Spotify To Test Full Music Videos in Potential YouTube Faceoff

Swedish music streaming company Spotify is rolling out full-length music videos in a limited beta launch for premium subscribers, venturing into an arena that YouTube has dominated for nearly two decades. From a report: Music videos will be available to premium users in the UK, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya, in beta starting on Wednesday, the company said, as it attempts to grow its user base. While it aims to reach 1 billion users by 2030, Spotify's new plan faces competition from Apple Music and Alphabet's YouTube, which allows users to watch music videos for free.

Beat Youtube ...

[Freischutz]

Spotify is going to need a whole lot more than full-length music videos for premium subscribers to beat YouTube.

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[NateFromMich]

It would be really difficult to replace youtube if it had only been around for a couple of years. Unfortunately it's been around for a couple decades.

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[Broerman]

Just because something has been around for decades doesn't mean that it can't be replaced. Just ask Sears and countless other companies that either mismanage themselves out of business or are subject to consumer changes that they didn't predict. Someday Google, Facebook and every other "leader" in their markets will be a thing of the past. It might not be in years, but it will happen.

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[NateFromMich]

I didn't say it can't be replaced, but that it would be difficult.
Sears wasn't a collection of videos spanning two decades.

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[databasecowgirl]

I think if they innovated and didn't put ads for tiktok and traffic lawyers in the middle of songs, it could be a game changer.

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[echo123]

I think if they innovated and didn't put ads for tiktok and traffic lawyers in the middle of songs...

YouTube has ads?!

Great idea...

[Junta]

and then they can start having little music features like little "pop-ups" during the videos with tidbits, call it "Pop Up Video"

Then maybe feature little documentaries about the music, a sort of "Behind the Music" if you will.

Then maybe start just forgetting music, and having teen animation and shows.

Then, you know what, forget scripted content and just do reality shows.

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[echo123]

Yesterday. [gocomics.com]

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[sarren1901]

Shssh! Don't give away their business plan!

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[toquecelular]

As a former iPhone user of the company, I find that downloading ringtones at https://beltonendownload.com/ [beltonendownload.com] makes my iPhone more lively. Therefore, Apple Music should keep ringtones free for users to use.

Er...?

[Anonymous Coward]

I may just be an #oldfart, but I don't get it. Who *needs* music videos?

I was about to say "who watches them more than maybe once?", but then I realised that I watch a few at the hairdressers, mostly because they've got some good looking women in them. Then I realised "yes, 14 year old me might have watched some of those videos more than once".

I like Spotify quite a bit - it's a bit annoying with different accounts on Sonos devices, and it's annoying that you can't get to their podcasts via the Sonos app, b

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[Pf0tzenpfritz]

> Who *needs* music videos? Beavis and Butthead do.

Awesome

[skam240]

I would love a service that streamed specifically music videos as I would imagine browsing and suggestions would be far better on a service that specializes in them as opposed to YouTube which has never impressed me in any context in regards to this outside of volume of content. If they're able to scale this up and create a comparatively large library of videos i'd pay a few bucks for such a service.

They would have to have large volumes of content from independent musicians and independent labels though as

Neat

[DesScorp]

Just in time for Neil Young to return to Spotify [usatoday.com].

Old Man, look at my life, I'm a lot like you were...

Nah, is neither a Youtube nor an Applemusic Faceof

[williamyf]

Is just a nice additional perk to retain subscribers. People subscribe to spotiffy for music on the go, and also for the playlists (their own ones and curated ones), as well as for the selection.

If you are not on the go, or are on the go with some sort of screen and enough BW, you may want to watch the music videos of a playlist (yours or a curated one), but otherwise, the music is front and center.

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[thegarbz]

Is just a nice additional perk to retain subscribers.

How about instead they pay artists more or lower subscription fees rather than shitting out yet another non-music thing on their music service.

Pay for Promotion

[Pf0tzenpfritz]

Music videos used to be meant to promote artist's actual records. Or their music, generally. Now, finally the media industry has created -with lots of help from their law-making friends and three decades of permanent, omnipresent propaganda- the generation of consumers willing to pay premium fees for what is basically advertising. Moo!

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[OfMiceAndMenus]

What music is popular or not hasn't been an organic response for many decades. Payola has been alive and well since the 60s or 70s ensuring that if you bribe enough people your track will be blasted on repeat for those who don't know better to get used to.

I am not the target demographic

[OfMiceAndMenus]

I listen to Spotify while driving or walking, and I don't really look at the screen except to occasionally add or remove songs from a playlist. I likely won't see these videos any more than I see the short clips they have now, which is almost never.

I also can't wait to see if they mess up the music with video-exclusive sounds, like the screeching monkeys and stop/start from Fallout Boy - Thanks fr th Memories. Or the 10-minute intro to Windowlicker by Aphex Twin (Chris Cunningham is still a genius).

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[sixsixtysix]

Chris Cunningham is still a genius

Been waiting 20-some years for a feature length film, but noooooo.