Spotify will be adding video content to its Android app this week. With short video clips and podcasts, Spotify wants users to actively use the app instead of leaving it running in the background.

The music-streaming company first announced it wanted to begin putting out videos and podcasts back in May, according to the company's website.

Short Clips From Popular Providers

The video content coming to Spotify will include clips from providers like ESPN, Comedy Central, the BBC and Vice Media. These clips could be quick jokes from stand-up routines or a news story.

The short videos and podcasts will come to the app users in the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Sweden.

Keep Users Engaged

Spotify's vice president of product, Shiva Rajaraman, said while most people who use Spotify are there for the music, he hopes the video feature could help keep users engaged with the app.

"Obviously our primary user is a music fan, and they are not necessarily leaning in and looking into the app," Rajaraman told The Wall Street Journal. "So there are no particular recipes for how to get this right."

'An Important Revenue Source'

The video feature will start out with ad-free videos, but that might not last long: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said last year video ads will one day be "an important revenue source."

Spotify has more than 75 million users worldwide, making it more popular than Pandora and Apple Music, though most users choose the free version, which is supported with ads. Video ads could only help Spotify make more money on the unpaying users.

When the video feature was being tested, users were most interested in watching clips related to the music they were listening to, Rajaraman said.



Next week, the feature will roll out to iOS devices.
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