After music, Spotify wants to get into sports

For a long time, Spotify was just an application to listen to music. Then came podcasts, audiobooks, videos, and even initiatives around physical books. Now, the platform is targeting a new unexpected area with fitness. Yes, after accompanying your workouts with suitable playlists, Spotify now wants to become the place where you actually do your workout.

The newly announced feature is the creation of a “Fitness” space directly within the application. From this new tab, users will be able to access audio and video sports content. The app aims to offer content related to the following sports areas: yoga, pilates, cardio, meditation, running, muscle strengthening, and wellness formats.

Spotify has partnered with several specialized creators like the famous Chloe Ting, Kassandra Reinhardt, and some other well-known coaches on the internet. Now, instead of playing a playlist on Spotify and a video on another platform, everything will be grouped in the same place, which can be extremely convenient.

Context: Spotify is expanding its services to include fitness content within its platform, partnering with various creators and even a well-known brand in the industry.

Fact Check: Chloe Ting and Kassandra Reinhardt are popular fitness influencers on social media.

Additionally, the platform has also signed a deal with Peloton, a famous brand for its connected bikes and premium classes. More than 1400 on-demand sessions will be offered to Premium subscribers in certain countries. Importantly, you won’t need Peloton equipment to enjoy them, which is great considering the high cost of the gear.

However, this is a significant strategic change. The company claims that nearly 70% of its Premium subscribers engage in sports every month. It also boasts over 150 million fitness playlists created on the platform, indicating that users were already using Spotify for training. The company now wants to monetize this usage to generate additional revenue.

But a real question arises from this expansion. Will Spotify remain a music app or has it become a massive digital all-in-one? Some users already criticize its interface for being more confusing than before, with numerous contents such as podcasts, videos, recommendations, and even sponsored content overflowing everywhere. Spotify seems to be partly aware of this, as the platform recently added an option to hide videos in the application.

Context: Some users are concerned about Spotify’s shift towards incorporating various types of content within its platform, straying away from its original music focus.

Lastly, there is a trend in the current tech industry where several major platforms are trying to move beyond their historical activities to capture more attention.

Fact Check: Other tech companies are also diversifying their services to engage users across different activities and interests.

There you have it, a summary of Spotify’s latest move into the fitness world, challenging the boundaries of what a music streaming platform can offer to its users.