While the streaming music market is already saturated with tons of options for users, services like Spotify which remain among the top choices are looking for new ways to branch out and expand on what they offer. Back in the beginning of the year rumors began circulating that Spotify would eventually be adding video into the app, allowing users to stream a handful of shows like Ellen and ABC News, as well as shows from Comedy Central, NBC, and more. This would also be in addition to the podcasts feature that Spotify was already integrating into the app, and now it appears that Spotify wants to expand on their video content.
According to the latest details, Spotify will be entering into a market that seems to be the new hot offering, with a collection of original series shows. While most people might think of services like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO for original series content, other apps which already dabble in video on mobile like Snapchat and YouTube Red have started to offer original content for users. Spotify’s offering will reportedly start with a total of 12 original series shows that they are now in the process of creating, and will include actors such as Tim Robbins, and Def Jam Records Co-Founder Russell Simmons.
Spotify has already shared details on a few of the shows that they have in the works. One is an animated series called Drawn & Recorded that will put the spotlight on either a particular moment in the history of music or focus on a specific artist, with the narration of each episode being done by producer T-Bone Burnett. Another show, called Rush Hour, will focus on pairing up two hip-hop artists that must collaborate with each other to create a musical act performance. A third show called Landmark will also focus on specific moments in music history, but will not be animated like Drawn & Recorded and will instead be a documentary, with each episode highlighting significant moments as opposed to just some of the episodes. Spotify has not yet shared any details on when it plans to launch these original shows, nor have they mentioned which regions or platforms they will hit first.