Spotify launches video feature for podcasts

FILE PHOTO: A trader is reflected in a computer screen displaying the Spotify brand before the company begins selling as a direct listing on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York

(Reuters) - Spotify Technology SA said on Tuesday it was rolling out a video feature for its podcasts, letting select creators bring both audio and video content to the music streaming app.

The feature will allow users, both free and paid, to watch videos from certain creators such as "Book of Basketball 2.0" and "The Morning Toast," the company said. (https://bit.ly/2ZL1R1L)

Spotify has more than a million podcast titles and has been adding heft to its catalog by signing exclusive partnerships, including those with Joe Rogan and Kim Kardashian West.

The company's push into podcasts, in an effort to become the Netflix of audio content, has also helped drive subscriber growth at a time when many people are homebound due to the coronavirus outbreak.

(Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni)