Spotify, the audio streaming giant, is diving into a whole new realm of content – educational video courses. In an announcement today, the company is revealing a launch that begins today for U.K. users, offering a variety of engaging courses to choose from.
This move signals a shift in Spotify’s approach to content. No longer just about music, podcasts, or audiobooks, the platform is now catering to those seeking personal and professional development. They’ve teamed up with renowned educational tech companies, including BBC Maestro, PLAYvirtuoso, Skillshare, and Thinkific, to offer a curated selection of high-quality video courses.
Spotify’s initial video course offerings span four key areas:
- Make Music: Dive into the world of music production and instrument mastery.
- Get Creative: Unleash your artistic potential with courses in photography, design, or writing.
- Learn Business: Gain valuable skills for entrepreneurship and career advancement.
- Healthy Living: Discover techniques for mindfulness, fitness, and wellness.
Babar Zafar, VP Product Development at Spotify, spoke of this U.K.-based test as an opportunity to explore how to serve the Spotify community better and give them what they are actively interested in by stating: “Many of our users engage with podcasts and audiobooks on a daily basis for their learning needs, and we believe this highly engaged community will be interested in accessing and purchasing quality content from video course creators.” This recognizes a growing trend: many users already enjoy podcasts and audiobooks for self-improvement, and educational video courses are a natural extension of this.
Spotify is encouraging its U.K. free and premium subscribers to take advantage of this new feature, as they will be able to try out for free for a couple of lessons before having to make a purchasing decision. These courses will be available on the Home and Browse tabs in the mobile app as well as on the web. However, once registered for a course, it will be available on both mobile and the desktop.
It is unclear if there are plans to bring this feature to users outside the U.K. if this test proves successful. However, the company does state that should this occur, it could pave the way for a more expansive video-based learning experience directly on the Spotify platform.