Spotify Delivers Policy Roadmap Calling for Metadata Improvement and AI Slop Crackdown

Spotify has unveiled a new “policy roadmap” outlining how it wants the music streaming industry to improve transparency, fight fraud, and better handle AI-related issues. The company shared this plan shortly after announcing it paid over $11 billion in royalties in 2025. This was the largest annual payout in streaming history.

A big part ofSpotify’s roadmap focuses on increasing revenue for creators by tackling unauthorized music services and fraudulent activity. The company says it wants rights holders to have stronger tools to fight copyright infringement and make it harder for bad actors to exploit the system. Spotify also highlighted the need for industry-wide metadata standards to help platforms identify when generative AI has been used in song creation and to reduce AI slop.

Another major priority in the roadmap is strengthening the royalty infrastructure. Spotify is calling for better transparency around how royalties are handled, including clearer information from collective management organizations (CMOs) about costs, matching accuracy, and payout timelines. It also wants shared benchmarks across the industry so artists and labels can more easily compare how different services perform.

Spotify’s proposals also include encouraging other streaming platforms to publish their payout data, giving a fuller picture of how music revenues are distributed across the industry. The roadmap reflects ongoing debates around streaming fairness, data transparency, and how platforms should evolve as technology. AI will continue to play a larger role in music creation and distribution.