Building a More Trusted Podcast Experience for Creators and Listeners

Podcasting continues to evolve, and so does Spotify. As we build what comes next, one thing remains constant: This is a medium built on connection. It lives in the chemistry between co-hosts, in the relationship between creators and the fans who return week after week, and in the dialogue around ideas and culture. As creation becomes more accessible, the need for clarity and trust becomes even more important.

Today, we’re introducing new ways to better protect creators and give listeners clearer signals about who they’re hearing on Spotify. 

Expanding Verified by Spotify for podcasts

Building on our recent work in music, we’re introducing Verified by Spotify badges for podcast shows to help authenticate creator identity and likeness at scale. 

The badge appears as “Verified by Spotify” alongside a light green checkmark icon. It identifies a show as the official presence of a creator, publisher, or brand, and appears on show pages and in search. It signals that the show has been reviewed against Spotify’s standards for authenticity and trust, helping listeners understand who they’re hearing while giving creators a clear, credible way to establish their identity on our platform.  

You’ll begin seeing the new badge on select shows starting today, and it will continue to roll out over the coming months. As we expand, eligibility will focus on shows we can confidently authenticate based on a combination of:

• • Sustained listener activity, with consistent audience engagement over time
  • Good standing with Spotify’s platform policies, ensuring content complies with our rules
  • Verified audience authenticity, including safeguards against fraudulent or bot-driven listenership

The concept of authenticity in podcasting is complex and quickly evolving, and we’ll continue to develop our approach over time.

Reinforcing our impersonation policies in the age of AI

New AI technologies are making it easier than ever to create, discover, and engage with podcast content. At its best, AI can open up new creative possibilities and help listeners discover podcasts in more personal ways. But it can also be misused, including to misrepresent voices or confuse listeners.

Our policies have always prohibited unauthorized impersonation. Today, we’re reaffirming this policy in the context of AI: Spotify will remove podcast shows and content that impersonate another creator or host’s likeness without permission, whether that’s using AI voice cloning or any other method. You can read more about these creator protections here.

Alongside our existing reporting channels for unauthorized use of a creator’s voice or identity, this is one step in a broader effort to help ensure creators remain in control and fans can engage with content they know is real and trusted. We’ll continue strengthening these safeguards over time.

Looking forward 

Creators and listeners are at the center of everything we do. Podcasting works because of the trust between them, and protecting that trust is essential as the format grows.

These updates are the first in a series of steps we’re taking to support a more trustworthy podcast ecosystem for creators, partners, and listeners. We’ll continue to progress and share what’s next as we go.