Spotify Is Adding AI Labels to Songs: What Are AI Credits?

It's been one of the questions I get asked most in recent weeks: "Spotify is going to label AI music, will my song get flagged, will my streams drop?" Most of the commentary going around is overblown. So in this post I explain what Spotify is actually doing, based on the official source, and add what it means on the distribution side.

What exactly is Spotify doing?

Spotify has added a new field to song credits: AI credits. This field shows whether a specific part of a song was created with AI. It is currently marked as beta, meaning the system is still rolling out.

These are the roles that can be disclosed:

Source: Spotify Support, "AI credits" page. Roles are flagged separately for each song.

What does the label say, and what doesn't it?

This is the most important part of the post, and it's exactly the part people get wrong.

Spotify's own wording is clear: these credits show how AI contributed to the song; they don't indicate that the whole song was generated by AI. So if you used an AI plugin in production, credits saying "AI in production" don't mean the song was made by a robot.

The second key point: the absence of a label doesn't mean the song is AI-free. Spotify says this explicitly too. Since disclosure is optional and not every distributor supports it yet, a song with empty credits may still contain AI.

Where does the label appear?

Visibility is limited during the beta. Right now it's available only in the mobile app, in these two places:

• Open the song credits from the three-dot menu next to the song.
• Scroll down on the Now Playing screen and check the credits section.

Where it doesn't appear matters just as much: it's not shown on the artist profile and it doesn't sit on the song as a badge. So when listeners scroll through a playlist, they don't see an "AI" marker next to the song. To see the information, they have to open the credits.

In practice, this means that as of today the label isn't a branding tool; it's a piece of transparency information that sits inside the credits.

Who enters this disclosure?

Artists don't fill in this field from their own Spotify app. The disclosure travels to Spotify through the distributor, along with the song's credit data. And because it's in beta, Spotify says the feature is currently available only through certain distributors.

This shows once again why choosing a distributor is a technical decision. If a distributor doesn't support this field yet, the information won't reach your song's credits even if you want to disclose it. I covered what a distributor does in my post on digital music distribution, and the selection criteria in how to choose a distribution company.

Why it goes through the distributor: DDEX

The reason this field goes through the distributor is that Spotify didn't invent its own custom checkbox. An AI disclosure field was defined in DDEX, the industry's shared metadata standard, and Spotify announced it would support it.

DDEX is the standard that lets credit data flow in the same format between record labels, distributors, platforms and collecting societies. Why does that matter? Because when a disclosure lives in a standard field, the same information can eventually carry over to other platforms in the same way. So while it may look like a single Spotify feature, it's the first visible sign of a lasting change in the industry's metadata infrastructure.

Does disclosing hurt the artist?

This is the most common fear in the field. Let me be clear: Spotify's official help page on the topic contains no statement that disclosure leads to penalties, removal, being dropped from recommendations or loss of revenue. The credit field is described simply as a credit field.

On the other hand, not disclosing has no technical consequence today either, because the field is optional. So right now there's no rule saying "disclose or you'll be penalized."

So why disclose? There are two reasons, both commercial:

• Transparency is a lasting direction. Fields that are optional today tend to become standard across the industry over time. A catalog with credits set up correctly from the start won't need rework when the rules tighten.
• A wrong disclosure is riskier than an empty one. Every credit error corrected later costs time and money. Getting it right at the start of the process is the cheapest route.

This label is not a ban on AI music

AI credits and Spotify's rules on AI are two different things. Don't confuse them:

1. AI credits are a transparency tool. They inform listeners; they don't hand out penalties.
2. Voice impersonation is a separate issue. Imitating another artist's voice without their permission violates Spotify's rules, regardless of what you put in the credits.
3. Spam is a separate issue. Mass uploads, duplicate recordings and tactics that try to manipulate search results are the target of Spotify's spam filter. Because AI makes this kind of output easier, the issues get mixed up, but the problem isn't AI, it's the method.

I've written in detail about the real situation of AI on the distribution, royalties and revenue side in can you make money from music with AI, and about its role in production in AI in music production: tool or threat.

What should you do now as an artist?

1. Sit down and map where AI appears in your catalog. Vocals, instruments, lyrics, production? If you're going to disclose, you need to know first.
2. Ask your distributor. "Do you support this field, and how do you add it to the credits?" If you don't get an answer, that's an answer too.
3. Fill in the credits correctly from the start on new releases. Fixing them later is always more expensive.
4. Stay away from voice impersonation. There's no gray area here. Unauthorized voice imitation isn't cleaned up by the credits.
5. Don't let production speed get ahead of strategy. AI helps you make more songs; it doesn't get you more streams. What builds streams is still consistent releases and a plan.

What this really means for the industry

To me, the significance of this news isn't about "AI songs getting flagged." What matters is this: credits are becoming the new point of differentiation in music. There was a time when having lyrics display correctly on a platform was considered a luxury; then it became standard. Artist matching, ISRC and contributor lists followed the same path.

AI disclosure is heading the same way. Today it's optional and sits inside the credits on mobile. No one can guarantee what tomorrow brings, but a catalog with properly built credits has the advantage in every scenario. A catalog with messy credits, on the other hand, has to be reworked with every new rule.

So my advice is simple: don't panic, but take your credits seriously.

Frequently asked questions

What is Spotify's AI label?

It's a credit disclosure showing which parts of a song used AI. It can be specified separately for the lyrics, vocals, instruments and production roles. The feature is in beta.

Does the label mean the song is entirely AI-generated?

No. In Spotify's own words, the credits show how AI contributed to the song; they don't indicate that the song was generated entirely by AI.

How do I see AI credits on Spotify?

During the beta it's visible only in the mobile app. You can open the song credits from the three-dot menu or scroll down to the credits section on the Now Playing screen.

Is disclosure mandatory?

No, it's optional. And because it's in beta, it can currently only be submitted through certain distributors.

Does a song without a label mean it contains no AI?

No. Spotify states it clearly: the absence of an AI disclosure in the credits doesn't mean AI wasn't used in the song.

Will my streams drop if I disclose?

Spotify's official help page contains no statement that disclosure leads to any consequence for recommendations, playlists or revenue. It's described as credit information.

Can I release a song I made with AI on Spotify?

Using AI isn't banned on its own. What's banned is imitating another artist's voice without permission and gaming the system with spam tactics. Both of these are separate from the credits.

In short

Spotify is adding an AI disclosure to song credits. It's optional, goes through the distributor, is currently visible only inside the credits on mobile, and doesn't claim the entire song is AI-made. There's no ban and no stigma; what's happening is that credits are carrying more weight.

If you want to set up your catalog's credits properly once and plan your upcoming releases with that in mind, tell me briefly about your project. I handle all of this end to end through the Digitalent Music infrastructure, internationally through Digitalent Inc. (Digital Marketing Manager, USA, Florida), and in Türkiye through Gizli Medya.