Spotify says it isn’t pushing AI-generated music onto listeners, but many users aren’t convinced.
The streaming giant is facing renewed criticism after subscribers reported AI-made tracks surfacing in personalised playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar, often without any clear indication that the music wasn’t created by a human artist.
The complaints have been bubbling up for months, with a recent Reddit thread drawing significant attention from users who say they’re repeatedly being served low-effort, AI-generated songs. The common frustration isn’t just the presence of AI music, but the lack of transparency.
Spotify, however, insists it isn’t promoting or suppressing music based on whether AI tools were used. In a statement, the company said: “Spotify does not create or own any music, and does not promote or penalise tracks created using AI tools.”
The company argues that drawing a clean line between AI and non-AI music isn’t straightforward, describing AI as a “fast-moving shift” across the industry. Spotify says its focus is on preventing harmful use cases, including spam, impersonation, and unauthorised voice cloning, while supporting industry-standard AI disclosures in music credits.
That may sound reassuring on paper, but for users still encountering AI tracks in their weekly recommendations, it feels like progress has stalled.
Back in September, Spotify announced plans to improve enforcement against impersonation, strengthen spam filtering, and introduce clearer AI disclosures. Four months on, those changes don’t appear to have fully addressed the problem, at least not from a listener’s perspective.
What makes the situation more awkward is that rival platforms are already taking firmer action. Deezer has implemented AI-detection and labelling tools, while Bandcamp recently went further by banning AI-generated music outright.
Bandcamp acknowledges that some AI content may still slip through, but it actively encourages users to report anything suspicious — a more direct, community-driven approach.
Spotify’s challenge isn’t just technical; it’s about trust. When personalised playlists are supposed to reflect your taste, discovering AI “slop” where new artists should be can feel like the algorithm has lost the plot.
Until Spotify offers clearer controls or transparency, its assurances may struggle to land with listeners who just want their recommendations to feel human again.
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