Updates to the verification checkmark

Starting on January 28th 2026, we began rolling out changes to the artist verification checkmark on Spotify. This update is part of a broader effort to improve transparency for listeners, by clarifying what the labels used on Spotify mean.

What's changing

Over time, the term “verified” came to suggest more than the checkmark was designed to represent. So, we’re transitioning the current “Verified Artist” blue checkmark to a more accurate label: Registered Artist – which will now appear in the About section of artist profiles across all surfaces.

This update reflects what the checkmark has always represented: that an artist’s profile is claimed and actively managed in Spotify for Artists.

What's not changing

This update doesn’t affect visibility, discovery, royalties, or access to Spotify for Artists tools. Artists will still claim profiles and manage their teams the same way they always have.