Let’s talk about the Gold Checkmark

[[Member Duet…]]

ETA: Should have said this before. I know I’m really annoying, and that may deter people from posting here. But I’m just trying to collect information, and I want to learn as much as possible, so …

I PROMISE NOT TO REPLY TO YOUR POSTS 😂

So, what do you know about the new gold checkmark? If you’re on the app, it may appear as a purple checkmark inside of a white circle. Feel free to add to this thread, anything you have heard or observed about this new verification, and any opinions you may have on this topic.

I’m going to start this off with the main question in my mind: Does the gold checkmark give you some kind of advantage? For example, do your invites get extended by Smule, or appear at the top of the search results? Or is it just some shiny object that they think will impress people? I don’t believe I will ever qualify if it is based on the number of followers, which are super difficult to pick up the way Smule has things rigged now. But let’s say I’m eligible, what will the gold checkmark actually DO for me? Anything? Because if it’s not actually going to do anything, why should I want it?

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by DuetWithAlli

[[Member Wish…]]

The only thing I believe the gold checkmark will do for you is catch people's eye when they're searching in the app. And from there, whatever happens next will really depend on what the user personally thinks about the gold checkmark. Maybe the user will think "whoa, that person's gold! I should at least check them out and maybe join them."

But I've heard that LOTS of people don't like the gold checkmark, and that it's kind of backfiring. People are saying that that people with the gold checkmark come across as attention-seeking narcissists, willing to pay to get attention.

So does the gold checkmark do anything, besides giving you a lighter wallet and creating a non-inclusive hierarchy on Smule, an app that is already very selective about featuring the same singers again and again? It will generate a response from people, for better or worse. If users like the idea of a gold checkmark, you might get more views and maybe some joins. If users don't like the idea of a gold checkmark, you might get more views so people can mock you, or you might be actively avoided.

Does the gold checkmark give you an advantage? Nope, and especially not if more people start using it. Then you're just another person willing to shell out money for (arguably) nothing.

[[Member open…]]

The Smule blog post about the checkmarks doesn’t mention any functional benefits. But that could easily change later. 

Smule seems to copy what X and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) are doing. They now all have these paid badges/memberships disguised as “verification”. 

[[Member TheM…]]

This golden checkmark also is likely just another way for Smule to obtain more personal information on its users, which they can then sell to the big marketers. So those who pay for this feature are getting suckered in two ways: You’re paying and Smule is laughing all the way to the bank. 
 
And what about those secret requirements? They are to create the illusion of exclusivity. Ha! 

This is my opinion, and I will not be falling for it… 

[[Member open…]]

How the offer looks in the app:

[[Member real…]]

14 hours ago, opentype said:

Smule seems to copy what X and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) are doing. They now all have these paid badges/memberships disguised as “verification”. 

But X and FB give it to whoever pays.. smule is selective about who it offers this badge. Looks like no more than about 1% of people are getting the offer, don’t know if this is a good or bad thing, time will tell.

[[Member Isa_…]]

I updated Smule today and I received the offer  for the Gold Badge... Wow AU$32.00 a year.  What are the benefits to have this Gold Badge?

 

[[Member real…]]

1 hour ago, Isa_Bella said:

I updated Smule today and I received the offer  for the Gold Badge... Wow AU$32.00 a year.  What are the benefits to have this Gold Badge?

Just bragging rights.. for now.

However there’s clear benefits for smule😁 Let’s sat a million people accepted it, they made a cool $5–10 million off it in a few days. For nothing other than putting a tick next to your dp.

[[Member Isa_…]]

On 12/1/2023 at 12:51 PM, realyquick said:

Just bragging rights.. for now.

However there’s clear benefits for smule😁 Let’s sat a million people accepted it, they made a cool $5–10 million off it in a few days. For nothing other than putting a tick next to your dp.

correct... I can see almost everyone from my active followers are on Gold Badge.. 

[[Member open…]]

So, has anyone from here bought it? I wonder what happens after that purchase screen shown above. Is there any actual verification done?

It’s also weird to make it a one-time purchase for 1 or 3 months. If Smule “verifies” that I am real, that already expires a month later? And the people who do like it need to manually purchase that badge at least four times a year? It’s a strange offer. 

[[Member TheM…]]

2 hours ago, opentype said:

So, has anyone from here bought it? I wonder what happens after that purchase screen shown above. Is there any actual verification done?

It’s also weird to make it a one-time purchase for 1 or 3 months. If Smule “verifies” that I am real, that already expires a month later? And the people who do like it need to manually purchase that badge at least four times a year? It’s a strange offer. 

No, I have not purchased it and I have no plans. I also have not met the special requirements and I never will. I am not giving Smule, Meta, or X anymore personal information than I have to. 

Heavens, it is pricey for those of us who have to pay for it and not everyone has to pay… I saw a user who stated on their profile “I did not buy this checkmark.” 

And, open type, as you stated previously, it is an option. But if I have to buy a checkmark for someone to sing with me, then they have the option not to sing with me, and that’s okay with me. 

I thought this was a funny incident. I had two users who used to follow me and I noticed they unfollowed me. I saw their checkmarks. I laughed and unfollowed the golden boys and girls. Seems there is pretentiousness attached to the costly mark. Whatever… 

Edited December 2, 2023 by TheMajesticM

[[Member real…]]

In the US it’s $5 for 3 months so I figured,  what the heck 😀 I’m guessing they’ll give an option to renew at the end of that time and I’ll likely not renew.

But I’m finding that a lot of those who’ve gotten a tick aren’t necessarily talented singers. Although I will say most don’t suck, which is a low bar😁 This was supposed to identify good singers who engage well with the community.

[[Member Isa_…]]

On 12/2/2023 at 8:26 PM, opentype said:

So, has anyone from here bought it? I wonder what happens after that purchase screen shown above. Is there any actual verification done?

 

Yes I took the offer and bought the A$7.99 for 3 months.. I was just curious to what benefits to have a Gold Badge.. I also sent an email to Zendesk asking what are the benefits to have a Gold Badge.. just waiting for their response. 

What I heard was not everyone got the offer and if you received an offer means you were verified. The word "verified" that was the word I specifically asked Zendesk to explain to me.. 

[[Member Wish…]]

13 hours ago, Isa_Bella said:

Yes I took the offer and bought the A$7.99 for 3 months.. I was just curious to what benefits to have a Gold Badge.. I also sent an email to Zendesk asking what are the benefits to have a Gold Badge.. just waiting for their response.

I would be very curious to see what Zendesk says are the actual benefits to having a Gold Badge. I mean, besides lining Smule's pockets.

[[Member Isa_…]]

15 hours ago, Wishchip said:

I mean, besides lining Smule's pockets.

Buying a Gold badge is not a mandatory you can choose not to, and because its trending and almost everyone in my group of followers have it..

Edited December 5, 2023 by Isa_Bella

[[Member Wish…]]

9 hours ago, Isa_Bella said:

Buying a Gold badge is not a mandatory you can choose not to, and because its trending and almost everyone in my group of followers have it..

No, I understand. Given that Smule has never said what the benefits to having a gold badge are (because they're really aren't any), I'm just curious to see what they would say.

[[Member Isa_…]]

7 hours ago, Wishchip said:

No, I understand. Given that Smule has never said what the benefits to having a gold badge are (because they're really aren't any), I'm just curious to see what they would say.

They haven't responded.. and maybe you are right... I followed up today... 

[[Member Wish…]]

One thing Smule hasn't advertised is that they gave away the gold check for free to all Ambassadors, despite them saying it's a paid item for everyone. There are lots of other users who are now saying they also somehow got the gold check for free, despite them being "regular users."

I'm guessing the whole “hollow purple check on the app vs gold check on the website” discrepancy is a direct result of Smule giving away the gold check to their faves (most of whom previously had a hollow purple check) before flicking the switch for everyone else, and their systems got confused.

[[Member TheM…]]

On 12/4/2023 at 10:13 AM, Wishchip said:

I would be very curious to see what Zendesk says are the actual benefits to having a Gold Badge. I mean, besides lining Smule's pockets.

I am curious too. We VIPs already have a VIP badge so why should we pay $20 more on the year for a gold checkmark? As of now I pay $39.99 a year so if I happen to include the gold checkmark (I’m not), why is the app worth $59.99 a year? Answer, Smule! I know you’re reading this… 

Edited December 7, 2023 by TheMajesticM

[[Member TheM…]]

13 hours ago, Wishchip said:

I'm guessing the whole “hollow purple check on the app vs gold check on the website” discrepancy is a direct result of Smule giving away the gold check to their faves

Bingo! And that biased behavior is why so many will quit the app and have quit the app. The company does not try to hide it either. I have stated this many times: Great technology but poor management… 

[[Member Wish…]]

A number of users have now said they've been given the gold badge without paying for it and without previously having a hollow purple check. So either some users were within the blast radius when Smule turned all hollow purple checks to gold and it's a technical glitch, or Smule is handing them out to some of their faves in order to advertise the gold badge a bit more broadly.

[[Member Raw…]]

I think they got the idea from Twitter, how checkmarks are now subscription based to verify you are a real person with a credit card and not a bot. Smule already has a subscription model and so, duh, if you are VIP you obviously are not a bot and are already ‘verified’. So I think it’s just a little trick they’re playing on everybody to pull in some cash because Smulers are big on status. Unless the gold checkmark unlocks new app features that interest me, I’ll be opting out of it. 😝

[[Member Wish…]]

On 12/8/2023 at 6:10 PM, Raw Sonnets said:

I think it’s just a little trick they’re playing on everybody to pull in some cash

You're absolutely right on that. I know a handful of people who bought it without really knowing anything about it, and thinking it would do something practical for them, but nope! It's a good scam Smule's got going there.

[[Member Raw…]]

4 hours ago, Wishchip said:

It's a good scam Smule's got going there.

Oh man. I used to be SO into status on Smule, obsessing over whether I had more followers than those I’m following, or how many likes I’m getting, am I trending, adding hashtags, and all that to try and be more popular. If Smule was really really clever, they could just keep coming up with little ways to make people feel like they are rising in popularity and monetize the hell out of every little thing, and they will make a lot of extra money, seriously.

[[Member Raw…]]

4 hours ago, Wishchip said:

It's a good scam Smule's got going there.

Or, another service they could figure out how to provide that I would pay for: automatically verify to your spouse that you aren’t cheating on them with the people you sing with 🤑