Spotify announced Monday morning that they will be releasing 12 new music and pop-culture themed videos on their app in an attempt to further expand their platform’s video streaming services. The music streaming company has teamed up with Def-Jams Records’ co-founder Russell Simmons and actor Tim Robbins, both of whom will appear as actors throughout the series.
According to AdAge, the 12 videos will range from lengths of one to 15 minutes long, and feature musical performances, animation, pop culture, and music history storytelling. “Landmark” will be a documentary series that will tell stories of significant moments in music history with each episode, while Russell Simmons’ “Rush Hour” will be a hip-hop focused mini-series. “Trading Playlists” will focus on two celebrities who trade playlists for a day in an attempt to learn more about each other’s music. And “Generations” will feature two generations of hip-hop starts coming together to create modern reworks of their most notable releases.
Spotify’s Global Head of Content Partnerships, Tom Calderone, had this to say about the new venture:
“We are developing original content that is rooted in music, pop culture, and animation that is driven by the passion and sense of humor of our audience. We are working with artists, producers and partners who understand that the Spotify audience has a strong connection to artists and wants to go deeper into their worlds, see their performances and expressions, and hear their stories.”
The free videos will only be made available to premium and non-premium subscribers residing in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden. Bloomberg notes that this is only the first slate of original videos in the works for Spotify, and a second phase is being planned which will focus more on comedy and animation, and be tailored to the service’s younger audience.
