Spotify Launches AI Credits: Artists Can Now Disclose Tech’s Use in Their Songs

Spotify is in the early stages of giving artists a tool to disclose how generative AI was used in the creation of their music. The new tool started rolling out this month in beta, first to Distrokid users, and it will continue to become available for other distributors in the coming weeks. The rollout is part of what was first promised in September 2025 as part of a Spotify blog post titled, “Spotify Strengthens AI Protections for Artists, Songwriters and Producers,” which detailed a number of ways the company would be improving its response to the rise of AI-generated songs.

That blog post has been recently updated to note that now, “where artists have chosen to disclose through their label or distributor, you’ll see credits for specific contributions like vocals, lyrics, or production in Song Credits on mobile” and that this is “a first step in [Spotify’s] long-term commitment to transparency.”

It goes on to explain that “because [Spotify] depend[s] on artist disclosure, the absence of a credit doesn’t mean AI wasn’t used. Not all distributors enable artists to disclose yet, but we intend to expand this more broadly over time,” adding, “we know this isn’t a complete solution on its own.”

Those who elect to use the new tool can explain exactly how AI was used in the creation of their song. This includes whether it was used in production, composition or even individual instrument parts.

Since January 2025, a number of streaming services have started experimenting with tags and disclosures for songs that contain AI elements. French streaming service Deezer, for example, uses a proprietary AI detection tool to scan for 100% AI-generated content and automatically applies a tag to those tracks. In March, Apple Music launched “Transparency Tags” as a “delivery requirement” for labels and distributors, including AI use in a sound recording, composition, artwork or music video.

Spotify’s post says that adding this disclosure within song credits will be made available as it continues to try to reach “industry-wide alignment” to build out a “truly comprehensive system” for labelling AI use across all streaming services. According to the original blog post, this system is being developed through DDEX (Digital Data Exchange), which is an international standards-setting organization for music metadata.

In a September episode of Billboard‘s On the Record podcast, Spotify’s global head of marketing and policy, music business, Sam Duboff, said that “the starting point has to be shared language through the existing supply chain of music about what the formatting of that will be.” He pointed to the rise of artists, songwriters and producers who are increasingly using AI in the creative process, like Brenda Lee to create a Spanish version of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” or a K-Pop Demon Hunters songwriter who talked about brainstorming lyrics with ChatGPT, and how this system could create more transparency for fans.

“It’s early days for AI tech,” Duboff continued. “I know it feels like it’s moving fast, but consumption of AI-generated music’s insanely low. We have some time for artists, songwriters, producers to take the lead in figuring out how they want to use these tools. We don’t want to act like we know where AI music’s headed and exactly every policy and role we need to future-proof for the next two or three years. But also, we didn’t just want to wait and do nothing.”