Spotify has announced that it will be bringing music videos to a new raft of eligible markets. Spotify has already integrated in-app videos for its Premium subscribers, expanding this facility to 85 additional regions. Twelve areas, including the UK, Germany, Brazil and Poland can already enjoy music videos on Spotify via iOS, Android, desktop and even TV devices; this new rollout sees a massive increase in the number of markets that will be granted access. It is not clear, however, which markets are now gaining access or whether any of them include the US, but we will keep you posted as and when we get any new information.
Spotify clearly thinks the move towards videos is worth the effort. According to the ever-popular streaming giant, users who discover a song and then watch the music video on Spotify are 34 per cent more likely on average to stream the song again the following week compared with users who discovered the song but failed to watch the video. Per Spotify, songs discovered with music videos are 24 per cent more likely on average to be shared or saved in the following week.
If you are a Premium Spotify subscriber, getting access to videos is a pretty simple task. Just find the track you want and press the "Switch to video" button above the track listing. Most listed songs will feature a small play button and a 'video' tab beneath them to signify their compatibility, with users able to switch seamlessly between music tracks and videos with a single tap of a button via mobile and desktop devices. If you want to return to standard listening, a press of the 'Switch to audio' button will have you back enjoying the song alone.
The beta version of Spotify's expanded music video remit is available today with a limited catalogue, but Spotify assures us that it will continue rolling out over the next few weeks and building its collection of videos as it goes. The streaming giant is making a big play to add to the usability and feature set of the ever-popular platform, with music videos arriving hot on the heels of features such as Audiobooks, an AI DJ and the site's AI-assisted playlist curation, the last of which we tried for ourselves earlier this year with mixed results.
These new features are all well and good, but we're still waiting on that hi-res tier. Over to you, Spotify...
MORE:
Read our Spotify review
And our Tidal review
These are the best streaming services for music lovers
