Spotify Educational Courses Coming to U.S. After Successful U.K. Launch

By Marcus Stevenson

January 23, 2025 at 11:58 PM

Spotify is expanding its educational offerings, with evidence suggesting an imminent U.S. rollout of video-learning courses following their successful U.K. pilot program launched in March 2024.

Person meditating near flowing river

Person meditating near flowing river

The educational content spans various topics, including:

  • Meditation
  • Cooking
  • Communication skills
  • Self-care through creativity

While these courses are currently only available in the United Kingdom, U.S. users can now search for the courses category, suggesting an upcoming launch in the American market.

This expansion aligns with Spotify's aggressive diversification strategy, which includes:

  • Audiobook integration (with recently added video content)
  • Video podcasts
  • TV shows
  • Concert specials

The platform's bundling strategy has significant implications for royalty payments, with recent data showing less than 1% of U.S. Spotify subscriptions are standalone music-only packages. This bundling approach provides Spotify with statutory royalty discounts, though it faces ongoing legal challenges from the MLC and criticism from songwriters and publishers.

Recent developments supporting the educational expansion include:

  • New job postings for senior audiobooks positions
  • Backend infrastructure development for "scalable addition of new content types"
  • Increased promotion of non-music content to subscribers

The platform continues to partner with educational content provider Nebula, though Spotify has not officially commented on the timeline for the U.S. courses launch.

Three men seated on curb

Three men seated on curb

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