Spotify Added Music Video Pitching and a Music Video Chart
Spotify says eligible artists can now pitch music videos for editorial video playlists, and it launched a global Music Video Chart. If you have video in the release plan, delivery timing now matters.
Short answer
On July 21, 2026, Spotify for Artists published new video data and product updates. Spotify says artists in the direct-upload beta can pitch videos for editorial video playlist consideration, and videos delivered by a label or distributor can also qualify if they are unreleased or released within the past 7 days. Spotify also launched Music Video Charts Global, a daily-stream-count chart for the top 50 music videos. The artist action is practical: deliver video on or before release day, pitch the video story while it is eligible, and track whether video viewers save, share, playlist, and stream more of the catalog.
Spotify has made video a release-day object, not only a YouTube asset. Eligible artists can pitch music videos for Spotify video playlists in beta, Spotify launched a global music video chart, and the platform is telling artists to deliver video early enough to be part of discovery.
Key takeaways
- Spotify for Artists published the video update on July 21, 2026.
- Video pitching is in beta. Spotify says eligible videos must be unreleased or released within the past 7 days.
- Spotify launched Music Video Charts Global, a daily-stream-count top 50 for music videos.
- Spotify says fans who stream a full-length video stream that song more often over the next three weeks than similar audio-only listeners.
What happened?
Spotify for Artists published a July 21 update saying video is now built into more of the Spotify release and discovery system. The useful new artist action is video pitching. Spotify says artists can pitch official music videos and performance videos for video playlist consideration, including playlists like Best New Videos and Live Performances.
The pitch window is tight. Spotify says videos must be unreleased or released within the past 7 days to qualify, whether they were delivered by a label, a distributor, or uploaded directly through Spotify for Artists. It also launched Music Video Charts Global, a top 50 chart ranked by daily music-video stream count.
Days after release that Spotify says a video can still qualify for pitching
Videos in the new global music video chart
Video playlists Spotify says are available globally
Artists Spotify says are now in the direct-upload video beta
Why independent artists should care
If you already make videos, the Spotify question is no longer only where the video lives. It is when the video is delivered, whether it can be pitched, and whether it creates deeper listening after the first watch. Spotify says video viewers are more likely to stream the song again, save it, share it, add it to a playlist, and stream more of the artist's catalog.
Deliver
Get the video to Spotify on or before release day if video is part of the campaign.
Pitch
Use the beta video pitch window while the video is unreleased or inside the first 7 days.
Surface
Video can appear in profile tabs, Home, playlists, fan notifications, and charts.
Measure
Watch saves, shares, playlist adds, song streams, and catalog lift after viewers watch.
| Clean setup | Late setup | |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Video delivery is part of the release checklist before Friday | The video is treated as a separate upload after the song campaign is over |
| Pitch | The concept, mood, performance, and release context are ready while the video is eligible | Nobody writes the video story until the 7-day window is gone |
| Measurement | The team checks saves, shares, playlist adds, song streams, and catalog lift | The only number anyone watches is view count |
If Spotify is treating video as part of music discovery, the video needs to be in the release plan before release day.
What to do now
Decide before delivery
If the video matters, put it in the release timeline beside audio delivery, Canvas, Clips, Countdown Page, social cuts, and playlist pitching. A video that arrives too late can still help fans, but it may miss the pitch window Spotify described.
Write the video pitch like a real pitch
Do not send a vague line about visuals. Explain the concept, performance, mood, format, and why the video gives the song another entry point. If it is a live take, say what the performance reveals that the studio recording does not.
Do not overspend because a chart exists
A global music video chart does not make an expensive video the right move for every artist. Start from the song, the fan base, the budget, and whether the video can create repeat listening, not from chart envy.
What is still unclear?
Spotify has not published every eligibility rule, beta access rule, editorial-selection factor, or how long the current pitch process will stay in beta. It has also not said that every artist can upload directly today. The practical move is still useful: deliver early, pitch clearly, and measure whether video viewers become better listeners.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Can artists pitch music videos to Spotify?
Spotify says video pitching is in beta and available for eligible videos. A video must be unreleased or released within the past 7 days, whether it was delivered by a label, distributor, or uploaded directly through Spotify for Artists.
What is Spotify's Music Video Charts Global?
Spotify describes it as its first chart dedicated to music videos, ranking the global top 50 videos by daily stream count and surfacing them through the Charts hub and Music Video Playlists hub.
Does video on Spotify earn royalties?
Spotify says full-length videos uploaded through the beta are eligible for royalties and charting. Artists who already deliver videos through a label or distributor can keep using that path.
What should independent artists do first?
Decide whether the video is part of the release, deliver it early enough to pitch, write a clear video pitch, and track downstream saves, shares, playlist adds, song streams, and catalog lift.
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