Spotify is making a major play to attract top YouTube creators as it moves to expand beyond music and podcasts into the video content space.
Facing slowing subscriber growth, the streaming platform is offering non-exclusive deals to select YouTube stars, allowing them to share their content on Spotify without giving up other platforms. Unlike Spotify’s past strategy of locking in exclusive podcast deals with big names like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper, the new approach aims to build a broad video catalogue without restrictions.
The company is offering financial incentives and marketing support, with deal values based on a creator’s reach and influence. Spotify has also introduced new features for video creators, including improved monetisation tools, performance analytics, and ad-free viewing for premium users. For creators targeting free-tier listeners, Spotify plans to begin sharing ad revenue.
This shift is part of a larger effort to compete with video giants like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. By adding more diverse content, Spotify hopes to boost engagement and reduce subscriber churn.
“People make it out to be a winner-takes-all dynamic… but what creators actually want is to be on multiple platforms,” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in a recent earnings call.
Despite the push, Spotify still faces big hurdles. Many creators must juggle content across several platforms without streamlined tools, and Spotify’s video ad system isn’t yet as advanced as YouTube’s, which may limit earnings for some partners.
According to a leaked company presentation, around 300 million Spotify users have watched at least one video podcast, with 70% of viewers watching with the screen on. Spotify currently has 675 million monthly active users, including 260 million paid subscribers.
While Spotify’s video efforts are growing, YouTube remains far ahead in the battle for video dominance—especially on TV screens, where Spotify still struggles to gain traction.