Spotify tries its hand at offering video learning courses

Spotify started off as the app you go to in order to listen to music. But gradually it's added a lot of other things - podcasts, audiobooks, even music videos recently. And today it's starting a test through which it's offering video-based learning courses in the UK.

Educational content is pretty far removed from music, and yet Spotify seems intent on growing and growing its scope way beyond 'just' music, for better or worse. The company has partnered with educational tech companies like BBC Maestro, PLAYvirtuoso, Skillshare, and Thinkific in the UK for now.

The video courses will be up for purchase, not included with a Spotify subscription, though you will be able to trial "at least two" lessons per course for free before you buy any additional lessons, regardless of whether you're using the free tier or subscribe to Premium.

The courses will show up alongside music, podcasts, and audiobooks, in the app. Spotify says the educational content "covers a variety of topics", which are organized in four main themes: make music, get creative, learn business, and healthy living.

Babar Zafar, VP of Product Development at Spotify, said:

Testing video courses in the U.K. allows us to explore an exciting opportunity to better serve the needs of our users who have an active interest in learning. Many of our users engage with podcasts and audiobooks on a daily basis for their learning needs, and we believe this highly engaged community will be interested in accessing and purchasing quality content from video course creators. At Spotify, we’re constantly striving to create new offerings for our creators and users, and having built best-in-class personalized music and podcast offerings, we look forward to exploring the potential of video-based learning on Spotify.

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