Spotify to venture into videos

Not wanting Apple Music to creep up on them, Spotify announced they’ll be debuting original video series on its platform. There will be 12 new shows with actors like Tim Robbins and Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons. These music-related series can range from a few minutes long to 15 minutes and won’t be kept behind a paywall, meaning free and paying users will have access to them. One of the new shows is called Landmark and will be focusing on a “significant moment in music history.” Spotify has already shot two episodes for this show, one focuses on the Beach Boys album Pet Sounds and the other is on Metallica.

While they are releasing music-related video content now, the streaming service plans a “phase two” where they’ll focus on comedy and animation series that will be geared towards the young audience of Spotify. According to Spotify’s Content Partnerships Head Tom Calderone, music will always be a priority for them but they know their users want more from them. “We have to figure out a second act, and I think it will come out of video,” Calderone said. “The idea is to make sure users know they can come here for something other than playlists.”

Source: 9to5Mac