Spotify has announced the addition of complete music videos to its platforms, amid a flurry of new features.
The music streaming behemoth did, however, clarify that the beta phase will only be available to Premium users in a few regions.
The markets that will benefit from this new functionality include the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya.
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Spotify’s beta version of music videos was introduced on Wednesday (March 13), with a limited portfolio of videos featuring songs from global artists such as Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, and Ice Spice, as well as local favorites such as Aluna and Asake.
Listeners can find supported music tracks by going to their iOS, Android, desktop, or TV devices and selecting the “Switch to Video” button. The music video will then start playing from the beginning in the Now Playing window.
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It will also allow users to watch videos in full screen by rotating their mobile device into landscape mode.
In a statement released to Spotify’s website, Vice President and Head of Music Product Charlie Hellman said: “So many times in my own experience and for countless others, music videos play a critical role in hooking you: bringing you from being a listener to leaning in and being a fan.
“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,” he said.
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It comes after Spotify announced plans to slash 17% of its workforce in December 2023.
A potentially great year ahead for Spotify.
Despite the employment cuts, Spotify shares increased by roughly 11% following the announcement. At the time, CEO Daniel Ek said, “Over the last two years, we’ve put significant emphasis on building Spotify into a truly great and sustainable business – one designed to achieve our goal of being the world’s leading audio company and one that will consistently drive profitability and growth into the future.”
It intends to reduce operational costs at a time when capital prices are rising, reversing major investments made between 2020 and 2021. Ek continued, “We now find ourselves in a totally different scenario. And, despite our attempts to lower costs over the last year, our cost structure for where we need to be is too large.”
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