Spotify Video Uploads Are Now in Beta for Artists. What to Prepare
Reviewed August 3, 2026: Spotify's direct video-upload beta lets eligible artists add full-length videos from Spotify for Artists. Videos longer than 30 seconds can earn royalties and may be chart-eligible, but distributor delivery remains the primary path.
Short answer
Reviewed August 3, 2026: Spotify's beta lets selected artists upload full-length music videos, live performances, studio sessions, and covers directly through Spotify for Artists. Spotify says videos longer than 30 seconds can earn royalties and may count toward charts. Distributor delivery remains the main path, access and direct-upload viewing are limited during rollout, and artists should confirm rights, credits, metadata, and video ownership before uploading.
Key takeaways
- Spotify opened a beta on June 17, 2026 that lets artists with access upload full-length videos directly from the Spotify for Artists dashboard. It is not available to every artist yet.
- Spotify says videos longer than 30 seconds can earn royalties and may be chart-eligible, so video becomes a release decision, not just promo.
- Distribution through your distributor stays the primary path; direct upload is an extra option that is rolling out gradually.
- Spotify is ending new uploads to Clips; the short-form feature is folding into the new Video tab.
What changed in Spotify for Artists?
On June 17, 2026, Spotify opened a beta that lets artists with access upload live performances, studio sessions, covers, and official music videos straight from the Spotify for Artists dashboard. Reviewed on August 3, 2026, Spotify still describes the uploads as “royalty-bearing” and says they “may be chart-eligible,” so an artist can earn from the video itself as well as the listening that tends to follow it.
Labels and distributors already deliver video to Spotify. The beta adds a direct option for eligible artists, and Spotify says “tens of thousands” have the option today, with more getting access throughout the year. Early uploads have come from artists like Hazlett (a live performance), We Three (a cover), and Bebe Rexha (an official video). At the same time, Spotify is ending support for new uploads to Clips, its 2023 short-form feature; existing Clips stay, and the Clips tab becomes a Video tab over time.
Why should independent artists care about the beta?
Direct upload removes the label/distributor gate for artists in the beta. Spotify also frames video as a listening multiplier, citing its own data on what happens in the three weeks after a listener watches a video:
More streams of that song over the next three weeks
More likely to save, share, or add the song to a playlist
More streams across the artist's wider catalog
Lift in streams from an artist's top “super listeners”
Streaming videos leads to more listening.
Whether or not those exact numbers hold for every artist, the direction is the point: Spotify is positioning video as a discovery and retention tool that feeds your audio streams, not a vanity asset.
Should you use direct upload or your distributor?
| Direct upload (beta) | Through your distributor | |
|---|---|---|
| Who delivers it | You, in Spotify for Artists | Your distributor or label |
| Royalty-bearing | Yes | Yes |
| Chart-eligible | May be, subject to Spotify's rules | May be, subject to Spotify's delivery and chart rules |
| Formats | Live, sessions, covers, official videos | Label/distributor delivery; format terms vary |
| Status | Beta, rolling out gradually | Primary delivery path |
What should artists do now?
Supported in the beta
Live performances, studio sessions, covers, and official music videos, uploaded in landscape (16:9). Spotify says videos longer than 30 seconds can earn royalties and may be eligible for charts, and it auto-generates short-form previews from what you upload.
Not supported yet
Visualizers, lyric videos, multi-song concerts, and videos without music. If that is all you have, hold off until the formats you need are eligible.
Check whether you have beta access in your Spotify for Artists dashboard. It is rolling out in stages and direct-upload viewing is limited to supported markets while the feature is in beta. If you do have access, decide whether a music video or live performance belongs in your next release plan and budget for it accordingly. Keep using your distributor for your core release delivery; direct upload is an option on top of it, not a replacement.
For a Velveteen release plan, treat this as a visual-asset lane beside Canvas, artwork, and short social edits. Put one owner on rights clearance, one owner on the 16:9 master, and one owner on post-release measurement so the beta does not become another upload task with no follow-through.
The practical next step is to audit the assets around the video before upload. Read the Spotify video upload guide for the current beta specs, then check your Spotify Canvas specs for the short-loop asset, use the release metadata checklist for titles and identifiers, and keep the main rollout timeline in your release strategy rather than treating video as a separate promo afterthought.
Key takeaways
- Open Spotify for Artists on desktop and check Video and Visuals before changing a release plan around the beta.
- Match each video to one song or release, then confirm the recording, composition, performer, and video rights are cleared for Spotify.
- Use a 16:9 landscape master and keep the same release identifiers, artist mapping, and title spelling you use with your distributor.
- Budget video like a release asset: delivery access, rights, editing, captions, thumbnails, launch copy, and post-release measurement all need an owner.
What is still unclear?
Open questions
Spotify has not spelled out the exact royalty mechanics for the video itself versus the listening it drives, or precisely how chart-eligibility is calculated. It is also not yet clear when the beta reaches everyone, or whether independent distributors will build their own direct video-delivery options. Treat this as an opportunity to test, not a guaranteed payout, until Spotify confirms the details.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Can artists upload videos directly to Spotify?
Selected artists in the beta can upload eligible full-length videos through Spotify for Artists. Access is rolling out and is not available to every account.
Which videos can be uploaded in the Spotify beta?
Spotify named official music videos, live performances, studio sessions, and covers among the supported formats. Account eligibility and content rules still apply.
Do direct Spotify video uploads earn royalties?
Spotify says eligible video plays are royalty-bearing and may be chart-eligible. The exact payment depends on rights, usage, agreements, territory, and Spotify's reporting.
Does direct upload replace distributor video delivery?
No. Spotify describes distributor delivery as the primary path. The beta adds a direct option for selected artists rather than replacing established delivery relationships.
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