Spotify, primarily known for its comprehensive library of music, podcasts, and audiobooks, is venturing into new territory in the UK by adding a fourth category of content: video-based learning courses.
This latest venture involves a partnership with educational platforms like BBC Maestro, PlayVirtuoso, Skillshare, and Thinkific, allowing users to access courses directly through Spotify’s mobile and desktop apps. This experiment is currently limited to the UK, with no immediate plans for a broader rollout.
Why Is Spotify Introducing Online Courses?
According to product director Mohit Jitani, the platform has observed an increasing trend of users seeking educational material, particularly through educational and self-help podcasts. Approximately half of Spotify’s Premium subscribers have shown interest in these themes, prompting the company to explore further educational offerings.
This insight has led Spotify to explore further by introducing online courses in an effort to cater to this emerging demand.
Spotify’s new educational intiative covers four main categories:
- Make music
- Get creative
- Learn business
- Healthy living
These courses are designed to be easily accessible within Spotify’s existing interface, featuring a new pill-shaped icon at the top of the home screen and integration within the service’s search and browse functionalities, as reported by The Verge.
Jitani explained that incorporating these courses within Spotify’s main app serves to offer users convenience by avoiding the need to download separate applications and facilitating course completion through regular engagement with the platform.
How Can You Access Spotify’s New Courses?
The courses are available through a freemium model, offering both free and Premium Spotify users to access initial lessons at no cost. However, users are required to pay a fee to unlock the full content. Moreover, the courses consist of a series of videos and potentially supplementary materials like PDFs.
Although users are required to pay a fee for the full content, the payment process is somewhat circumvented due to transaction fees imposed by Apple and Google, leading Spotify to adopt alternative methods such as email for Android users and direct purchases through Spotify’s web interface for iOS users, adhering to regulatory guidelines.
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Featured Image courtesy of Spotify