The new feature will allow Spotify audiences to utilise the video background-play feature to switch between active watching, with video in the foreground, and passive listening, with video in the background.
Streaming platform Spotify has announced the launch of video podcasts in the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The company first ventured into video in 2020 through a limited test, after which it rolled out video podcasts to select creators through Anchor, a podcast creation and distribution platform it acquired in 2019.
Commenting on the launch, Spotify’s Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Claudius Boller said: “We are very excited to bring video podcasting to the region as we continue to evolve our formats of audio, interactivity and unique listening experiences. This new capability allows creators to express themselves through visual storytelling and connect with global audiences.”
Video podcasters will now be able to access Spotify’s suite of innovative creation tools purpose-built for podcast production and tap into the platform’s global audience of 456m monthly listeners. This also bolsters Spotify’s offering for video podcast fans, who can now utilise the video background-play feature to switch between active watching (with video in the foreground) and passive listening (with video in the background)— all for free.
