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Spotify will be adding a great deal more video content. Later this month the app will begin to include music videos. Subscribers in the US can easily swap between the audio and video version of popular songs.
Spotify’s not stopping at that. “We’re not just building features; we’re creating a best-in-class video experience to rival the biggest players, like YouTube or TikTok,” A company filed for bankruptcy a recent job listing. Spotify evolves “from an audio-first platform to also become a world-class video service,” The job description states:
Spotify’s move into video music comes after it struck agreements this past fall with major labels, the National Music Publishers’ Association and other companies. included provisions Audiovisual Rights
“These deals secure broader video rights that we’ve long needed,” explained Spotify’s chief business officer, Alex Norström, on the company’s most recent earnings call last month. “This was a critical strategic objective for us because it unlocks our ability to innovate and launch more products and features.”
Spotify has also been busy adding other forms of video content, with Norström revealing during the same earnings call that it now has close to half a million video podcasts and shows on its platform. More than 390 million users have streamed video podcasts on Spotify, and time spent watching videos has more than doubled year over year, according to Norström.
MIDiA Research Mark Mulligan is the managing director at Spotify. He believes the adoption of video on Spotify is a sign that online music is reaching a limit in Western markets. “Music streaming is entering an optimization phase,” Mulligan Says “The last 10 years were about growth; the next 10 will be defined by consolidation.”
Spotify has to focus its efforts on growing its audience share, retaining subscribers who pay, and better monetizing the ad supported tier. The service will now compete not just with Apple Music or other music streaming services but with TikTok (a video game), Netflix and even video games.
Mulligan argues that Spotify also has a disadvantage, because for most people music is a background media. “Adding video helps Spotify increase attention,” He says. “Of all entertainment formats, music is the one consumers are least likely to be paying attention to — just under a third are focused on the music they are listening to when streaming. Adding video commands more of the senses and therefore attention.”
YouTube has nailed the combination of music with video. YouTube, owned by Google, has been the top destination to find free music. A consumer survey conducted this summer found that 67 per cent of respondents watched music videos every month on YouTube compared with 45 per cent who streamed music free and 37percent that had a subscription.
YouTube Music offers a subscription-based music service, and it is tightly integrated with YouTube’s vast video library. “It is a visual medium in an entertainment world defined by video,” Mulligan Says “YouTube [Music] is also the only other global player than Spotify that is growing at pace. So, even though it is not the biggest competitor to Spotify, it is probably the most serious challenger at present.”
Spotify has decided to form some unlikely alliances in order to increase its video audience. Spotify announced that it has a partnership with Netflix. Bill Simmons Podcast In October, Spotify will add podcasts from its own service and others to the video streaming service. This is not the first partnership in this vein: Spotify also has teamed up with SamsungThe company is distributing a linear, free streaming channel that’s pre-programmed to include episodes of Spotify podcasts, like The Dave Chang Show You can also find out more about the following: Rewatchables.
Spotify is also expecting that the deals it has made will generate an increased interest in Spotify Podcasts. That could result in more users flocking towards Spotify.
Spotify’s embrace of video is a hot topic right now. How far will it go? Will Spotify ever allow users to upload videos like YouTube or TikTok?
Spotify refused to respond when questioned about future plans. However, I doubt that the service will go TikTok. If you, I, and the conspiracy-theory loving uncle from Facebook were allowed to upload their unfiltered rants, it would be a huge challenge to moderate content and manage copyright.
The lines between professional and amateur creators are becoming increasingly blurred. Spotify allows musicians to upload Reels like 30-second vertical video clips. The company is also added such clips From podcasters to audiobook writers, 2025 Spotify Wrapped will be a great way for you to discover new content.
Audrey Marshall, Thematic’s COO believes that the next logical step is to bring on board select music influencers. “Music curators have become some of the most popular creators on [TikTok], with their frequent song, artist, and playlist recommendations driving new music discovery across all genres and niches of music,” Marshall wrote a book a recent blog post.
It’s true that TikTok isn’t always the best source of recommendations. “Right now, in order to get a TikTok music curator’s latest artist recommendations, you need to open TikTok, hopefully be recommended their content in your feed, watch their video, leave TikTok and open Spotify to look up the artist, etc. etc.,” Marshall wrote. “Wouldn’t it be that much more effective to see this video directly within Spotify and then simply click to play the artist’s music immediately?”
Whether Spotify follows Marshall’s recommendation or not, it’s increasingly certain that video will be a key part of Spotify’s future — on phones, TVsEverything in Between
