Noah Kahan performing live. Photo Credit: no_thoughts_kurapika / CC by 4.0
On the heels of his Great Divide Tour’s North American leg – and moments after being tapped to kick off Amazon Music Live’s fifth season – Noah Kahan has dropped his “Orbiter” music video exclusively via Spotify.
Spotify took to social media to tout the timed exclusive, which arrives amid an aggressive video-focused expansion for the platform. It was only in June that the DSP bolstered its support for full-length videos, for instance, before rolling out a “video ecosystem,” including a dedicated music video chart, in July.
While quite a lot is factoring into the buildout, it’s not a secret that competition from YouTube, which is leading the podcasting pack in large part because of its video offerings, is contributing to the gameplan.
And on the music side, at least in theory, hosting exclusive videos from popular acts seems like a strategically sensible way to close the gap with the Google subsidiary.
Enter Kahan’s “Orbiter” music video, which features undoubtedly nostalgic footage from the aforementioned Great Divide Tour and will be available solely on Spotify for 48 hours, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether this and other temporary exclusives will move the needle for Spotify. But at a minimum, being first to host certain music videos won’t hurt the platform; “Orbiter” is currently sitting atop the “Popular” track list on Kahan’s artist page.
Throw in access to high-demand concert tickets (Miley Cyrus yesterday became the latest professional to use Reserved) and not-so-subtle promotional pushes, and it’s possible that the efforts could help the service to further stand out in the decidedly competitive streaming arena.
Meanwhile, using Spotify (which, most know, is developing a collection of AI-powered remix and mashup tools) as something of a superfan hub doesn’t appear ill-advised on UMG/Mercury-signed Kahan’s end.
(That said, a few Kahan diehards, one claiming to subscribe to Apple Music, are criticizing the “Orbiter” video’s limited availability. “i wanna to watch it but i’m broke and don’t have premium,” a fan wrote on X.)
The 29-year-old is scheduled to begin the international leg of his ongoing concert series in Australia and New Zealand later this month, with European shows teed up into December.