Spotify's Music Video Feature is Now Available in 97 Countries
- Michele
- 29 October 2024, Tuesday
Spotify has expanded its music video feature to 85 countries, allowing Premium users to watch videos alongside their favorite tracks, with enhancements like easy search and seamless switching between audio and video.
Spotify expands music video feature
Earlier this year, Spotify introduced a new feature that allows Premium users to watch music videos directly on the platform. Initially, the feature launched in 11 countries, including the U.K., Kenya, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, and Germany. A few weeks later, it became available in Egypt. Charlie Hellman, Spotify’s Vice President and Head of Music Product, explained the decision in official statement:
“Music videos are an important part of so many artists’ toolkits, and it’s a natural fit for them to live in the same place where more than half a billion people choose to listen to music.”
Although still in beta, Spotify now announced the expansion of the music video feature to 85 additional countries. These include Spain, Italy, Ireland, Lebanon, Japan, Armenia, South Africa, Mexico, Switzerland, Nigeria, India, Portugal, Australia, Panama, and Peru, among other countries. The full list is available on the Spotify for Artists website.
Spotify also shared some insightful stats about the feature’s success. According to a blog post, “users who discover a song and then watch the music video on Spotify are 34% more likely to stream the song again the following week.” Additionally, “songs discovered with music videos are 24% more likely to be saved or shared in the following week by viewers.”
New features and upgrades included
In addition to expanding access, Spotify has upgraded the music video feature to make it more user-friendly. Users can now “easily find and discover new music videos to watch (on mobile and desktop) with video indicators on tracks,” and search for music videos by simply typing in the track or artist name. Furthermore, a new option allows them to “seamlessly switch between music tracks and videos with a single tap of a button” on both mobile and desktop.
The beta version of music videos on Spotify has begun rolling out in new markets with a limited catalog and will continue to expand over the next few weeks. With the global expansion of music videos, Spotify is pushing the boundaries of how listeners consume and interact with music, blending audio and visual content in one platform.
That said, while music videos are a fun addition, they are not necessarily what users have been requesting in large numbers. Instead, many have voiced a stronger desire for lower subscription prices or higher payouts to artists. Moreover, there’s a growing concern that platforms are losing their unique selling points, as each one tries to adopt features from others. In Spotify’s case, the integration of music videos feels reminiscent of YouTube, raising the question of whether these efforts are diluting the core identity of music streaming services.
