Spotify took the stage in New York City today to unveil the new version of itself, which actually includes more than just music.
Spotify has announced several new features that it will be rolling out to its service. First up are the ones that involve music, which Spotify is sort of known for. The Now start page aims to serve you music that’ll fit the situation that you’re in, like some after-lunch tunes to help you focus on your task or something to wake you up in the morning. Spotify says that the playlists will be chosen by in-house experts and your music collection, and that the recommendations will learn what you like over time and adapt to your tastes.
Next is Spotify Running. Spotify already offers playlists for cardio workouts and the like, but Spotify Running takes things a step further by using your phone to analyze your tempo and play music that matches your steps. The goal is to help keep you in the zone and make you a better runner. Later this year, Spotify Running will be integrated into the Nike+ and Runkeeper apps.
Now on to the not-music portion of the new Spotify. The streaming music service is going to start showing you video clips and podcasts, learning what you like to watch and listen to and recommending new content. Spotify will get clips from companies like ABC, Comedy Central, BBC, ESPN, NBC, and TED, with more to come in the future.
Spotify says that its Now experience will launch on the iPhone today in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Sweden. Additional platforms and markets will follow “in the near future.
This is all pretty big news for Spotify, but that’s especially true when it comes to the whole video and podcasts part. The company’s goal is to keep users inside of its app whenever they want any kind of entertainment, rather than just being the go-to app for music and then seeing users leave when they want something else. Of course, there are no shortage of other options for consuming video and podcasts out there, many of which are well-established. Spotify having all of it in one place could be convenient, but the service will have to work well to get users to stay with Spotify rather than switch to another app.