SoundCloud finally starts verifying creators with official accounts

The next time you visit SoundCloud to listen to some new tunes, you may notice a blue checkmark next to the profile image of some artists. That’s SoundCloud’s new way of indicating to you that it’s verified that creator. “We’re doing this to help well-known artists stand out and maintain their authenticity, and to help listeners identify these artists more easily,” the company said in a blog post announcing the feature.

Some of the artists who have already been verified by SoundCloud include Billie Eilish and Wiz Khalifa. And it has laid out reasonably clear criteria for other artists to get the same treatment. Most notably, they’ll need to be a well-known or frequently searched musician, collective, DJ, label, curator or podcaster. Additionally, they’ll need to have a profile with no misleading information and at least one uploaded track. SoundCloud says new verifications will take up to 30 days for the company to complete.

Not only is profile verification a long-overdue feature for SoundCloud, but it helps address an issue with its previous Pro star badges. Those were part of the company’s $12 per month subscription plan, and as SoundCloud admits, they were frequently either misused or misinterpreted as a stand-in for verification. You’ll still see those badges on the platform, but no profile will have a Pro star badge and blue checkmark.