Spotify becomes 'the soundtrack of your life' with radio, podcasts, news and video

A major update to the Spotify smartphone app makes it "the soundtrack of your life" by including podcasts, videos, news and playlists which provide music based on what you're doing during each part of your day - and tracks to match how fast you run.

As had been rumoured in the days leading up to the announcement, video content makes its debut on the music-streaming service. The new app launches with video content from the BBC, TED, ABC, Vice News, Comedy Central, ESPN, NBC, Wired, GQ, Vogue and MTV.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said more will be coming soon, and hinted that some will be unique to the platform. "What is cool about what we're doing is how the new content compliments and extends the experience. It will keep our users happy throughout the day and means they'll listen to more music as a result."

As for music, Spotify's new application offers up music based on what you're doing during the day. Users can set up playlists to wake them up in the morning, or to chill out with when they get home in the evening. Spotify serves up tracks based on your tastes, and swiping through suggestions is now faster than before.

Running to the beat

Listening to music while running can improve endurance by up to 15%, Spotify claims, adding there is a big difference between running with music and running to it. Music which matched the beat of their feet produces better results, like dancing, Spotify says.

By using the sensors of your smartphone, the app detects the tempo of your running and plays music with a beat which fits with your strides. Each time you change your running speed, the app takes five seconds to recalibrate and find new music to fit your tempo.

Taking this a step further, Spotify has asked artists to produce music which can be listened to when running at various speeds, and yet the tempo of the music will still fit your footsteps. Spotify says this is more than a simple beat-stretching trick.

The new Spotify app is available now in the UK, US, Germany and Sweden, and will roll out to more countries soon.

In eight years, Spotify says it has streamed 300 million years of music, or 25 billion hours. Two billion times a month, listeners discover artists new to them through Spotify, and some users listen for 16 hours a day.