In an April 30th press release, Spotify have announced "a signal of authenticity and trust for the artists behind the music" known as Verified by Spotify.

The certification, consisting of a green checkmark and the words "Verified by Spotify," will be awarded to artists who have been found to meet "Spotify's criteria for authenticity and trust." In order to do so, musicians must fulfill three standards: they have "consistent listener activity and engagement over time," "good standing with Spotify's platform policies," and "signals of a real artist represented in the profile."

The controversial streaming platform has vowed to accompany these guidelines with real-world, human employee review, to ensure that Verified by Spotify does "not just [filter] out bad actors." Verified acts in conjunction with Artist Profile Protect (currently in beta), which was introduced as a means of awarding further control to artists over what AI-generated music might surface on their profiles.

Along with the new Verified measure, Spotify has another beta feature being unfurled – a "context" section for all artists, including career, release, and touring information based on Spotify data. The press release compares these to nutrition facts, in that these will "offer a quick, reliable snapshot" of what you're listening to.

Read the full press release here, and expect to see Verified by Spotify badges appear in the coming weeks.