Why Spotify Does Not Have a Button to Block AI Music
In the middle of 2025, Cedrik Sixtus became very frustrated.
He noticed that many songs in his Spotify playlists seemed to be made by artificial intelligence (AI). Cedrik is a software developer from Leipzig, and he did not like this change. So, he decided to take action. He created a tool that can automatically find and block songs that he believes are made by AI.
He shared his tool, called “Spotify AI Blocker,” on some coding websites. Many people were interested, and hundreds of users downloaded it.
The tool works by filtering out more than 4,700 artists that are suspected to use AI. It uses information from online communities, patterns like artists releasing too many songs quickly, and cover images that look like AI-made designs. It also uses other tools to help detect AI music.
Cedrik says the main idea is simple: people should have a choice. They should be able to decide if they want to listen to AI music or not. He believes Spotify itself should clearly label AI-generated songs and give users a filter option.
His tool only works through the web browser version of Spotify, and he warns users that using it might break Spotify’s rules.
Cedrik is not the only one who feels this way. Many users on Spotify’s community forums have shared similar concerns. Some people think AI music does not sound natural, while others simply do not like the idea of music created by machines.
Spotify has started to respond to these concerns, but only in a limited way. In April, the company introduced a test feature that shows how an artist used AI in a song’s credits. However, this system depends on artists honestly sharing that information with their record labels or distributors.
Spotify admitted that this is not a complete solution. The company said building a full system to handle AI in music is difficult and requires the whole industry to work together.
Right now, Spotify is far from offering a clear way to identify or filter AI music. According to Robert Prey, a researcher at Oxford University, this is a very difficult situation for Spotify.
He explains that Spotify is trying not to judge how music is created. But at the same time, if the platform does not give enough transparency, it may lose the trust of listeners, artists, and the music industry.
Spotify has to balance many things. It needs to understand what listeners want and how artists feel. At the same time, AI technology is improving quickly, being used more often, and becoming harder to detect.
The rise of AI music tools is changing the music world in big ways. Some people find these tools exciting, while others feel worried.
Services like Suno and Udio can now create complete songs in seconds. Users just type a few words, and the AI produces music with lyrics, vocals, and instruments. The quality of these songs is getting better very quickly.
In a recent study by Deezer and Ipsos, 97% of listeners could not correctly tell the difference between AI-generated music and music made by humans.
Every day, tens of thousands of AI-generated songs are uploaded to streaming platforms. Even though many of these songs do not get many plays, they could still affect how money is shared among artists.
So far, major platforms like Spotify, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music have not added clear labels or filters for AI music. They are not using strong detection systems or requiring artists to fully disclose AI use, although this could change in the future.
Some artists that people believe are AI-generated, like Sienna Rose, Breaking Rust, and The Velvet Sundown, are treated just like normal artists on Spotify. However, Spotify does remove content it considers spam, such as very short tracks or mass uploads designed to trick the system.
A Spotify spokesperson said their main focus is on stopping harmful uses of AI, like spam or fake identities, rather than filtering music based on how it was created. They also said AI in music is not simple—it exists on a spectrum, not just “AI” or “not AI.”
However, not all platforms are taking the same approach.
Deezer, a smaller competitor, has taken stronger steps. It labels albums that include AI-generated songs and removes those songs from recommendations and playlists made for human artists.
Deezer uses its own technology to detect AI music by analyzing patterns in the sound. The company says it is the only streaming platform currently doing this.
Jesper Wendel from Deezer says they are leading the way in handling AI music.
Apple Music has also announced plans to add “transparency tags.” In the future, it may require music labels and distributors to say if AI was used in creating songs. But critics say this system may not work well because artists might not want to admit using AI due to possible negative reactions.
Experts say one big challenge is that AI in music is not always clear-cut.
Maya Ackerman, an expert in AI and music, explains that some tools create entire songs from a simple prompt. In these cases, labeling is easy. But other tools only help with parts of the process, like writing lyrics or improving sound quality.
This raises an important question: how much AI use is enough to require a label?
She also points out that even when using tools like Suno or Udio, users can still be very creative. They might write their own lyrics or spend hours improving the song.
At first, labeling AI music seems like a simple idea. But when you look closely, it becomes very complicated.
Another challenge is detecting AI music correctly. If a human-made song is wrongly labeled as AI, it could harm the artist’s reputation.
Bob Sturm, a researcher studying AI in music, says detection systems must constantly improve. They are trained using current AI tools, but as those tools get better, the detection systems must also be updated. He describes this as an “arms race” between AI creation and AI detection.
Deezer says its system has a low rate of mistakes, but research is still ongoing, especially for songs that mix human and AI work.
Some experts believe these challenges should not stop action.
David Hoffman, a professor at Duke University, argues that platforms should at least label fully AI-generated music. After that, they can study the problem further.
Surveys show that many listeners agree. In the Deezer–Ipsos study, about 80% of people said AI music should be clearly labeled. However, opinions are more divided when it comes to filtering or blocking it.
Singer-songwriter Tift Merritt believes listeners have a right to know. She compares it to food labels, where people are informed about what they are consuming.
Some critics think the real reason Spotify has not added labels or filters is money.
Spotify is focused on growing its platform. Keeping its recommendation system simple and flexible helps with that goal.
Adding AI detection systems would increase costs. Also, AI-generated music might be cheaper to produce, which could benefit the platform financially.
There have also been past accusations that Spotify promoted low-cost music for background playlists, although the company denies this.
Spotify says all music on its platform comes from labels and distributors, and all artists are paid the same way based on how much their music is streamed.
Meanwhile, the situation is still developing.
An industry group called DDEX is working on a standard system for showing AI use in music credits. However, how this information will be displayed depends on each streaming platform.
New rules are also coming. Starting in August 2026, the European Union will require certain AI-generated content to be labeled under the AI Act. It is not yet clear how Spotify will follow these rules.
Right now, the world of AI music feels like the “Wild West,” according to David Hesmondhalgh, a professor of media and music.
But he believes things will become more organized over time, just like the early days of file sharing eventually led to today’s streaming services.
Spotify also seems to understand the growing pressure. The company has recently introduced features that highlight human creativity, such as SongDNA and “About the Song,” which give users more information about how a track was made and who worked on it.
A Spotify spokesperson said the solution to AI in music is not just one rule. It will require a mix of better controls, industry standards, and more support for human artists.
For now, the debate continues. As AI becomes a bigger part of music, platforms like Spotify will need to find a balance between technology, creativity, and user choice.
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