Spotify expanding lineup to include streaming video and original content

Streaming music service Spotify will soon provide video content from musicians, news organizations and TV networks in a bid to sign up more subscribers, the company said on Wednesday.

A new recommendation function, similar to what rival Pandora Media Inc offers, will let people pick channels based on lifestyle activities, like "songs to sing to in the shower," or "100 plus hits form the 1980s," the Stockholm-based company said.

• Streaming music: a villain or saviour for local labels?

In a splashy event in New York, Spotify founder and Chief Executive Daniel Ek highlighted the discovery nature of the revamped platform that he said will deliver more relevant music and content to Spotify users.

"There is a profound change happening in music we couldn't have foreseen," he said, noting how more people listen to music on smartphones.

Spotify, which launched in Canada last September,offers free streaming music and also a premium service for a monthly fee that includes extra features. The company didn't say if it is changing its cost structure.

New partnerships and content

Spotify struck a myriad of partnerships with news organizations like the BBC, Vice, Walt Disney Co's ABC, podcasts from Slate, and short program clips from Turner Broadcasting'sConanand Comedy Central's critically acclaimed hit, Broad City.

"I love getting dozens of emails from Spotify," quipped Ilana Glazer, the creator and star of Broad City,who was part of the program.

Spotify said it will also develop original content and video dedicated for its users. It had 15 million subscribers and 60 million active users as of the end of 2014.

• Albums spinning toward irrelevance, say insiders
• AUDIO |Is Jay Z's Tidal a music revolution or dead in the water?

But competition, not only from streaming music companies including Apple Inc's Beats, is intensifying when other platforms such as Snapchat are thrown into the mix. Snapchat, which is surging in popularity, earlier this year introduced Discover, which helps people find interesting content.

During the roughly hour-long presentation Spotify did not address any revenue opportunities with its new content partners. The bulk of Spotify's revenue comes from subscriptions.