Spotify lets users turn off music videos – now let us hide podcasts and audiobooks
Video killed the radio star and now Spotify lets you keep it away from your music streaming experience
Spotify has been criticised for years for the additions that have detracted from the streaming app’s original purpose – easy and unmetered access to the world’s recorded music. And, the recent addition of music videos has again cluttered up artist pages, getting in the way of accessing listeners’ favourite tracks.
However, unlike the clamour after Spotify added audiobooks and plastered Joe Rogan’s podcasts all over the homepage, the streaming company is actually listening to us this time. The company has introduced the ability to turn music videos off and “maintain an audio-first experience.” Hooray!
The new toggles appear under a Videos And Canvas tab in the Settings tab under Settings > Content, and enable Family Plan managers to pull the strings. There are settings for Music Videos, Canvases (those mini looping videos that play while the song is playing) and All Other Videos. You can disable/enable one/all.
“Rolling out globally starting today, Family Plan managers will be able to switch video content on or off for any plan members through their subscription settings,” Spotify writes in a blog post.
Spotify says the toggles are designed to put users in the driver’s seat, which is in line with a survey that said 93% of users are jazzed about features that offer them more control. So now you listen?!
The company adds: “Listeners can now choose exactly how they want to engage with the videos that amplify music, podcasts, and audiobooks on Spotify. Control changes everything. Time stops feeling wasted and starts feeling owned. We’ve got more great features in the works, so Spotify remains a place where people love to spend time discovering their new favourite artist, creator, or author.”
Now, let us do the same for podcasts and audiobooks. Please.
Chris Smith
