It seems Spotify isn’t content with simply being market leader in the streaming arena.
The online music platform is evolving and appears to be taking a direct aim for rival TIDAL‘s unique selling point.
Details below…
At an elaborate event in New York today, Spotify confirmed the widely circulated reports that they are bolting on a video streaming component to their wildly popular service.
The expansion forms part of a broader growth strategy for the platform, which will now also begin streaming podcasts and incorporate a keep-fit initiative by way of a partnership with Nike+. [The latter will allow users to hear songs based on their pulse while running]
In specific regard to the video push, Mashable reports:
The new content seems aimed at making Spotify the go-to platform for people who want to consume just about anything that’s not print. It will include video from mainstream outlets including Comedy Central, ESPN and VICE News, which adds news, sports and comedy to the service. It will also include web-native producers like Fullscreen, Maker Studios and Tastemade.
CEO Daniel Ek said Spotify’s new additions were meant to integrate with people’s everyday lives, which meant broadening its offerings and launching new features.
“Today we’re introducing a new Spotify experience that is more personal, more accessible and really more usable,” he said.
There’s no doubt that this is a direct response of sorts to Jay Z‘s TIDAL and its claims of being “more than music streaming.” Indeed, in the midst of mass critique, the rapper’s service has been pushing its premier video content in recent weeks.
Beyond TIDAL (which, in its defence, can still boast of its artist exclusives), this marks a major shift in the world of streaming more broadly and could very well have implications for the likes of YouTube, podcast platforms, and Apple‘s hotly anticipated Beats Music re-launch.
Whatever happens, one thing is certain: times are a’changing.