Spotify Is Launching Its Video Service This Week

The content you can expect to see comes from a mix of providers, including the BBC, Comedy Central, ABC and ESPN (among others). The secret sauce behind how Spotify plans to present the content is still unclear. Shiva Rajaraman, the company's vice president of product, told the WSJ that videos would come in bundles, such as "News of the Week" or "Laughs at Lunch" which is in keeping with that backbone of the Spotify world: the playlist.

As with its music service, there's still a question about how Spotify will monetize video streaming. At launch there won't be advertising on the videos, with the move more about entering new markets, and competingwith rivals. Especially YouTube. Google's video giant has been making headway into music since the launch of Music Key (which became YouTube Music), giving Spotify lots to think about -- the results of which might include adding social components to its apps, and incorporating more niche features.