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Spotify wants to get into online video

Spotify is virtually synonymous with streaming music, but it may be poised to shake things up in the near future. Wall Street Journal sources claim that the company is planning to launch a web video service. It's not certain exactly what the focus would be, although Spotify is reportedly reaching out to both YouTube-focused creators as well as old-fashioned media outlets in the hopes of licensing content and creating original programming. You likely won't need a paid subscription to watch, and the offering might even tap your music habits to suggest content -- you'd see different videos if you listen to downtempo music instead of dance tracks.

If the leak is accurate, Spotify might unveil the video platform as early as a just-announced event on May 20th. There's certainly some pressure to act sooner than later. The company's up-and-coming nemesis, Tidal, has made a point of offering music-related videos alongside songs. Meanwhile, YouTube is headed in the opposite direction -- it's expanding to music subscriptions after years of focusing solely on moving pictures. A Spotify video service would be less about trying to conquer new territory and more about fending off rival media services that promise more features.