Spotify is rolling out Music Videos in beta to its subscribers in the US and Canada. YouTube Music already offers a toggle between an audio track and its official video. This expansion gives users access to a catalog of official music videos from studio versions to live performances and covers. Music Videos first arrived last year in 11 countries, but the US wasn’t one of them. Well, that is changing now.
Spotify music videos are now rolling out in the US and Canada
Spotify Music Videos didn’t make their way to the US until now becuase the streaming service didn’t have rights. However, that changed last month. The company struck a deal with the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) that included new provisions for video content.
If you’re a premium subscriber in one of Spotify’s beta markets, you simply open a track on TV, desktop, iOS, and Android devices and tap “Switch to Video.” The music video will start playing where the song left off. By turning the device to landscape mode, you get a full-screen experience. You can return to background listening by tapping “Switch to audio.”
The music video catalog will grow gradually
Spotify says the initial video catalog is limited, but the availability will grow quickly over the coming months. Spotify notes that when it introduced music videos in beta last year, it noticed that videos can elevate the listening experience. A recent Burson survey found that more than 70% of users say more video content would enhance their experience on Spotify.
Spotify earlier this year, said that “users who discover a song and then watch the video on Spotify are 34% more likely to stream the song again and 24% more likely to save or share it in the following week.” Furthermore, Spotify is reportedly planning to build a “best-in-class video experience” to take on the competition like YouTube or TikTok.
