Spotify is a wondrous place for music and lyrics, and apparently it’s also a place for video, too. The streaming service on Wednesday introduced several updates to its service, including a “video capsule” feature that offers video content from specific partners. You would think a music service would offer actual music videos, but that’s actually not the case here. Instead, Spotify subscribers will see video from partners such as Comedy Central, Vice and The Nerdist.
While the addition of video might seem unusual for a music service, the message from Spotify is clear: it wants to be your complete entertainment hub. Spotify said users have been asking for these changes since the service launched seven years ago, and that the addition of video is an evolutionary step.
But video is merely a side dish compared to Spotify’s bigger update. The service said it will begin rolling out a “richer mobile music experience built around your day, bringing you the music you love when you need it most.” With a new “Now” page, the service will recommend music to you throughout the day depending on your mood. This is not too dissimilar to Google Play Music’s feature, which recommends playlists and artists based on different moods.
Spotify says Now learns what you like, so recommendations should improve over time; this new feature is apparently curated by “in-house experts,” and not an algorithm.
Meanwhile, Spotify is also putting emphasis on exercise, with a new Running feature that will blast music into your ears by detecting your tempo. The service says it will also team up with Nike later this summer “to bring new music experiences to their audiences around the globe;” Running will also get integration through Nike+, though that’s not set to be available until later this year.
Finally, Spotify says it’s also adding podcasts to the mix, which, again, further makes the service more of an entertainment hub, and not just a place you go to listen to music.
The Now and Running features should be available to iPhone users today, with other platforms to follow.
Source: Spotify