Spotify snubs the US again in latest music video beta expansion

1 month ago 14
Spotify on mobile

Tech Team / Android Authority

TL;DR

  • Spotify is opening up its music videos beta program to 85 additional markets.
  • The streaming service has also made a few improvements to the beta.
  • The US is not one of the new markets.

You may remember Spotify rolled out a music video beta back in March for Premium subscribers. At the time, the test was only available to 11 markets, not including the US. The streaming company is now greatly expanding access to this beta, while also making a few improvements in the process.

Spotify has announced that it is starting to roll out its music videos beta in 85 additional regions. These markets join the original 11 and Egypt to bring the total number of supported countries to 97. In the blog post, the firm avoids specifying what countries are included in these 85 new markets, but it looks like the US has been skipped over once again. A Spotify spokesperson has told The Verge, “Music videos on Spotify are still in beta and we look forward to bringing it to even more users across more markets, including the US, in the future.”

As before, the service is still limited to Premium subscribers. If you’re a paid user, however, you’ll be able to switch between audio and video on iOS, Android, desktop, and TVs.

On top of the expansion news, Spotify mentioned a few improvements to the beta. One such improvement makes switching from audio to video more seamless by having the video pick up from where you left off. Before this change, the video would start from the beginning if you switched over from audio.

The company has also added video indicators next to track names to make available videos easier to see in search results. And if you want to go full screen, you can now just turn your phone over to landscape mode.

The available catalog of music videos is still limited. However, Spotify has said it plans to expand its collection over time.

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