A Spotify press conference held yesterday evening unveiled plans to expand the hugely successful music streaming service to include podcasts, radio shows and video clips, on top of its existing platform for music.
"We want Spotify to help soundtrack your life by offering an even wider world of entertainment with an awesome mix of the best music, podcasts and video delivered to you throughout your day," said CEO Daniel Ek. "And we're just getting started."
Music remains the main focus and there will be further content available from BBC Worldwide Radio, CBS Radio, Radiolab, This Week In Tech, and The Nerdist, among others; artists like Jungle, Tyler the Creator and Mike Skinner of The Streets will host radio shows.
It's good news for runners who use the service, too; not only are they working with artists like Tiesto to create specific running tracks for users, but a new feature of the app called 'Spotify Running' will use your phone sensors to detect when you're running, and auto-select songs with the right tempo to suit your pace. How cool is that?
The video streaming, meanwhile, will include clips and full shows from networks including ESPN, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, ABC, NBC, BBC, Vice Media, and Conde Nast Entertainment. There will also be Spotify-specific video shows, such as a 'Dance Move of the Day' show hosted by comedian Amy Poehler.
Finally, their 'Spotify Now' feature will tailor listening material based on what time of the day it is - using AI to learn when you are most likely to listen to a certain podcast, mix or playlist and to play it for you automatically.
Unfortunately, the 'Now' feature is only available to iPhone users in the UK, Germany, the US and Sweden at the moment - but it is expected to roll out into other territories and platforms over time.