Spotify Expands with Music Videos
Spotify has introduced music videos to its mobile and desktop apps in select markets. These videos are seamlessly integrated into the company’s music library, allowing users to effortlessly switch between audio and video content.
Currently available in beta, music videos are accessible in 11 chosen markets, excluding the U.S. The initial rollout includes countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, Poland, Philippines, Sweden, and the U.K.
Sten Garmark, Spotify’s VP Global Head of Consumer Experience, explained the selection process: “For this beta rollout, we chose these markets based on a number of criteria including market size and the availability of local content support. Stay tuned as we hope to expand the catalog of music videos and increase availability to more countries.”
To access music videos, users need an active premium subscription. Free users must continue using YouTube for video content.
Music videos can be initiated from the “Now Playing” screen, seamlessly transitioning from audio to video playback. The video begins from the start, replacing the album artwork. Users can switch to full-screen mode by rotating their device.
Unlike embedding YouTube videos, Spotify hosts videos directly, ensuring an ad-free experience. Details regarding royalties for video streams remain undisclosed.
To return to audio playback, users can switch back from the “Switch to Video” button. Upon completing a video, Spotify automatically proceeds to the next queued song.
On desktop, music videos are displayed in the right-hand column alongside song and artist information. This feature is also accessible on various TV platforms, including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, gaming consoles, and select smart TV models.
While initially limited, Spotify plans to expand its video library over time, securing distribution rights for additional content.
The addition of music videos coincides with Universal Music Group’s withdrawal from TikTok over royalty disputes. With this move, Spotify diversifies its app content, complementing existing features like Clips and Canvas.
Spotify’s inclusion of music videos aligns it with competitors like YouTube Music and Apple Music, though with a more seamless audio-to-video transition.
What do you think about this? Do you think Spotify is heading in the right direction?
