Spotify launches Play button
Brands including Tumblr, The Guardian and Vogue have implemented a new Spotify widget that allows them to stream music instantly from their websites.
The Spotify Play button enables brands, publishers and bloggers to stream any song available on the service by embedding a link, similar to the way website owners can host YouTube videos.
The widget means website owners can overcome copyright and licensing issues when they host music and also means they can let their users listen to songs without diverting them to other sites.
Spotify will benefit as songs are also likely to come with pre or post-play advertising and it will hope the widget will encourage more users to its platform to discover more music.
Gustav Söderström, chief product officer at Spotify, says: “You want to give your fans access to any song, album or playlist of your choosing and in its entirety, while ensuring people stay glued to your site. The Spotify Play Button does all of this for free, while making sure artists get paid for every play.”
Launch brands using the Spotify Play Button today (11 April) also include: Vice’s Noisey.com, The Independent, NME, Rolling Stone, Virgin Media, MSN UK, The Huffington Post and Time Out Group.
Arianna Huffington, president and editor in chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, says: “Now, in addition to starting and joining conversations, our users can experience custom soundtracks – whether it’s upbeat workout playlists for our Healthy Living section or the latest crowd-moving party songs for the brides and grooms checking out HuffPost Weddings.”
