Spotify today announced in a blog post that it is rolling out a new podcast feature- video podcasts or ‘vodcasts’. This feature is available for premium as well as free members. However, for now at least, this feature is limited to only a few select podcasters.
Rumours of a feature like this have been doing the rounds since May 2020, but it’s only today that the company officially sent out an announcement, saying, “Video podcasts build upon and enhance our existing audio experience, allowing Free and Premium users to connect more deeply with their favourite podcasts with video content.”
‘Book of Basketball 2.0’, ‘Fantasy Footballers’, ‘The Misfits Podcast’, ‘H3 Podcast’, ‘The Morning Toast’, ‘Higher Learning with Van Lathan & Rachel Lindsay’, and’The Rooster Teeth Podcast’ are some of the latest offerings that will make their way to Spotify with the launch of this new feature. These vodcasts will launch in all countries where Spotify is available. And the best part? Well, unlike a certain very popular app, the audio will continue to play in a vodcast even if someone exists the app (seriously, Youtube?). The video will automatically sync with the audio if you decide to jump back into the app.
It is clear what Spotify is aiming for with this new move. COVID-19, and consequently, world wide lockdowns, have made streaming bigger than ever before, and the company wants to secure a pie of every content type, including videos. If the feature is successful, we could also see Spotify becoming a much larger player in the video streaming space, an industry that currently desperately needs a genuine competitor to Youtube.
Off late, Spotify has been trying to convert more of its users into paying members, and has been introducing new features to achieve this goal. These include, a new plan for couples, and a quiz-based workout playlist that is exclusive to every individual.
