Photo Credit: ZigZag Production Studio (@ZigZagProductionStudio / YouTube)
As Spotify tests AI credit labels in a beta rollout, DistroKid is now asking creators to disclose what parts, if any, of their tracks are AI-assisted.
Last month, Spotify launched a beta test alongside DistroKid of a new feature that exposes artificial intelligence assistance within track credits, part of a major step towards platform-level transparency. Now, DistroKid has broadly launched its own process for creators to disclose whether their music was AI-assisted, and to what extent.
As of this morning, Distrokid still appears to be rolling out the self-reporting process, though artists will only encounter the expanded questions while uploading new material.
One important note about both sides of this launch is that it relies on creators self-reporting their AI usage—something bad actors will be less inclined to do. Unlike Deezer, where AI-assisted music is automatically tagged, DistroKid (and Spotify) provides users with a tool to disclose what, if any, aspects of their track were AI-generated or assisted.
That means that the absence of an AI credit does not necessarily confirm that AI tools were not used in the creation process, though both Distrokid and Spotify could modify their approaches down the line.
As mentioned, DistroKid is only asking creators to disclose AI usage on new uploads, so it isn’t implemented retroactively. It also assumes users are going to answer honestly; of course, failure to do so could result in copyright strikes and other murky legal waters. But that’s not likely to deter those who just want to circulate their output and don’t care about potential legal repercussions.
As with the Spotify beta tool, the DistroKid rollout is more akin to an early testing stage rather than a fully fleshed-out solution. But it launches amid increasing competition for AI disclosure frameworks, in which companies are mostly just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.
To that end, Apple Music has launched its own Transparency Tags system, which is now required as part of music delivery for labels. But this too requires honest reporting from content providers; so far, only Deezer—whose AI-identification tool is now on offer for other companies to license—has unlocked an automatic, platform-wide solution.
At the end of the day, some action taken is better than none at all, but it will undoubtedly require more than asking users to be honest about their AI use to provide a blanket solution across DSPs.
