Spotify is incorporating music videos into its mobile and desktop applications in 11 chosen markets worldwide, including Kenya.
The feature will also be rolled out in Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Philippines, Sweden and the UK.
Spotify said it will be available in beta to premium users to bolster artist-fan connection, adding that it will continue to “innovate and iterate based on user and artist feedback.”
The initial rollout features a limited catalogue that includes hits from the likes of Nigerian Afrobeats star Asake as well as global artists such as Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat and Ice Spice.
“So many times in my own experience and for countless others, music videos play a key role in hooking you: taking you from being a listener to leaning in and becoming a fan,” Spotify vice president and head of music product Charlie Hellman said. “They’re an important part of so many artists’ tool kits, and it’s a natural fit for them to live in the same place that more than half a billion people choose to listen to music.”
Premium Spotify users can access music videos by navigating to their iOS, Android, desktop or TV devices and toggling the Switch to Video option for supported tracks. This action initiates the playback of the music video within the Now Playing view. If users wish to switch back to background listening, pressing on Switch to Audio suffices.
Music videos have been available on various streaming services for quite some time, with YouTube and Apple Music among the pioneers in this space. Amazon Music also incorporated music videos in December 2020 but removed this feature in March 2023.
Meanwhile, in its Q1 2024 outlook, Spotify predicts attaining 618 million monthly active users, an operating income of $194m, and total revenue of $3.8bn.
Last month, the company unveiled AUX, its in-house music advisory agency for brands, with marketing veteran Jean-François Pathy, who has been instrumental in AUX’s formation, as its global head.
Article by Gabriel Myers Hansen for Music in Africa.
Source: https://www.musicinafrica.net
