UPDATE: Spotify has added video to its ‘Now’ hub in the Android app.
The update brings video and podcasts, which beta users have been testing for some time, to all Spotify on Android users.
In terms of content, there seems to be offerings from US talkshow host Ellen and clips from Geordie Shore among others.
Video doesn’t yet seem to be available for iOS users, who are due to receive the update by the end of the week.
Spotify is to launch its long-gestating video streaming service this week according to a report.
Users of the Android app in the US, UK, Germany, and Sweden should receive the update by the end of this week, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Those using iOS will reportedly get the update by the end of next week.
The release details were given away by Shiva Rajaraman, Spotify’s Vice President of Product, who also said that most of the content would be short clips from existing programmes.
Related: Apple Music vs Spotify
Some companies will be developing longer original shows for the service, however.
Spotify announced the move into video streaming last May, revealing a slew of partnerships with providers such as ESPN, the BBC, Vice, and MTV.
The service has since been delayed numerous times as the company put it through extensive testing.
Mr Rajaraman told the WSJ that Spotify was at the “end of a journey of testing” and that the video service will launch initially without ads.
Related: Best music streaming service
Spotify currently has 75 million users, including 20 million subscribers world-wide.
Mr Rajaraman admitted that getting those music fans to think of Spotify as a video streaming service would be a challenge.
“Obviously our primary user is a music fan, and they are not necessarily leaning in and looking into the app,” he said.
“So there are no particular recipes for how to get this right.”
Would you use a Spotify video streaming service? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
