There has long been talk about the death of the music video, but a quick glance at YouTube makes it clear that it has never ceased to be very much alive (Shakira and her “Dai Dai” give a friendly nod). Spotify has just launched Music Video Charts Global, a daily ranking of the 50 most-watched music videos on the platform, in a new bid to bring this format to subscription-based streaming.
The launch comes with several changes for artists, Billboard reports. From now on, teams will be able to upload full videos via Spotify for Artists and also pitch them to the editorial team, just as with songs, in an effort to place them in playlists like Best New Videos, Today’s Top Videos, Live Performances, or House Party.
Spotify asserts that the move makes sense because videos drive music consumption. According to the company’s data, a user is 64% more likely to play a track after watching its official video or a live rendition. In addition, it is 1.4 times more likely that they will save or share the track, and 57% more likely that they will continue listening to the artist’s catalog.
The shift does not come out of nowhere. Earlier this year, Taylor Swift released the video for “Opalite” first on Spotify and Apple Music, before uploading it to YouTube, turning it into the first major release designed with this new streaming-platform strategy in mind. That move, linked to changes in how video plays are counted for Billboard, served as a preview of the direction Spotify wanted to take.
In reality, Spotify has been testing the waters for years. First came Canvas in 2019, followed by promotional Clips. But it was in 2024 when the platform announced the arrival of full music videos, a development that positioned it for the first time as a direct rival to YouTube in this space. Now, with a dedicated video ranking and tools to promote them, that strategy takes another significant step.
