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Spotify and the GIF as Album Cover

02.21.2019 by M Donaldson // Leave a Comment

via Hypebot:

Spotify is beta testing Canvas, a new feature which allows artists and labels to add a fullscreen, 3-8 second moving visual to tracks. It replaces cover art and will loop in the Now Playing view of the Spotify app.

Remember when a few ambitious bands released LPs with trippy 3D covers, and you had to wear special glasses to appreciate the artwork? This is kind of like that but also nothing like that at all.

This GIF linked in the article shows the feature in action. Though that example is a bit underwhelming, it does give an opening taste of how streaming platforms will utilize visuals. The forever morphing album cover isn’t far off.

Some people aren’t having it. Via Lifehacker:

I think Canvas is a neat idea—it’s essentially an album art GIF—but I tend to listen to Spotify rather than watch it, so the idea of an endlessly looping video seems like a silly waste of data. Spotify says Canvas is “optimized to use very little data and battery,” so I don’t want to overemphasize the impact of turning it off, but it’s still something you should consider if you don’t want the annoyance.

🔗→ With Spotify Canvas, Artists Add Moving Visuals To Tracks
🔗→ How to Get Rid of Spotify’s Looping ‘Canvas’ Videos

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Related posts:

  1. This Space For Rent: Showing Up on Spotify’s Endcap
  2. Vaughan Oliver’s Invitation to Decode
  3. Spotify’s Rights Gamble in India

Categories // Music Industry Tags // Cover Art, GIF, Spotify

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8sided.blog is an online admiration of modernist sound and niche culture. We believe in the inherent optimism of creating art as a form of resistance and aim to broadcast those who experiment not just in name but also through action.

It's also the online home of Michael Donaldson, a curious fellow trying his best within the limits of his time. He once competed under the name Q-Burns Abstract Message and was the widely disputed king of sandcastles until his voluntary exile from the music industry.

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