Music streaming giant Spotify has unveiled its latest initiative, introducing full-length music videos in a limited beta rollout exclusively for premium subscribers. This move signals Spotify’s entry into a domain long dominated by YouTube, marking a significant expansion of its content offerings.
The availability of music videos will be initially restricted to premium users in select regions, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya. The beta phase commenced on Wednesday, as Spotify aims to diversify its content library and attract new users to its platform.
With aspirations to amass 1 billion users by 2030, Spotify faces formidable competition from industry incumbents such as Apple Music and Alphabet’s YouTube, which boasts a vast repository of music videos accessible for free, Reuters news report said.
Google has generated sales of $9.2 billion from YouTube advertisement in 2023 as compared with $7.9 billion in 2022. Google earlier revealed that YouTube is the key driver of its subscription revenues. For Google, subscription is a $15 billion business annually. Google says Shorts remains a top priority. Shorts have 2 billion+ logged-in users every month, with 70 billion in daily views.
Spotify in a news statement said its initial video catalog will encompass a curated selection of music videos, featuring chart-toppers from global sensations like Ed Sheeran alongside regional favorites like Aluna, as the company seeks to cater to diverse audience preferences.
The introduction of full-length music videos follows Spotify’s previous foray into short-form video content with the introduction of “clips” in March last year. These under-30-second vertical videos, uploaded directly to Spotify by artists, aimed to provide users with bite-sized entertainment experiences.
Furthermore, Spotify has broadened its content offerings to encompass podcasts and audiobooks, augmenting its appeal and striving to enhance user engagement on its platform.
In February, Spotify projected a surge in premium subscribers, forecasting a figure of 239 million for the current quarter, surpassing analysts’ estimates of 238.3 million. This robust performance underscores Spotify’s continued efforts to innovate and diversify its services in a fiercely competitive streaming landscape.