Spotify partners with Disney on a new streaming hub aimed at families
In an effort likely aimed at boosting family memberships, Spotify this morning announced a new partnership with Disney on the creation of a Disney Hub on its streaming service. Here, Disney fans in select markets including the U.S. will find a selection of Disney playlists like soundtracks from Disney, Pixar and Marvel movies, Star Wars instrumentals, classics, sing-alongs and more.
The Disney Hub is also live in the U.K., Ireland, South Africa, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It can be discovered by doing a search for “Disney” in the Spotify app.
Disney songs in particular appeal to families with children, and Spotify memberships that offer multiple profiles for both parents and kids alike are of more value to the streaming service. For example, Spotify Premium in the U.S. is $9.99 per month, but the Family membership is $14.99 per month. Of course, kids could just listen in under mom or dad’s account, but every parent knows that ruins one of Spotify’s best value propositions — its personalized playlists, like Discover Weekly.
Though Spotify isn’t always thought of as a family service, that’s increasingly changing as kids get their own devices at earlier ages, and music streaming because commonplace in the car and in the home, via smart speakers — often placed in kids’ rooms.
Spotify says Disney songs are popular on its service, with users having streamed over 2 billion minutes of Disney music this year so far. The top song to date is still “Let it Go” from Frozen, but Disney’s new slate of remakes is helping push others up the charts, with “A Whole New World” from the live-action Aladdin now the most-repeated song in the past month.
The Disney Hub will also include the following playlists:
- Disney Hits: Top songs from the biggest Disney and Pixar films.
- Disney Favorites: Everyone’s favorite current tunes, plus popular classics.
- Disney Classics: A nostalgic playlist that includes songs from the Disney Parks, live-action and animated classic soundtracks, as well as songs from Disney Channel originals.
- Disney Singalongs: Songs to sing along to.
- Disney Princess: Love ballads as well as the coming-of-age breakaways.
- Marvel Music: All the best songs and scores from Marvel films and shows.
- Best of Star Wars: John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra’s music from Star Wars.
It’s worth noting, too, that Spotify already has a close partnership with Hulu, which is now majority-owned by Disney. In the past, the companies have offered a Hulu-Spotify bundle at a discounted price to gain more subscribers. In March 2019, for example, the two launched an even more steeply discounted bundle than before, at $9.99 per month for both — or effectively Spotify Premium with Hulu for free.
As for Disney, working with Spotify can help it build interest in its new movies by creating more of a connection with fans. Spotify notes that the Disney Hub will, in fact, continue to be updated with music as more Disney films launch over the course of the summer and the rest of the year.
Source: TechCrunch
