Spotify has implemented the removal of over 50 million tracks classified as 'AI slop' or spam from its recommendations in 2026. Furthermore, the platform has adjusted its systems to prioritize content produced by human artists.
This data was communicated by Spotify itself this Tuesday (20). The company stated that these changes have resulted in a decrease in user complaints regarding unwanted content in suggestions, and informed that it has removed over 75 million tracks from the platform due to violations of anti-spam rules.
According to the company, there is no single definitive criterion to define whether a song should be considered spam or 'AI slop,' a term used to describe low-quality mass productions created with artificial intelligence. The detection system uses a combination of indicators, including listener engagement and ratings, music submission patterns, metadata, and information obtained from various external tools.
Spotify acknowledges the limitations of these detectors and points out that identification will become progressively more complex with the advancement of generative AI. The platform also monitors behaviors related to abuse, such as high-volume submissions, repeated songs, search engine manipulation, spam playlist networks, and artificially short tracks. Spotify guarantees that its criteria are constantly updated as new tactics emerge.
These modifications are part of a broader effort by Spotify to restrict fraud, spam, and misleading content. The company mentioned that over 300,000 artists already have the Verified by Spotify badge, representing more than 99% of the artists sought by users, with over 70% of them being independent.
Additionally, Spotify has begun identifying thousands of profiles labeled as 'AI Personas,' where the artistic identity is generated by AI. By default, these profiles are excluded from both editorial and algorithmic recommendations unless the user chooses to follow them.
These actions follow the guidelines established by Spotify in 2025 against the misuse of AI, voice imitation, and spam. The platform has also maintained a limit of one thousand plays for a track to generate royalties since 2024. Spotify emphasizes that songs with a high probability of having been generated by AI have ten times higher chances of falling below this limit.