Spotify has launched a beta test offering music videos to Spotify Premium users in 11 markets, excluding the US.
This move aims to challenge YouTube’s dominance in music video streaming. The limited-catalog beta features videos from various artists, including Afrobeats star Asake. Other participating artists include Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, Ice Spice, and Aluna.
The 11 launch markets are the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya. The US is a notable omission from the list, but Spotify said in an official announcement on Wednesday that it “hopes to expand the catalog of music videos and bring the feature to more users and countries.”
The streaming platform highlighted the value of music videos for superfans who want to rewatch the videos they love and share them with friends, or a casual fan on the lookout for new releases, and music videos create a new point of connection with artists.”
Spotify is also introducing a new way for premium users in these markets to experience music, watching music videos directly within the app. Videos can be accessed on iOS, Android, desktop, and TV devices. The platform said it will continue to innovate and iterate on its music video feature based on user and artist feedback, suggesting the experience will evolve throughout the beta phase.
Spotify’s expansion into full-length music video content follows the introduction of its ‘Canvas’ feature back in 2019, which offered looping GIFs under 10 seconds, accompanying the music playback. The streaming platform noted on Wednesday that Canvas visuals have been “shown to drive engagement, with users sharing, saving, or adding songs to playlists at a higher rate.”
