Spotify is introducing a new AI Persona label from September for artist profiles where the identity presented to listeners has been created using AI. The label will appear across artist profiles, search and playlists, while Spotify says these profiles will not be included in personalised recommendations by default unless a listener already follows them.

For independent artists, the interesting part isn't simply whether AI should be labelled. It's who gets to decide what counts as an AI artist, and what happens when that decision affects an artist's visibility. Spotify says the system is aimed at AI-generated identities rather than artists who use AI as part of making their music, which is an important distinction. But whenever a platform introduces a system that can affect discovery, independent artists need clear rules, transparency and a genuine route to challenge decisions.

There is a good reason to want more transparency. An independent artist spends years building a name, an identity and a relationship with their audience. That shouldn't be put on the same footing as an artificially generated profile designed to look like a real artist. But labelling is only one part of the solution. The bigger question is whether platforms can create an environment where technology develops without making it harder for genuine independent artists to be discovered.

AI is going to be part of music. The independent sector doesn't need to reject that — it needs fairer rules around it. The technology should create new opportunities for artists, not make an already crowded ecosystem even harder to navigate. That's the conversation RR will be watching.