“New Music Friday” may feel a bit different the next time you open your Spotify app. The audio streaming platform has introduced a new “Verified by Spotify” badge to help users identify which artists are not AI-generated. With artificial intelligence-created music rapidly spreading across the platform—and attracting millions of streams—Spotify says the new feature is designed to make things clearer for listeners. In a post published on its website Thursday, the Swedish company explained that the green check-mark badge is intended to distinguish authentic, trusted artists from accounts powered by AI or built around AI personas.
According to the criteria outlined by Spotify, artists must meet certain benchmarks to earn the badge, including “consistent listener activity and engagement over time.” The platform also notes it will “look for an identifiable presence both on and off-platform.”
This could involve factors such as linked social media profiles, scheduled live performances, or merchandise sales. In an email to CBC News, Spotify added that artists need at least 10,000 active listeners over three consecutive months to qualify for the sustained-listener requirement.
The company also says it considers artists who have “made important contributions to music culture and history as well as those building cultural momentum and relevance.”
Andrew Cash, president and CEO of the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), said it was “inevitable” that some kind of label would emerge to separate AI-generated music from human-created work—something he believes both artists and fans have been calling for.
However, he also raised concerns that Spotify’s criteria could create additional barriers for emerging and independent artists trying to grow their audiences.
Who’s already verified?
A quick scroll through Spotify shows that major global stars like Madonna, BTS and Bad Bunny are among those who have already received the green badge. The list also includes Canadian acts such as The Beaches, Cameron Whitcomb—named breakthrough artist of the year at the Juno Awards 2026—and Jeremy Dutcher, a Polaris Prize winner.
Still, not everyone has been verified yet. CBC News found several notable accounts without the badge, including bbno$, despite his large following of more than 13 million monthly listeners.
Other prominent names currently without verification include Joni Mitchell, Roy Orbison, Celia Cruz, and classical composers like Richard Wagner and George Frideric Handel. Meanwhile, composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky have already been verified. R&B singer R. Kelly also does not currently carry the badge.
Spotify notes that artists who haven’t been verified yet may still receive the badge in the future, as the rollout is expected to continue gradually over the coming weeks.
As of Friday, the verification badge has not been extended to podcasts, including popular shows like The Joe Rogan Experience, SmartLess and Good Hang with Amy Poehler.
For now, Spotify has confirmed to CBC News that it does not plan to introduce the “Verified by Spotify” label for podcasts, even as AI-generated content continues to grow in that space as well.
Media professional and journalist based in British Columbia, Canada. Founder of Studiox Film & TV Corporation, focusing on multicultural news, interviews, and community storytelling across Canada.
