Spotify is expanding further into music video with a new Paramount partnership built around the MTV Video Music Awards. The streaming platform has launched a dedicated VMA destination featuring historic performances from the awards’ archive alongside selected content from the 2026 show.
Spotify is bringing VMA performances into the app
The new destination includes memorable performances spanning multiple decades, with archival moments from artists including Madonna, Nirvana and Cardi B. Selected 2026 VMA performance content is also being added after the broadcast.
Spotify says the experience is available across desktop, web and TV, while mobile users receive additional editorial and personalized discovery elements.
Why Spotify’s video push matters
Spotify has traditionally been identified with audio streaming, but the company has increasingly been building video into the product. Putting well-known music television performances directly inside Spotify gives listeners another reason to stay on the platform rather than moving elsewhere to watch artist video content.
For artists and rights-holders, this creates another surface where catalog recordings, performances and visual assets can drive discovery. It also suggests that music streaming services increasingly see video as part of the core fan experience rather than an optional extra.
A broader shift in music discovery
The partnership comes as Spotify and other DSPs compete not just on catalog size but on how fans interact with artists. Video, editorial hubs, personalized recommendations and live-event programming are becoming part of that competition.
Sources: Spotify Newsroom; Paramount Press Express.