Spotify has announced a list of updates and new services coming to its streaming platform. Podcasts and video content are the biggest additions, with new ways to find new and custom music also on the way.
The move is a timely one. Spotify is still the go-to name in the music streaming industry, but with titans like Google and Apple chasing after it, the comparatively-tiny Spotify is going to have to keep moving to stay in front.
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The addition of Video is an interesting announcement, given the poorly-received launch of Jay-Z’s Tidal service in recent months, which also focused on its ability to stream music content. The good news is that, while Tidal costs US$19.99 per month, Spotify has so far made no mention of an increased price listing for its Premium subscription.
Videos: who, where, how?
Spotify’s video content will not be like YouTube; users will not be able to make and upload their own content to an ever-expanding milieu. Instead, Spotify has partnered with various websites and companies to provide professionally-crafted content, which may or may not also be available through other channels.
The partners at launch will be: ABC, Adult Swim, the BBC, Comedy Central, E!, ESPN, Fusion, Maker Studios, MTV, NBC, RadioLab, Slate, TED, TWiT, Vice News, WYNC.
The keen eye will have noticed some podcast creators in there like Slate, RadioLab, TWiT and WYNC. In our modern age many podcasts go out with the option to view as video (or a vodcast, for those unafraid of a little portmanteau), some of which will be available through these partnerships.
Videos will be stream right from within the Spotify app on your phone or desktop. Right now it’s uncertain if there will be an additional price tier for video subscriptions, but Spotify has made no mention of this so for now we remain cautiously optimistic.
Podcasts: makes sense
Spotify is already set up to stream sound files over the air, so adding podcasts makes plenty of sense.
For iPhone and Windows Phone users, this is just another place to access their podcasts; it makes Spotify more of a one-stop-shop if they already use it for their tunes.
For Android users, this could be the podcast app they’ve been waiting for. Currently there is no podcast support built in to the platform. Google Play does not distribute podcasts, nor are podcasts available through Google’s All Access streaming service, or another other default Google app.
Third-party paid apps like Pocketcasts have been the main source of podcasts on Android. Spotify doesn’t cost anything to download and use. So long as you don’t mind ads, you can stream music whenever you want. Hopefully the podcasts section will be the same.
At launch the list of Spotify podcasts is likely to be underwhelming when compared to other avenues, but considering the service’s popularity that could change very quickly.
Music by lifestyle
Spotify is great for finding new music. It has radio options that build playlists based on an artist, genre, album or song; lets you see what your friends are listening to; and tells you when new albums come out from artist you follow.
Now there will be a new option: lifestyle. Lifestyle will be automatically-generated stations like “songs to sing in the shower” and “hits from the 80s”, etc.
The one that really catches your attention is music by running pace. Tell Spotify you’re about to go for a run and take off. Once your steps per minute has been detected songs you’ll get a custom playlist based on your run rate. If it works, this could be a great boost for any jogger’s flagging motivation.
Alex Angove-Plumb
Digital Content Editor
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