Spotify has created an all-new gaming channel, where fans can enjoy a variety of original soundtracks or explore curated and community-made playlists.
As the official music streaming service for PlayStation 3 and 4, it comes as no surprise that the company would create this channel—just that it took so long. The gaming channel is most likely a response to the sudden demand for Pokémon music to listen to while users are out playing Pokémon GO. Over the weekend, following the game’s release in July, Spotify reported a 362 percent jump in streams for the original television theme song Gotta Catch ‘Em All.
The new gaming channel features over 100 original video game soundtracks ranging from classics like Mega Man and Grim Fandango to new releases such as No Man’s Sky, Halo 5 and Uncharted 4. Playlists range from “Power Gaming,” a collection of tracks designed to get you pumped up, to “Retrowave,” filled with 1980’s-inspired synth and electronica.
Spotify has partnered with popular gaming sites to create their own “guest lists,” a chance for brands like Polygon, Gamesbeat and Mashable to cross-promote the gaming channel to their fans.
This new feature also adds opportunities for gamer-focused marketing. With over 100 million users (30 percent being paid subscribers), the streaming service can now offer the channel to prospective advertisers. In March, the company introduced Billboard (popular among desktop users) to its mobile app, which presents display ads across both iOS and Android devices with a system called Overlay Mobile. The feature uses pop-up ads as a large screensaver when users return to Spotify after long periods of inactivity, providing a whopping 100 percent viewability.
Gaming isn’t the only way Spotify is diversifying. The streaming giant is also producing 12 original shows for the video and podcast format. The most recent announcement is Deconstructed, an animated video debuting on YouTube. The first episode, a collaboration with short-form animation studio ATTN, tells the story of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) from its roots in the 1970s to the raves of today.
Although music remains the main focus for Spotify, offering a variety of content for users casts a wider net for brand discovery—and digital ad revenue.
