Spotify comes with an important feature for bands and artists which many musicians are still unaware about: Verified artist accounts, short: VIP accounts. VIP accounts are official artist accounts which show your fans that you’re the real ones. Each verified account displays a blue check-mark right next to the band name on the profile page – like in the case of our passengers “Das Niveau”:

And what are the advantages?

-Your fans can follow your verified account and will be notified immediately if you upload a new track or share a new playlist.

– The verified account is closely connected with your discography which is thus easily searchable for your fans.

– Also, and this we deem an important one: Verified accounts can be found via the search function, unlike the accounts of regular users.

IMPORTANT: You need to have at least 250 followers on your artist page to qualify for verification!

This is how you can get your own verified accout on Spotify:

1. Create a new account on Spotify. We recommend not recycling an already existing user account – really create a brand new one, and please DON’T do it via facebook. The name of the account should contain your band’s name. If this one has already been used (which is possible), then go for the next best variety like “Bandname Official”, “Bandname Music” or “Bandname Band”. IMPORTANT: AS SOON AS YOUR ACCOUNT HAS 250 FOLLOWERS YOU QUALIFY FOR VERIFICATION.

2. Complete the Spotify Artist Verification Form in order for the guys at Spotify to make your account VIP. You can find this form here.

3. Your artist image needs to be submitted via the ROVI service. Please have a look here to see how this is done.

4. It may take up to 4 weeks for your account to be verified through Spotify, so now you need to be patient. In the meanwhile make sure to check out some of the best practices for Spotify playlists.

5. Share your verified account and your playlists by right-clicking and choosing “HTTP Link”. The embed code can be used to integrate the Spotify player directly into your website or your blog.

6. Questions about the verification process? Contact the Spotify Artist Support for more information.