- Spotify activates music videos for Premium accounts in the US and Canada within a global beta.
- The feature allows you to switch between audio and video with a "Switch to video" button on mobile, computer and TV.
- Music videos, featuring artists like Ariana Grande and Olivia Dean, improve engagement and open a new front against YouTube Music.
- The company plans to extend the feature to Europe, with unofficial forecasts pointing to Spain and southern Europe starting in 2026.
Spotify has taken another step in its strategy to establish itself as a benchmark in paid music streaming with the launch of music videos within its Premium service. The platform begins to integrate full music videos into the listening experience, a move that directly targets the territory previously dominated by YouTube and other competitors.
Although the initial activation focuses on U.S. and CanadaThe rollout is part of a broader beta and paves the way for the Premium users from Spain and the rest of the world Europe will be able to stream music videos directly on Spotify in the coming months and years.
What exactly are Spotify Premium Videos?
The new function of Spotify premium videos It involves integrating the official music video of a song within the same environment where the audio is already playing. On compatible tracks, a button appears on the playback screen with the option “Switch to video”which allows you to switch from traditional audio to music video without leaving the app.
When the user presses that button, the video clip starts at the point where the song left off.Therefore, the change is virtually instantaneous and doesn't require starting the process from scratch. Furthermore, You can tap again to return to audio-only modeThis is useful if you're using mobile data or simply prefer to listen without video.
Spotify accompanies this feature with a specific section of “related music videos” which replaces the lyrics section when in video mode. From there More video clips can be added within the platform itself., an experience that is somewhat reminiscent of what YouTube or TikTok offer, but focused on official content from artists.
The company emphasizes that, for the time being, This is a limited beta, both in markets and in number of songs and artists, while testing user behavior and adjusting the technical infrastructure needed to distribute video on a large scale.
Where is it available and what impact can it have in Europe?
The most visible premiere of the Spotify premium videos This is happening in the United States and Canada, where paid subscribers are already beginning to see the video option on a selection of songs. The company has confirmed that the This feature will be available to all Premium users. from both countries before the end of the month.
However, The deployment is not limited to North AmericaSpotify frames this new feature within a broader beta program that includes 11 initial markets: United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya, plus Canada and the USAIn these countries, the platform has been experimenting with different video formats and measuring the impact on daily use.
For Spain and the rest of southern Europe, The company has not given an official date.However, industry sources suggest that, following Spotify's usual rollout pattern, the arrival of the video clips to Spanish Premium accounts It would be around the first quarter of 2026. That is, the function would first be fully consolidated in the Anglo-Saxon and Northern European markets before making the leap to the south.
In any case, the fact that the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden are already on the list of markets with active beta indicates that the European landing is underway and that Spain would foreseeably enter the next wave, once the most intensive testing phase was over.
How premium videos work on Spotify apps
The integration of music videos has been designed to work virtually the same across all platforms where Spotify is present. Premium users Those who are part of the enabled markets can find the video button in the iOS, Android, computer and television apps.
On mobile, the experience is especially straightforward: while a compatible song is playing, the button appears. “Switch to video” on the playback screen. Tapping it starts the video clip, and if the person turns the phone to landscape mode, the content is displayed. full screen, as in a conventional video player.
On TVs and desktop apps, the behavior is similar, with a clear emphasis on turning Spotify into a audiovisual consumption center where you can switch from a music playlist to a video clip session without changing apps. This interface consistency is key to ensuring the feature can be rolled out smoothly in other countries.
In addition, the company maintains the classic interaction options: you can still save the song to your library, share it on social media, or add it to playlists, whether in audio or video mode, so that the The visual layer does not disrupt normal use. from service.
Artists involved and initial catalog of music videos
In this phase, Spotify has opted for a relatively small video catalogThe festival has focused on internationally renowned artists to maximize its impact. Confirmed acts include Ariana Grande, Olivia Dean, BABYMONSTER, Addison Rae, Tyler Childers, Natanael Cano, and Carín León.
The choice combines global pop stars With artists who have a strong foundation in genres like country, K-pop, and Latin music, Spotify's approach allows it to analyze very different behaviors depending on the type of audience. This range makes it easier to see how a mainstream pop fan reacts compared to one more focused on specific scenes.
The company itself acknowledges that the catalog is still "limited" and that it will be adding more. new music videos will be released graduallyThe goal is clear: to build a repository large enough so that a Premium user can spend a good part of their time on Spotify watching video without having to resort to external platforms.
In parallel, the "related music videos" section that appears when video mode is activated on a song helps to discover new songs and artists, reinforcing the platform's role as a music prescriber also in the audiovisual field.
Premium videos vs. YouTube and other streaming platforms
Spotify's move is best understood by looking at the competitive landscape. For years, YouTube has been the go-to place to watch official music videosThis includes people who pay for a subscription to a music streaming service. With the arrival of premium videos, Spotify aims to keep that part of consumption within its ecosystem as well.
The company emphasizes that the video offers a a more immersive and engaging experience Audio alone is especially valuable for advertisers and for strengthening the bond between fans and artists. In an environment where attention spans are limited, adding visuals to music is a way to keep audiences engaged in the app for longer.
In terms of numbers, Spotify claims that when a user discovers a song accompanied by a music video on the platform, it has a 34% more likely There was a 24% increase in the likelihood of replaying the video and a 24% greater chance of saving or sharing it in the following week. These figures reinforce the idea that video is not just a decorative element, but a powerful tool for increasing engagement.
Unlike Apple Music and Amazon Music, which have also explored video content, Spotify's approach is to integrate this visual layer more organically and in line with its freemium and premium model. The intention is clear: expand the value proposition of the paid subscription without turning the app into a mere clone of YouTube.
Impact on the business: engagement, pricing, and premium strategy
The focus on premium videos aligns with Spotify's recent strategy of concentrating on profitability and ARPU increase (average revenue per user). After years of prioritizing user growth, the company has begun to adjust prices and launch features that reinforce the appeal of the payment method.
In recent quarters, the service has raised the price of the Premium individual plan by more than 150 marketsAnd another round of increases is expected in the United States during the first quarter of next year, according to the Financial Times. It is reasonable to think that, in the medium term, these tariff revisions will eventually reach Europe as well.
In this context, music videos offer Spotify a additional justification to explain future price increases and, at the same time, reduce the risk of cancellation: the more differentiating elements the Premium plan includes, the harder it is to do without it.
The company has also recently highlighted the huge pull of Wrapped, its annual summary of listening habits, which brought together more than 200 million users in just 24 hours, 19% more than the previous yearFor senior management, indicators like this reflect that commitment can be even more relevant than the mere number of registered accounts.
Premium videos fall precisely within that logic: give reasons for the user to spend more time within Spotifyinteract with more content and see the service as something more complete than a simple audio library.
What can Spanish users expect when premium videos arrive?
With regard to Spain and the rest of Europe, the deployment of Spotify premium videos This opens up several interesting possibilities. On the one hand, the feature will likely be accompanied by specific agreements with Spanish and European record labels and artists, allowing users to watch music videos from local artists without leaving the app.
Integration with applications for smart TVs and streaming devices This feature is gaining particular prominence in European households, where watching music and video on the big screen is increasingly combined with mobile phone use. Spotify has already confirmed that the video function will be compatible with its TV and PC apps, as well as with Android and iOS.
Another relevant point is how this new feature will affect its coexistence with other video streaming services. Many European users combine Spotify Premium with subscriptions to platforms like YouTube Premium, Netflix, or Disney+, and it will be interesting to see to what extent the music videos on Spotify They reduce the need to go to YouTube to watch music in visual format.
Finally, the arrival of videos Premium could influence how popular playlists are consumededitorial mixes or local rankings. It wouldn't be surprising if Spotify highlighted specifically designed playlists to also be viewed in video format, thus enhancing a use closer to that of a music television channel, but with total control by the user.
The rollout of premium videos on Spotify It points to a progressive transformation of the service., which is going from being a platform focused almost exclusively on audio to becoming a hybrid space of Music and video subscriptionIf the beta phase in North America and the first European markets meets expectations, Premium users in Spain and the rest of the continent will soon be able to listen to and watch their favorite artists without leaving the application they already use daily.
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