Student musicians say AI music is a ‘double edged’ sword when it comes to production and creative processes.
Spotify rolled out a new verified tagging system for artist profiles on 30th April, as the platform responds to a sharp rise in AI-generated music.
The feature adds a green verification badge to confirmed artist pages, helping users distinguish official profiles from impersonators and AI generated content. Spotify says the change is designed to improve transparency and build trust with listeners.
Apple Music has introduced transparency measures requiring clearer labelling of AI-generated content and stricter guidelines around artist identity, signalling a wider industry shift toward accountability.
At the University of Wollongong (UOW), student musicians say the impact of AI is evolving and becoming increasingly more common.
University of Wollongong music major Jamal Baquayee identified a connection between music and the listeners.
“People relate to imperfections,” Mr Baquayee said.
“With creatives and artists the listener creates a bond to what they’re saying and their personality.”
Jamal currently has a song released on Spotify and expressed his appreciation for the change particularly with the amount of artificial ‘slop’ that competes with up and coming artists.
“I think that it’s good especially with a saturated platform such as Spotify.”
While Spotify’s verification tag may help audiences identify legitimate artists, Jamal says it does little to stop their work from being imitated or reproduced.
The rise of AI in music production is also changing how students approach creativity. Many are experimenting with automation, plug-ins and AI prompts to assist in production.
Jack Thomas is a UOW student in music production and says the issue is becoming harder to ignore as more AI-generated tracks appear online.
In a streaming-driven industry, visibility directly affects income and future opportunities. An increase in AI-generated music, particularly content that mimics existing artists, risks further crowding an already competitive space.
Jack feels that music produced in this way ‘lacks human weight’ and ‘emotional meaning’ behind it.
When asked about how he would feel if his music was used to train an artificial intelligence, Jack stated,
“I’d definitely feel uneasy, especially without permission.”
Spotify’s verification system is a single step towards clarity and suggests platforms are beginning to act in favour of real creators. However, the presence and quality of AI music on social media and streaming platforms seems to be becoming more common and convincing.
