Spotify is making a series of changes to its platform that are reshaping how users listen to podcasts and discover music, including a new podcast ad-skipping feature and tighter transparency rules for AI-generated artists.
The streaming giant has begun testing a feature that allows some users to skip podcast advertisements that were not sold directly by Spotify, according to Semafor. The company has described it as an extension of its existing skip function, but some podcast publishers fear the move could have a major impact on advertising revenue.
Industry groups and podcast executives have already raised concerns about the change. Podnews reportedly described it as a significant threat to ad-funded programmes, while Crooked Media co-founder Tommy Vietor criticised Spotify on social media, sarcastically suggesting the company was trying to damage the podcast industry.
Several major audio networks have also reportedly contacted Spotify directly to discuss their concerns about monetisation.
Spotify, however, maintains that the feature could benefit publishers by encouraging listeners to stay with shows for longer overall. The company has pointed to internal engagement data and stressed that the function remains in an early testing phase and could still be modified or withdrawn.
A Spotify spokesperson confirmed that the feature is currently limited to certain Premium subscribers and only appears when the app is open in the foreground. The company described the test as part of its efforts to make podcast listening more intuitive.
The podcast change comes as the industry continues to face competition from video-focused platforms such as YouTube, while Spotify itself has previously encountered resistance from publishers over changes to how podcast performance is measured.
At the same time, Spotify is taking a more aggressive approach to identifying AI-generated music. From mid-September, the platform will introduce an “AI Persona” badge for artist profiles built around AI-generated identities.
Spotify said songs associated with these profiles will also be excluded by default from editorial playlists and algorithmic recommendations such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar, unless a listener has already shown interest in the artist.
Users will still be able to search for, stream and follow AI Personas, but Spotify says it no longer wants such profiles to appear in users’ recommendations unexpectedly.
The company said the move was partly prompted by feedback from listeners who dislike discovering that an artist profile that appears to belong to a real person is actually AI-generated.
Spotify will allow artists to voluntarily disclose their use of an AI Persona through Spotify for Artists. Those profiles will receive the relevant badge once the labels begin appearing.
However, the company will not rely entirely on self-reporting. Spotify will also review profiles that appear to represent photorealistic AI-generated people and may assign a separate “Likely AI Persona” label.
The labels will appear on artist profiles, mobile search results and alongside artist names in playlists. Users will be able to tap the badge to find out whether the artist disclosed the AI identity themselves or whether Spotify applied the label following a review.
Artists can appeal Spotify’s decision, while listeners will eventually be able to report profiles they believe represent undisclosed AI personas.
Spotify stressed that the new badge refers specifically to the artist’s identity and does not indicate whether the music itself was created using AI.
That information is handled separately through Spotify’s AI Credits, which can identify AI-generated lyrics, vocals, instrumental performances or production within an individual track.
The growing importance of such labels comes as AI-generated music continues to flood streaming platforms. The virtual band The Velvet Sundown, for example, attracted more than one million monthly listeners before acknowledging that it was a synthetic music project.
AI-generated tracks have also appeared through recommendation systems. In one reported case, Spotify’s Smart Shuffle placed an AI-generated song into a listener’s queue even though the user had not specifically searched for AI music.
The volume of AI-generated uploads is increasing rapidly across the industry. Deezer said it was receiving about 90,000 fully AI-generated tracks per day in June 2026, accounting for more than half of new uploads on peak days, although those tracks represented only a small share of total listening after being removed from recommendations.
Spotify is not the only platform responding to the trend. Apple Music has introduced transparency tags allowing labels and distributors to disclose AI use in music, videos and artwork.
Spotify has also introduced other measures to help listeners distinguish real artists from artificial identities. Its Artist Profile Protection feature allows eligible musicians to review releases before they are published under their names.
The platform also uses a green “Verified by Spotify” badge for artist profiles that it has reviewed and determined represent real artists, based on factors including audience engagement, policy compliance and evidence of an identifiable artist outside Spotify.
Taken together, the changes reflect a broader attempt by Spotify to give users more control and transparency over what they are hearing — whether that means deciding which podcast advertisements they want to sit through or knowing whether the musician behind a song actually exists.
