TikTok has seen its short-form video stream copied by a host of competitors, from Instagram to SnapChat, YouTube, and even Netflix. Now it looks like Spotify can be added to that list. The company has confirmed that it is currently testing a new feature in its app, Discover, that enables vertical streaming of music videos that users can scroll through and optionally like or skip.
Spotify also jumps on the TikTok bandwagon
For those who have access to the feature, it appears as a fourth tab in the navigation bar at the bottom of the Spotify app, between the Home and Search buttons. The new addition was detected for the first time a few weeks ago by several users who saw how the function was implemented, however these users were randomly chosen by Spotify to test it and see the reactions on social networks .
Those who tested it assured that the new Spotify feature is a “reduced version” of a TikTok-style music video stream. Some of these users explained that they found the feature in Spotify’s TestFlight build (a beta version for iOS), where a new icon in the navigation toolbar immediately led them to streaming video when they tapped on it. You can then scroll up and down to move through the feed, just like you would on TikTok. In addition to touching the heart to like songs, you can also touch the three-dot menu to bring up the standard information sheet for the song, commented users, who also speculated that the function could be taking advantage of the Canvas format. existing Spotify.
Introduced widely in 2019, Canvas allows artists to create accompanying videos to their music in the Spotify app. The function had several positive and negative reviews from users, as some stated that they preferred to see only the static album art when listening to music and expressed that the video and its looping images distracting them. But others said they liked it. Canvas, however, seems to drive the engagement metrics Spotify wants – the company reports that users are more likely to keep streaming, share songs, or save songs when viewing a Canvas.
Although many have asked Spotify for more information on this new feature, including whether it has plans to roll it out beyond trial users, or whether it will be available on both iOS and Android, which markets will have access to the feature, etc., the The company has so far refused to share specific details, but has confirmed through a statement that it is exploring the idea of a vertical video transmission available to all users who have the application installed. “At Spotify, we routinely conduct a series of tests in an effort to improve our user experience,” said a company spokesperson.
