Spotify is increasing its services beyond just audio, adding music videos to its offerings. The music streaming platform is initiating a beta test which grants premium subscribers the ability to access music videos on mobile, desktop, and TV for certain songs from artists such as Ed Sheeran and Ice Spice.
In an email obtained by TechCrunch, Spotify’s VP and global head of consumer experience, Sten Garmark, stated that they are starting with a limited selection of the full catalog, but it includes thousands of music videos. They sought to include a broad array of genres and artists for their launch. This new feature allows Spotify to compete more directly with other platforms like YouTube and Apple Music that already provide music video content.
Users can switch to the video version while listening to a song by using the “switch to video” feature on the now-playing screen. The video will always start from the beginning of the song, but users can revert back to audio whenever desired. If the video plays in full, Spotify will queue the next song in audio format only.
Currently, the beta test is available in only 11 countries, chosen based on a variety of factors including market size and local content support availability, according to Garmark. These countries comprise a global audience and include Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Poland, Philippines, Sweden, and the UK. To access this feature, users from these countries are required to have a premium account.
Suspicion of Spotify adding music videos to their platform first arose in July after several layoffs. This progress signifies the initial public acknowledgment of the existence of music videos on Spotify’s platform. Interestingly, a Reddit user reported spotting the “switch to video” option on a single song, My Way by Limp Bizkit, three months ago.
