1 · DDEX: ContainsAI and AI contributors
DDEX's ERN 4.3 standard carries AI disclosure in two places. ContainsAI can be set on a SoundRecording, Release, Image, Text or Video[5]. AiContribution is set on individual contributors[7]. Both use the same three values[6]:
- None: no content was created using generative AI.
- Partly: part of the content was created using generative AI.
- All: all content was created using generative AI.
The constraints matter for delivery validation. On a resource marked All, only contributors of type GenerativeAI may be listed. On one marked None, no contributor may carry AiContribution of Partly or All[5]. An AI contributor is expressed with the special contributor value GenerativeAI[8]. Its AiContribution defaults to All, and any other contributor can only be None or Partly[7]. In practice, a human songwriter who used an AI lyric assistant is a person credit with Partly, while a fully generated vocal is a GenerativeAI contributor in the vocal role.
2 · Spotify: AI credits, personas and the spam filter
AI credits. In September 2025, Spotify committed to the DDEX disclosure standard and said that disclosing isn't about "down-ranking tracks"[1]. AI credits launched in beta on April 16, 2026[1]. They are per role, not per track: lyrics, vocals, instrumental performances and production. Artists add them through distributors that support the feature, and they are visible in Song Credits and Now Playing on mobile. If AI and humans both contributed to the same role, credit them separately. The credits are optional, and the absence of one doesn't mean AI wasn't used[3].
AI Personas. If an artist's public identity is AI-generated, Spotify lets the artist self-disclose as an AI Persona[3]. Labelled personas are excluded from editorial and algorithmic recommendations by default, unless a listener follows them[2].
Spam filter. Spotify's filter targets mass uploads, duplicates, SEO manipulation and artificially short tracks. It tags the uploaders and tracks involved and stops recommending them[1]. By October 2026, Spotify reported taking more than 50 million slop and spam tracks out of recommendations that year, and removing more than 75 million spammy tracks from the platform for serious or repeated violations. It combines listener signals, upload patterns, metadata and third-party AI-detection tools[2]. Two rules sit alongside the filter. The 1,000-stream royalty eligibility threshold has been in place since 2024[2]. And vocal impersonation is only allowed when the impersonated artist has authorized it[1]. Metadata is part of the signal, and Spotify's guidelines already reject SEO-term artist names such as "Sleep Music"[4].
3 · Deezer: detection, tagging and the AI toggle
Deezer doesn't wait for disclosure. It runs its own detection tool, in place since early 2025, and became the first service to explicitly label AI-generated music in June 2025[9]. Listeners see a notice on albums that may contain AI-generated tracks. AI content is excluded from recommendations, and listeners can't switch the label off[10]. Deezer reports more than 42 million AI-generated tracks detected and excluded from algorithmic and editorial recommendations between January 2025 and August 2026, and more than 14 million albums tagged. It also reports receiving nearly 90,000 fully AI-generated tracks a day[9]. On October 13, 2026, Deezer announced an on/off toggle that removes fully AI-generated tracks, albums and the related artists from a user's search results. It is due globally before the end of 2026[9].
Implication: on Deezer, a correct declaration doesn't prevent a tag. The tag follows detection, so treat disclosure as the record that's consistent with what detection will find.
4 · Suno and Udio: the licensing context
The major-label lawsuits are partly settled. Universal settled with Udio in October 2025 and agreed to a licensed creation platform for 2026[11]. Udio stopped allowing downloads as part of that deal[14]. Warner settled with Udio in November 2025[12], then with Suno. Under the Suno deal, Suno's current models will be replaced by licensed models in 2026, downloads will require a paid account, and free-tier songs will be playable and shareable but not downloadable[13]. Universal and Sony are still litigating against Suno[15], and Sony's case against Udio is ongoing[16].
For distribution, this means the tool's plan and terms at the time of generation decide what you can release commercially. Keep the account tier, generation dates and terms with the master, and declare the AI parts accordingly.