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Spotify Adds Music Videos for Premium Users in 11 Countries

The new Spotify feature is in beta and only available for a few artists, like Ed Sheeran and Doja Cat.

 & Kate Irwin Reporter

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Music streaming platform Spotify is finally adding music videos to its desktop, mobile, and TV app versions—but only for a few artists and paying Premium users in select regions.

When a song is playing, a button will appear that reads "switch to video," allowing users to toggle the music video mode on for viewing. When they're done watching, they can press the same button, which reads "switch to audio." On iOS and Android mobile devices, music videos are able to play in vertical or landscape mode.

While Spotify's announcement suggests the company will eventually bring the feature to more countries, it's only available for Premium subscribers in the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya for now as part of its limited public beta.

Spotify is also only adding music videos for a few artists to start, noting that Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, Aluna, Asake, and Ice Spice get the new feature for some of their songs.

Spotify VP and Head of Music and Product Charlie Hellman said in a statement that music videos are important because they can become what "hooks" listeners and turns them into fans.

"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," Hellman said.

For years, Spotify has offered its Canvas feature, which are brief video art pieces musicians can upload that play on loop when listening to a song. But these clipped video loops don't sync up with the audio being played, are only three to eight seconds long, and can only be viewed in vertical orientation on mobile. So while a good Canvas can add a couple seconds of visual intrigue, it's nothing compared to a fully fledged music video.

Music videos rolling out on Spotify take it a step toward becoming a one-stop shop for songs, videos, events, artists bios, and merch. The new feature may help it keep a competitive edge with Apple Music and YouTube Music, as music videos may get Spotify subscribers to spend even more time on its music streaming app.

About Our Expert

Kate Irwin

Kate Irwin

Reporter

I’m a reporter for PCMag covering tech news early in the morning. Prior to joining PCMag, I was a producer and reporter at Decrypt and launched its gaming vertical, GG. I have previously written for Input, Game Rant, Dot Esports, and other places, covering a range of gaming, tech, crypto, and entertainment news.

I’ve been a PC gamer since The Sims (yes, the original) in the CD-ROM days. I still think about my first-gen pink iPod mini, which, looking back, was not so mini. In 2020, I finally built my own custom Windows PC for gaming with a 3090 graphics card, but I also regularly use Mac and iOS devices. As a reporter, I’m passionate about documenting the wide world of tech and how it affects our daily lives.

My Areas of Expertise

  • Microsoft
  • Google
  • Artificial intelligence 
  • Cybersecurity
  • Video games are a big one. I specialize in shooters (Apex Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch) but I occasionally test out other genres as well, especially indie games or cozy games (The Sims series, Animal Crossing). 
  • The business and tech that powers video games
  • Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology
  • Social media platforms, including Meta’s apps, X/Twitter, Telegram, TikTok, etc.
  • Tech regulation

The Technology I Use

  • MSI gaming laptops
  • Nvidia graphics cards
  • AMD CPUs
  • MacBook Pro and Air laptops
  • An iPhone from 2019 (though I’m thinking about getting a “dumb phone” like the Light Phone)
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PlayStation 5
  • Freewrite Traveler 
  • At home: Sonos speakers (we have them all over the house), Philips Hue + Ring security products

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