Full-length music videos may soon be available on Spotify Technology’s app, giving the streaming service a better chance to compete with ByteDance’s TikTok and YouTube, both of which are owned by Alphabet.
According to people acquainted with the proposal who asked to remain anonymous because they weren’t authorized to speak about it publicly, the service has already started talking to partners about the product.
Spotify declined to comment.
The function would support Spotify’s growing efforts to make video, which has often been more profitable than audio in the era of streaming media, a central component of its service. Currently, Spotify enables artists to upload “canvases,” which are looping GIFs that last under 10 seconds and fill the screen while music is playing. In January of this year, it introduced a function called “clips,” which are shorter-than-30-second films intended to provide musicians with a storytelling tool to discuss their music, much like how they may use TikTok.
Additionally, the business introduced a brand-new music home screen in March that is reminiscent of TikTok and enables users to preview and swipe through surface videos before deciding to listen to an entire track. This week, Spotify revealed that there are now more than 100,000 video podcasts available on the service.
Due to increased competition from YouTube and TikTok for the Gen Z demographic, Spotify has reacted. YouTube offers a streaming music service and draws viewers in with both lengthy music videos and shorter Shorts. Podcasts have also been added to YouTube Music. Resso, a music streaming service launched by ByteDance, is already available in nations where Spotify is available, and TikTok has developed into a crucial platform for discovering new musical talent.
In the past, Spotify focused on video by making its original programs and collaborating with publishers like Paramount Global and Vice Media to integrate TV content into the app, such as excerpts from the Comedy Central series Broad City. These agreements eventually expired.