part of an ongoing crackdown on AI-generated spam and low-quality music.

Per Rolling Stone, the streaming giant revealed the figure in a new update on its efforts to protect artists, songwriters and producers, one year after introducing a series of measures aimed at tackling the growing volume of AI-generated content on streaming services.

According to Spotify, the removed tracks were found to have committed “serious or repeated violations of our rules,” while a further 50 million songs have been excluded from personalised recommendations following negative listener feedback.

“We looked closely at the tracks listeners were skipping, ignoring, or telling us they didn’t want to hear,” the company said. “A clear pattern emerged: these tracks were consistently ones identified as slop or spam.”

The move forms part of Spotify's broader push to prioritise music created by human artists, with the company stepping up its efforts to identify and limit the reach of spam and other low-quality content. 

Spotify said its editorial teams are also taking a stricter approach to playlist inclusion, noting that they “hold the same standard and don’t program content identified as slop or spam.”

Meanwhile, its recommendation systems are using a combination of “listener engagement and feedback, upload patterns, metadata, and information from multiple third-party AI detection tools” to identify potentially problematic releases. 

The company acknowledged that detecting AI-generated spam remains an ongoing challenge as the technology becomes increasingly sophisticated. 

Spotify said “it will only get harder as generative AI evolves,” pointing to tactics including “mass uploads, duplicates, SEO manipulation, spammy playlist networks, and artificially short tracks” as areas of concern.

The latest measures come as streaming platforms face growing pressure to address the proliferation of AI-generated music and its potential impact on legitimate artists and royalty payments.

Earlier this year, rival streaming service Tidal announced plans to identify and label tracks created almost entirely using AI. While those releases can remain available to listeners, they are excluded from monetisation.

Spotify and Apple Music have also introduced AI disclosure features, although these have largely relied on artists and distributors accurately declaring how artificial intelligence has been used in the creation of music.

Alongside its content filtering efforts, Spotify has expanded its artist verification program, with 300,000 artists now verified on the platform.

Verified profiles display a badge indicating there is a “real, identifiable person” behind the music, while accounts classified as “AI Personas” receive a separate label.

“AI Personas are excluded from editorial or algorithmic recommendations by default, unless a listener follows an AI Persona, for example,” Spotify explained.

The company is also trialling its Artist Profile Protection feature, which gives artists greater control over music uploaded under their names. The system allows participating artists to review releases before they appear on their profiles, helping to prevent impersonation and fraudulent streaming activity.

Thousands of artists are already participating in the beta program, with Spotify planning to expand access before the end of 2026.

For listeners, the platform has introduced additional transparency around the use of artificial intelligence in music production, allowing AI contributions to be disclosed within a track's credits.