Spotify has added settings that let listeners shut off music videos across the app, according to a Spotify newsroom update. The change gives users a direct way to keep songs in audio mode instead of having video versions appear when labels or artists have supplied them.
The control matters because Spotify’s video rollout has not behaved like a separate video product. Music videos could play by default in the background for tracks that had one attached. That can change the listening experience: some videos include sketches, effects or other audio that differs from the album track. They also consume extra bandwidth and battery, which is a silly tax to pay when the assignment was “play the song.”
The new option sits in a settings area called “Videos and Canvas.” Canvas is Spotify’s animated album-art feature. Spotify also includes controls for other video formats, including video podcasts on mobile.
How to disable videos on mobile
On Spotify’s mobile app, users can reach the controls from the profile icon in the top-left corner, which opens the side panel. From there, select “Settings and privacy,” then “Content and display.”
In the “Videos and Canvas” section, Spotify shows three separate switches:
- Music videos, which disables video playback for songs.
- Canvas, which turns off the short animated artwork loops.
- All other videos, which makes video podcasts play as audio-only versions instead.
Turning those off should reduce the amount of data Spotify pulls down during playback, since the app no longer has to fetch video streams or animation assets for those features.
How to disable videos on desktop
The desktop app puts the same kind of control in a different place, because consistency apparently remains a premium feature. Click the profile icon in the top-right corner, choose “Settings,” then scroll to “Videos and Canvas.”
On desktop, Spotify provides options to disable music videos and Canvas. The mobile-only “all other videos” control covers video podcasts, which the desktop instructions do not list.
What changes after the switch
WIRED contributor Justin Pot reported that the setting worked in testing. After music videos were disabled, the music-video icon disappeared from playlists and albums, and artist pages no longer showed their music-video collections.
One leftover interface wart remains. Pot found that the Now Playing sidebar can still show a “Switch to video” button under the album art. Clicking it does not play the video. Spotify instead says video playback requires turning videos back on in settings.
The update does not remove videos from Spotify as a product. It gives listeners a global off switch for a feature that had been mixed into ordinary music playback. For users who want album versions without surprise video audio, or who are trying to preserve mobile data and battery, that is the practical fix Spotify should have shipped with the feature in the first place.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
