Spotify Music Videos: Everything Artists Need to Know

Over the pas year, Spotify has been quietly weaving full-length music videos into the streaming experience. In July 2026, that strategy accelerated with three major updates: artists can now pitch music videos directly to Spotify's editorial team, Spotify has launched its first-ever global chart dedicated entirely to music videos, and direct video uploads in Spotify for Artists are becoming available to more and more creators.

Together, these updates signal something much larger than another product release. They're Spotify's clearest indication yet that music videos are becoming part of how songs are discovered, recommended, and replayed.

If you've ever invested time and money into a music video only to watch it disappear after release week, this is worth paying attention to. Spotify is making the case that a music video isn't just another piece of promotional content. It's a tool for turning casual listeners into long-term fans.

Here's what changed, why it matters, and how you can incorporate video into your next release strategy.

Why Spotify is betting on video

Spotify's vision is simple: fans who watch are more likely to become fans who stay.

Rather than treating music videos as separate from streaming, Spotify is building an experience where listening naturally leads to watching, and watching leads back to listening.

According to Spotify, after a listener watches a full-length video on Spotify:

• They stream that song 64% more over the next three weeks than comparable fans who only heard the audio.
• They're 1.4x more likely to save it, share it, or add it to a playlist.
• They go on to stream the rest of your catalog 57% more during that same period.

The effect is even stronger with your most dedicated fans. Spotify says its "Super Listeners" stream an artist 62% more after watching a video, averaging more than an hour and 40 minutes of additional listening.

Spotify also says it amplifies tracks that have video more often across personalized recommendations — so a video can indirectly help your audio get surfaced, too.

The takeaway for you: a video's real value isn't the view count. It's the listening, saving, and catalog exploration that happens after someone watches.

What actually launched

Spotify introduced three new video features every artist and their team should know about. Think of them as upload → pitch → chart. First, publish your video. Then pitch it for editorial consideration. Finally, see how it performs in Spotify's new Music Video Charts.

1. Direct video uploads in Spotify for Artists (beta)

Until recently, the only way to get a full-length video onto Spotify was through your label or distributor. Now, eligible artists can upload videos directly through Spotify for Artists, including official music videos, live performances, studio sessions, and covers.. All are royalty-bearing and eligible to chart.

This feature is still in beta. Nearly 100,000 artists have access so far, and Spotify is gradually expanding availability to more artists over time. If you don't have access yet, join the waitlist.

It is also important to know that you don't have to switch to direct uploads. If you already deliver videos to Spotify through your label or distributor, you can keep doing that. Direct upload simply gives eligible artists another option — and in many cases, a faster one.

2. Video pitching (beta)

For many artists, this is the biggest update. For the first time, you can pitch a music video directly to Spotify's editorial team — the same way you already pitch unreleased songs.

When submitting a pitch, you’ll share the story behind the video, including its concept, mood, and visual style. Spotify's editors use that context when considering videos for playlists such as Best Music Videos, Live Performances, Today's Top Videos, and House Party — part of over 100 video playlists worldwide.

Two important rules apply:

• Pitch early. A video is only eligible if it's unreleased, or released within the past 7 days. Like song pitching for editorial consideration, success starts with planning ahead.
• How your video was delivered doesn't matter: Whether your video was uploaded directly through Spotify for Artists or delivered by your label or distributor, it’s still eligible for editorial pitching. Video pitching is available more broadly than direct uploads.

3. Music Video Charts Global

Launched July 21, 2026, Music Video Charts Global is Spotify's first chart dedicated entirely to music videos. It ranks the 50 most-streamed music videos globally each day and is available in Spotify's Charts Hub and its Music Video Playlists hub.

Every Tuesday, Spotify and Spotify for Artists also spotlight the Top 10 across their social channels, creating another recurring opportunity for artists to gain additional visibility.

Where your video can be discovered

One of the biggest changes is that Spotify isn't treating music videos as a separate destination. Instead, it's weaving them into the places where fans already discover and engage with music.

Once your video is live, it can appear across:

• Videos For You — Spotify's first personalized video playlist
• The Video tab on your artist profile
• Home and your release pages
• The Now Playing view while a fan is listening
• Editorial video playlists (the ones you can now pitch for)
• Fan push notifications

That's the real shift. Rather than sitting alongside Spotify, video is becoming part of the everyday streaming experience.

Upload requirements

If you have access to direct uploads, everything happens within the Video & Visuals tab in Spotify for Artists. This is also where you'll find the Pitch a Video button.

Your video should:

• Be an MP4 or MOV
• Be under 20 minutes long
• Include both video and audio
• Be at least At least 1080p
• Features a full-length song rather than a clip or teaser

Spotify will then guide you through the rest of the submission process, including:

• Linking the video to a song in your catalog
• Selecting the video type (official music video, live performance, cover, etc.)
• Choosing a thumbnail from auto-generated frames
• Setting a go-live date
• Adding content labels, such as explicit or 18+

Before publishing, you'll also be able to preview exactly how the video will appear to listeners.

Note: Direct uploads replace Spotify's older short-form Clips feature. Spotify is no longer accepting new Clips uploads, and artist profile Clips tabs are gradually becoming Video tabs.

Building video into your Spotify release strategy

You don't need a cinematic production to take advantage of these features. The biggest opportunity comes from making video part of your release strategy from the beginning, rather than treating it as something you create after your music is already live.

Plan your video before release day

Editorial pitching is only available for unreleased videos or videos published within seven days of release. Having your video ready before launch gives you the best opportunity to pitch both your song and your video at the same time.

Think beyond official music videos

Official music videos aren't your only option. Live performances, acoustic sessions, studio recordings, and performance videos are all eligible. If you're already creating content for TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, consider how that production can extend into a full-length video for Spotify.

Give editors context

Your pitch is more than a submission form. Explain the video's concept, creative direction, and story. The more context you provide, the easier it is for Spotify's editorial team to understand your video, who it's for, and where it fits.

Measure what happens after someone watches

Spotify's message is clear: the real value of video isn't the view count. It's what happens next. Are listeners saving the song? Streaming more of your catalog? Streaming more of your catalog?Returning to your music in the weeks that follow? Those are the metrics that matter.

The bigger picture

Music videos have always been one of the most powerful ways for artists to tell their stories. Spotify is now giving them a larger role in music discovery, editorial promotion, and fan engagement.

Direct uploads and video pitching are still rolling out in beta, so the features available to you will depend on your account. But the direction is clear: on Spotify, music videos are becoming part of how music is delivered, pitched, discovered, and measured.

If video hasn't been part of your release strategy before, now is the time to change that.