Source: Engadget
“Spotify is launching verification badges for podcasts to help ‘authenticate creator identity and likeness.’ The most obvious use case for this is to help listeners find real podcasts amidst a sea of AI slop. To that end, the platform says it will also now remove podcasts that impersonate other creators via ‘AI voice cloning or any other method.’ The ‘Verified by Spotify’ badge is accompanied by a light green checkmark icon, making real-deal podcasts much easier to spot while perusing. These badges and icons will appear on show pages and in search. The verification process takes the podcast itself into account, but also its listeners. AI-generated podcasts tend to attract a bot-driven listenership. Spotify is looking for ‘sustained listener activity, with consistent audience engagement over time.'” (05/19/26)