You're about to get a whole lot more stuff to listen to, and watch, on Spotify. Company CEO Daniel Ek today announced during a New York press conference that an all-new version of the popular streaming app will launch with the oft-rumored support for playlists and video content inside a shiny new interface.
The new app will allow users to swipe through songs in a playlist (rather than tap) as well as keep track of their other types of content within a new playlist interface known as Spotify Now. A new running tool is also coming to Spotify, with features designed to match music to your tempo.
Finally, Spotify has blown out its series of mood playlists with recommendations down to the song based on your mood or the time of day. In essence, these features represent Spotify's power play to become an entertainment destination rather than simply a music streaming app ahead of Apple's would-be iTunes or Beats Music relaunch. (And don't forget about Tidal.)
All about the eyeballs
Spotify has earned the help of big names in the video space, like Viacom, ABC, Vice, NBC, the E video network and much more. The new Spotify will also host videos created exclusively for the new app, like a series of comedy shorts starring Amy Poehler.
Broad City stars and co-creators Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson took to the stage to represent Comedy Central owner Viacom's partnership with Spotify with a few jokes. Their aim, and likely that of Spotify's other video partners, is to serve up digestible clips from the show rather than full-blown episodes.
Other partners include the Nerdist Industries network, Slate, TED, the BBC, TWiT and Elite Daily. And that's not even scratching the surface.
Running away with it
Spotify VP of Product Gustave Soderstrom soon after appeared on stage to detail the app's brand-new running interface, called Spotify Running. While you're running, the new Spotify will detect your tempo and serve up music based on your own rhythm.
The goal here, according to Soderstrom, is to help runners easily achieve the "runner's high." To that end, the company also developed an original file format that can change a track's beats per minute (bpm) to match that of the runner's rhythm.
Ubiquitous DJ and producer Tiesto joined Soderstrom on stage to announce that he has created a number of songs in this file format. In addition, Spotify has worked with artists and labels to create six unique running playlists in this format.
Finally, Ek resumed his stage time to tease a partnership with Nike that will see Spotify Running integrated into the running brand's Nike+ app later this year. In the meantime, Nike and Spotify will work on vaguely named "new music experiences" for Nike's fans this summer.
The new-and-improved Spotify Now experience will roll out to iPhones in the US, UK, Germany and Sweden starting today, while Spotify Running launches globally today. The company hasn't stated when the new Now interface will appear on Android, so we've reached out for comment and will update this space if and when we learn more.
- So, how about that Tidal?
