Music Videos Rolling Out in Beta to Premium Spotify Users Across Select Markets
In the early neon-infused ’80s, music videos burst onto TV screens, turning some of the most beloved songs into visual experiences that redefined the way fans connected with artists around the world. Since then, not only have music videos become one of the many ways that fans discover and fall in love with artists, but iconic videos have become part of pop culture, igniting conversations and influencing style.
They’re a powerful way for fans to discover and connect with music, and a natural fit to live on Spotify. That’s why we’re excited to launch music videos in beta for Spotify Premium users across 11 markets, adding another way to enhance the artist-to-fan connection.
Spotify is where fans go to dive deeper into an artist’s music. So whether you’re a superfan who wants to rewatch the videos you love and share them with friends, or a casual fan on the lookout for new releases, music videos create a new point of connection with artists.
“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,” says Charlie Hellman, Vice President and Head of Music Product at Spotify. “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.”
Through Spotify features like Canvas, Clips, Artist Bios, Live Events, and Merch, artists are able to connect with new fans and loyal listeners in meaningful ways. Canvas visuals in particular have been shown to drive engagement, with users sharing, saving, or adding songs to playlists at a higher rate.
The beta version of music videos on Spotify begins rolling out today with a limited catalog of music videos, including hits from global artists like Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, and Ice Spice, or local favorites like Aluna and Asake.
How to watch music videos on Spotify:
- We’ll begin to roll out music videos from a select catalog for Premium users in the U.K., Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya.
- Premium listeners in those markets can head to their iOS, Android, desktop, or TV device and select the “Switch to Video” toggle for supported music tracks. Then, the music video will start playing from the beginning within the Now Playing view.
- Want to return to background listening? Simply press “Switch to Audio.”.
- You can even watch the music video in full screen by turning your mobile device to watch in landscape mode.
In this beta launch, we’ll continue to innovate and iterate based on feedback from both users and artists. Stay tuned as we hope to expand the catalog of music videos and bring the feature to more users and countries.
*Update as of May 28, 2024: Music videos in beta is now available in Egypt.