Spotify introduces music videos in certain countries

Spotify is incorporating music videos into its mobile and desktop applications in some regions. The streaming behemoth is closely connected to the company’s music catalog, allowing users to effortlessly transition between audio and music videos on both mobile and desktop applications.

Music videos are now under beta testing in 11 specific areas, although the United States was not included in the original release. The following nations will have access to music videos beginning today: Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, Poland, the Philippines, Sweden, and the UK.

For this beta rollout, we selected these markets based on several factors, such as market size and the presence of local content support. Spotify’s VP Global Head of Consumer Experience, Sten Garmark, expressed plans to broaden the music video collection and make it accessible in additional countries.

Living in one of those countries is a must for accessing music videos, along with a current premium membership. Free users must still visit YouTube to view music videos.

This is the procedure that will be followed. Music videos may be played immediately from the “Now Playing” panel instead of searching for them or browsing in a different part of the app. When listening to a song with a music video, you may press on a button labeled “Switch to Video” to switch to the video.

The music video restarts from the beginning and supersedes the album artwork, regardless of your previous position in the track. To see the video in full screen, just rotate your phone to landscape mode.

Spotify is not only incorporating a YouTube video or collaborating with a third-party firm for this functionality. The firm is streaming these videos to its viewers without any advertisements. The corporation declined to respond when questioned about royalties for songs played in video format vs. audio streams.

To resume background listening, touch the “Switch to Audio” button to disable the music video. If you view the music video until the conclusion, Spotify will automatically play the next song in your queue in audio format.

Music videos are shown on the right-hand column of the desktop interface, along with details about the song and performer. Spotify states that the function is also accessible on televisions, where it is quite practical. The firm has launched applications for Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV devices, gaming consoles, and several smart TV types.

Initially, only a restricted selection of music videos will be accessible on Spotify. The firm has already obtained distribution rights to include further videos in the future.

During our first beta rollout, we are starting with a restricted fraction of the whole repertoire, including thousands of music videos. “We aimed to prioritize a diverse selection of genres and artists across our launch markets within this subset,” Garmark said.

Universal Music Group withdrew their songs from TikTok due to a disagreement over royalties, making the timing of this feature release noteworthy. Spotify is expanding its app’s video capabilities by including music videos in addition to Clips and Canvas.

Spotify is now offering music videos, similar to YouTube Music, which can be accessed whether searching for a song or browsing an artist profile. Apple Music features music videos in a distinct area on every artist’s page. However, transitioning from audio to video is not straightforward in any scenario.