Spotify to take on YouTube: Streaming service testing full-length music videos

Spotify is diving into the realm of full-length music videos, aiming to challenge YouTube's longstanding dominance in this area. Starting with a beta launch exclusive to its premium subscribers, this move marks Spotify's entry into a competitive field historically led by YouTube for almost two decades.

The beta version of Spotify's music video feature will be available to premium users in select countries, including the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya, beginning Wednesday. This strategic expansion is part of Spotify's ambitious goal to grow its user base to 1 billion by 2030, despite facing stiff competition from giants like Apple Music and YouTube, which offers music videos for free.

Initially, Spotify will offer a limited catalog of music videos, featuring international stars such as Ed Sheeran, alongside local favorites like Aluna. This development builds on Spotify's previous ventures into video, including "clips" introduced last year, and its broader efforts to diversify its content offerings with podcasts and audiobooks.

In addition to music videos, Spotify has been exploring new avenues to enhance user experience and expand its market reach. For example, it recently announced that users in Europe would be able to purchase audiobooks and subscription plans directly within the app, a move facilitated by new regional competition laws that allow Spotify to bypass Apple's 30 per cent App Store fee.

The music video feature will be integrated into the existing Spotify interface, accessible via the Now Playing screen on supported tracks. Users can easily switch between audio and video modes across various devices, including iOS, Android, desktop, and TV platforms.