Spotify is one of the best music streaming services when it comes to discovering new music, and while I think Daylist is one of the most underrated features for finding your next music obsession, Spotify’s flagship New Music Friday playlists are just as reliable. It’s now getting a visual update.
The music streaming giant announced today (June 12) that its New Music Friday playlist will now feature short videos from its editorial team, who will share their thoughts on the biggest new releases.
Released first to free and premium users in the US, you can find videos from the publisher while scrolling through Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist of the latest releases. We reached out to Spotify to ask if and when these videos will be released to other regions, and a spokesperson responded with the following:
“Right now, we’re focused on establishing and nailing down publisher-led video in the US. We’ll share any updates on expansion plans when they become available.”
In addition to sharing their perspectives, the Spotify team will also highlight emerging artists and delve into the stories behind new songs and albums. It builds on the experience within Spotify’s app, The Drop Weekly, where editors break down new releases and discuss cultural moments. This experience launched in the US in September 2025, but has not yet rolled out globally.
Not only does this give Spotify’s playlist curators the opportunity to share their recommendations front and center, but it also opens the doors for music fans to make connections and understand the minds that work hard to bring Spotify playlists together.
Spotify’s North American editorial chief, John Stein, details this in the company’s announcement:
“New Music Friday has always been about helping fans discover the best new music every week. By bringing our editors directly into the experience, we’re giving listeners a closer connection to the people behind the playlist and more context about the artists and songs shaping culture right now.”
I bet most of you rolled your eyes when you read ‘short videos’ and thought, ‘Seriously, Spotify?’ If it makes you feel better, so do I. I can’t remember the last time I used Spotify’s video tools to find new music, but I think there might be something different with their New Music Friday update.
There is one thing missing from music platforms and that is journalistic perspectives on music. While Spotify’s About Song feature is useful for reading flash summaries of a track’s background, this information is collected from third-party sites and compressed into something that can be read in a few seconds.
With videos from these editors, you could add a lot of value to one of Spotify’s most visited editorial playlists. Not only does it open a door for you to learn more about the stories, but it also puts faces into the brains of the music connoisseurs who created the playlist and how they think about what music to recommend.
I spend quite a bit of time browsing Wikipedia pages, online magazines, and even Genius lyrics to indulge in my music trivia, and while Spotify’s New Music Friday videos won’t be replacing these practices anytime soon, I’m sure they’ll be a welcome addition to my music research regimen.
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