Spotify is expanding its streaming service to now include educational courses in addition to music, podcasts, and audiobooks. The company on Tuesday announced the launch of a new feature called courses, which will allow users to learn about topics in areas like business, tech, lifestyle, music, and more.
The feature will initially be made available to U.K. users, Spotify notes.
The company has been working to make its service known for more than just music for some time. By offering different types of audio, Spotify can grow its revenue through different forms of monetization. This includes ads in audio and video podcasts (even AI ads), as well as paid “top up” hours for audiobooks aimed at subscribers who use up their 15 free hours per month but still want to keep listening. The company is also undercutting market leader Audible with a $10 per month standalone audiobooks subscription.
Courses, if rolled out more broadly, could also present a new revenue stream if Spotify chooses to introduce paid or ad-supported courses to a wider audience.
The company pointed to a handful of courses it recommends getting started with, including:
However, tech enthusiast and early adopter Chris Messina spotted the development of courses ahead of the official announcement. TechCrunch inquired about the feature but did not get a response before Spotify’s publication of its blog post.
Of note, Messina’s findings indicate there are courses available on subjects that may appeal to the more technical crowd, like learning about AI, web3, the metaverse, and other digital tools.
In addition, he found that users would be able to filter their Spotify Library to show only “Podcasts & Courses,” instead of just “Podcasts,” as it reads currently.
While Spotify hasn’t confirmed that courses will arrive in the U.S., Messina discovered he was able to access the section via search. Here, though, the category pages were empty, indicating the U.S. feature is still in development.
