SoundCloud is trying to make sure people can tell who’s an authentic artist by rolling out verified badges, the company announced today.

Badges will be given to top artists on the platform, but there’s a list of criteria that has to be met in order to get one. Artists must be “a well-known and/or highly searched-for artist, collective, DJ, label, curator or podcaster,” according to a blog post announcing the news. They must also have a unique profile, no misleading information, and each account must have a bio, profile photo, and one track uploaded.

Prior to SoundCloud rolling out the verified badge, the site had Pro star badges. They were part of SoundCloud’s subscription plan that costs $12 a month and can help boost artist profiles. The issue is that people assumed the orange Pro star badge was being used for verification when it wasn’t supposed to. Those badges were created to let people know that artists were “taking their craft to the next level.” People who are a part of SoundCloud’s Pro program can apply for verification review.

SoundCloud is the latest company to follow in the footsteps of platforms that rely on user-generated content and attract big-name talents; Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube also use verification systems. To apply for a verification review on SoundCloud, people can log in to their account settings and click on “Request verification.” The process can take up to 30 days for SoundCloud’s team to review.

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