Spotify has introduced a new feature that incorporates music videos into its mobile and desktop applications, providing users in select markets the ability to alternate between listening to songs and watching their corresponding music videos seamlessly.
Initially, Spotify music videos is being tested in beta across 11 countries: Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Poland, Philippines, Sweden, and the UK. Access to music videos is exclusive to Spotify Premium subscribers.
Users can access music videos through the “Now Playing” screen when a song with an available music video is playing. By tapping the “Switch to Video” button, the music video begins from the start, substituting the album artwork display. To enjoy the video in full-screen mode, users simply rotate their devices to a landscape view.
Spotify is directly hosting the music videos, providing an ad-free experience to its users. The company has not disclosed details regarding royalty payments for video streams compared to audio streams.
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When a user wishes to revert to audio-only listening, they can select the “Switch to Audio” option. Following the conclusion of a music video, Spotify automatically continues playback with the next track in the queue as an audio stream.
On the Spotify desktop app, music videos are displayed in the right-hand column alongside information about the song and artist. This feature extends to television viewing, supported on various TV platforms and devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV devices, and gaming consoles.
While the initial selection of music videos on Spotify is limited, the company has secured rights to expand its offerings in the future.
The introduction of music videos on Spotify comes at a time of heightened interest in video content within music streaming services, particularly as Universal Music Group recently withdrew its tracks from TikTok amidst a royalty dispute.
Spotify’s new functionality also positions it in closer competition with other streaming services like YouTube Music and Apple Music, which also provide music videos.