Spotify Announces 12 Original Shows Launching Before the End of 2016

[MacRumors]

Spotify today announced 12 new original series coming to the music streaming platform this summer and fall, which the company hopes will keep its users drawn into the service more often (via Bloomberg).

The shows will surround music and pop culture in general and be "centered around three main themes - music performances, music profiles and music culture," with episodes lasting up to fifteen minutes each.

The new video offerings come about a year after Spotify began showcasing clips from Comedy Central, ESPN, and MTV within the app. Now the company intends to get into the original programming game, with new shows like Landmark, a documentary series detailing important moments in music history, and Rush Hour, which will force two artists to quickly collaborate on a setlist of songs that they must then perform live.

The company has even netted a few well-known actors and producers for some of the shows, like Tim Robbins, who will produce a "mockumentary series about a competition to become the next dance music phenom." This first phase of 12 shows will be focused on music, and Spotify intends to speak with artists to figure out ways it can incorporate the video initiative into upcoming album launches.

Tom Calderone, the company's content partnerships chief, said that the second phase of programming is already planned, as well, focusing on animated and comedic series "tailored to the service's young audience." Calderone mentioned that one of the biggest hurdles the company must face is educating its users about the shows, and somehow promoting each series within the iOS app, which now has better tools for user visibility thanks to an all-new tab bar update. An update to the Android app is expected sometime this summer.

While Calderone has plenty of experience making shows people watch, Spotify has little experience getting people to watch much of anything. Videos are buried in the current version of the app, "down there with how to unsubscribe and the privacy policy," Calderone joked.

"It will be our job to make this stuff famous," Calderone said. "We have a ways to go."

Spotify gave no specific launch date for the shows besides a vague summer and fall estimation. The company did confirm that each series will be available for both free and paid users to watch in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden.

Since Apple Music launched, rumors began swirling that the company was working on launching its own slate of original shows. Although iTunes chief Eddie Cue has said recent announcements aren't a signal that the company intends to delve deeper into original programming, it has confirmed a few series are in the works, including one starring Dr. Dre and another that will "spotlight the app economy."

Article Link: Spotify Announces 12 Original Shows Launching Before the End of 2016

 

[stanman64]

If Spotify is going to start making moves like this and bloat the app with a bunch of junk, I may just have to switch back to Apple Music since they offer a discount for students now.

It's a music app. Don't fill it with junk.

 

[bushido]

If Spotify is going to start making moves like this and bloat the app with a bunch of junk, I may just have to switch back to Apple Music since they offer a discount for students now.

It's a music app. Don't fill it with junk.

you make it sound like Apple Music doesnt have video content

 

[friedmud]

Spotify is over-reaching.

How about releasing an Apple TV app before you even think about adding more video content?!

 

[joshwenke]

Leave this to Netflix please.

Music streaming services have no place in video.

 

[2010mini]

So Spotify is becoming MTV???

 

[2457282]

With Netflix, Hulu, Amazon already doing their own programing, things like this move by spotify make it seems that the days may be numbered for the old cable model. Can't wait!!!!!!

 

[MacDarcy]

Everybody and their mother is coming out with their own series now. Sheesh!

 

[John Mcgregor]

Boring.

 

[macintologist]

With Netflix, Hulu, Amazon already doing their own programing, things like this move by spotify make it seems that the days may be numbered for the old cable model. Can't wait!!!!!!

Yea and now everyone will be subscribing $8 a month here, $15/mo there, another $5/mo here, another $9/mo here, pretty soon you're back to paying $80/month for media!! No thanks!

 

[Ben2998]

Spotify is over-reaching.

How about releasing an Apple TV app before you even think about adding more video content?!

It will take a while, the Spotify client on most platforms is web-based and it's UI is not really tv-friendly. They will have to do some re-engineering and design before they can release a good tvOS version. It's a bummer, I would be the first to download a tvOS version myself.

 

[tennisproha]

Wait what? I've never seen any video content from CC, ESPN, etc on Spotify…
[doublepost=1462806408][/doublepost]Never mind, I see it now. I must say that's quite stupid. I've used the service since its inception and in the 'year' since it's apparently launched video content this is the first time I'm finding out about it. It had no place.

Like another member said above, everyone and their mom is starting a video streaming service with original content now. Just b/c you can doesn't mean you should…

 

[2457282]

Yea and now everyone will be subscribing $8 a month here, $15/mo there, another $5/mo here, another $9/mo here, pretty soon you're back to paying $80/month for media!! No thanks!

That mentality seems to prevail right now. But that will subside I think. I rent movies on demand through ATV or watch stuff on Netflix. I don't pay for any other service including cable. And I get enough for my needs. I do have rabbit ears for local news/sports and may pay something if they go online through ATV. Unless you are one of those folks that has to see everything and have every channel, I think most people will settle into the apps or channels they want and create their own little package for a reasonable cost. Paying $80 a month as you state for cable today is a waste. I watched 4-6 out of the 100 that came with my basic package on ComCrap. Now I spend about $20 month and get exactly what I want.

THe only thing left is to kill the monopoly that ComCrap has on my internet service.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Something that would be far more valuable to me than Spotify producing an original series would be if they could integrate podcasts.

I'd love it if I could mix podcasts and my spotify playlists together. Play any new podcast episodes that are available, and when they're over, just automatically switch to shuffling my Spotify playlists. Or let me specify what's Up Next, for after the podcast, like I can pick what's next after the current track is done playing.

 

[GunZi]

Many months have passed and they still havent turned the notification system back on or shed any light on its developement.

There are so many large bugs in their software, why not just fix them and do what the community wants?!

 

[jgelin]

back to Apple Music since they offer a discount for students now.

They do? How does one get this discount? Can I still get it if I am a family sharing organizer?

 

[logicstudiouser]

It's a music app. Don't fill it with junk.

You mean the way Apple has already done to the music app?

 

[stanman64]

You mean the way Apple has already done to the music app?

hence why I prefer Spotify. But I have always been drawn to the integration of Apple Music. So I'll have to pick my trade-offs.
[doublepost=1462809838][/doublepost]

They do? How does one get this discount? Can I still get it if I am a family sharing organizer?

Apparently. MR did an article about it just a few days ago. I have yet to see it myself however.
[doublepost=1462809925][/doublepost]

you make it sound like Apple Music doesnt have video content

Fair argument. Whether you enjoy her music or not, the Taylor Swift exclusive film was well done. I have enjoyed that Spotify is just straight music, but I do like the integration of AM. Hm.

 

[dstud208]

which the company hopes will keep its users drawn into the service more often

They could also just do this by including a "filter explicit content" button. #1 reason I don't use Spotify much.

 

[Hastings101]

I'd rather they gathered up live performances for viewing or funded their own live concert series or something.

 

[nburwell]

To be completely honest, this does not interest me in the least. As a former Spotify subscriber, this will certainly not make me want to come back to the service. But to each his own.

 

[TsMkLg068426]

Yeah! Soon it will become MTV with nothing that has to do Music or Music Videos just bunch of idiotic reality shows which Netflix is also starting to go in that direction. Leave all ****** reality shows for cable networks no one wants the Kardashians or the bachelor we are paying for music streaming service and Movie/TV Show streaming but where are the movies now on Netflix?


Get your **** together Netflix and start paying the studios to bring back all the movies removed over the last years.

 

[Dydegu]

Cool.

 

[macduke]

This is getting out of hand. I really hope Apple doesn't try to play this game, as some rumors have suggested. I don't want to pay 15 different streaming service to get a hodge-podge of inconsistent UIs that I have to fumble through across different apps. I want to pay for one service, something like $30-40/mo, that lets me custom tailor a package that suits what I enjoy from a variety of sources. It's the same reason I don't pay $60-80/mo for basic cable when I might only be watching a few channels and sports. Honestly I would be 90% satisfied with Netflix, Hulu from 3-4 years ago, and a sports package that has MLB, NFL and SEC. Or even just Royals, Chiefs and Mizzou.

Unfortunately I only see this becoming more prevalent to the point where people are spending more than they used to on cable. Then they'll only turn on and off their streaming packages when their new show becomes available. Eventually these companies will wise up and introduce contracts to lock them in for a year so they can't do that. Then something new will have to come along and turn the whole industry on it's head again.

 

[corywoolf]

I'd rather they gathered up live performances for viewing or funded their own live concert series or something.

This is what I came here to say! How about offering another tier for an extra $5 per month that offers concerts on demand recorded by Spotify (studio sessions they already offer should have video within the app as well). Maybe once a week they could live stream a show (part of concert series)? I really like most of the shows on MTV Live, if they could offer similar content without the commercials, that'd be awesome.

As a subscriber since the first day it was offered in the states, I've got nothing but good to say about the service. The service may not have changed much since it launched over here, but it's remained far more reliable/stable than many other apps I use.