Part of the topic guide Pre-Save Links and Release-Day Promotion
Spotify Video and Wrapped: What Artists Can Do
Spotify has spent the second half of 2026 building video into the app, and it has opened some of that to artists directly. A full-length video can now be uploaded in Spotify for Artists by artists in a beta, videos can be pitched to editors, there is a chart for music videos, and the Wrapped campaign has two places for artist video. Some of this is open to everyone and some is not, and Spotify’s own pages disagree with each other on one deadline. This guide separates what you can do today from what needs an invitation, and says where WBBT does and does not fit in.
Short answer: every artist can send a short video message for Wrapped through the Video & Visuals tab in Spotify for Artists, if the date on the banner allows it. Uploading a full-length video yourself and pitching it need access to the beta. WBBT does not deliver music videos today, so for video you are using Spotify’s own tools or another provider. Every outside page was read on 9 November 2026 and is listed at the end.
What changed in Spotify’s video offer
On 17 June 2026 Spotify announced a beta that lets artists upload full-length videos in Spotify for Artists, and on 21 July it added video pitching and a chart. In outline:
- Direct upload (beta). The video has to belong to a specific song or release. Spotify names live performances, acoustic or studio sessions, covers and official music videos. Landscape 16:9 is recommended, and Spotify creates short previews on its own.
- What is not accepted. Visualizers, lyric videos, multi-song concerts and videos without music.
- Money and charts. Spotify says full-length music videos are royalty-bearing and may be chart-eligible. It gives no rates on these pages.
- Video pitching (beta). You can pitch an official music video or performance video to the editorial team, describing the concept and visual style. Spotify says the video must be unreleased or released within the last seven days.
- Music Video Charts Global. A top 50 of videos ranked by daily streams, launched on 21 July 2026.
- Clips. Spotify says new Clips uploads are ending and the Clips tab will become the Video tab.
Labels and distributors can still deliver video, and Spotify calls that the main route. If you are not in the beta, that is how video reaches the service for now.
What Spotify says video does, and how to read it
Spotify reports that listeners who watch a full-length video stream the song 64% more over the following three weeks than similar fans who only heard the audio. It also reports that they are 1.4 times more likely to save, share or playlist the song, and that streams of the rest of the catalogue rise 57%. For its most dedicated listeners the stated increase is 62%.
These are Spotify’s own figures from its own artist blog. They compare people who chose to watch a video with people who did not, and people who choose to watch are probably already keen. Spotify does not say that adding a video would raise your numbers by that much. A fair reading is that fans who watch a video tend to listen more, which is a reason to try video, not a forecast for your next release.
Wrapped 2026: the two artist videos
Spotify’s “Get ready for Wrapped” page for artists describes two kinds of video. The page does not give a date for Wrapped itself, and Spotify’s 5 November announcement to listeners does not either, so this guide does not name one.
| Video message | Performance video | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can send it | All artists | Only artists in the video upload beta |
| Format | Vertical, 30 seconds at most | Landscape, MP4 or MOV, under 20 minutes, 1080p or higher |
| Content rules | No music, explicit content, logos, text or filters; caption of 100 characters or less | A live show, acoustic take or studio session, matched to a track, with a thumbnail you choose |
| Where it may appear | Fans’ Wrapped data stories and the “Your Artist Messages” feed | “Your Top Songs” playlist under a Performances chip |
| After the campaign | Removed | Stays on your profile, eligible for royalties and charting |
Both are submitted on a computer in Spotify for Artists, from the Video & Visuals tab. Spotify says that sending a video gives it permission to distribute it and does not guarantee that it will appear. It also says more than 70,000 artists sent video messages for last year’s Wrapped.
The deadline conflict
The same Spotify page says two things. The heading for video messages says to submit by 6 November, and the text beneath it says artists can submit by 13 November for a chance at placement. A trade report from 14 October gives 6 November. Today is 9 November, so if you are reading this after the date in your own banner, the message window is closed for this year. Look at the banner in your account and trust that over any article, including this one.
Get the profile ready, with or without video
Spotify’s page also lists things that need no video: a current bio and images, a Canvas on every track in your catalogue, merchandise you want fans to find, and upcoming shows added through a ticketing partner.
On WBBT, Spotify Canvas is part of the Basic and Pro plans and not the Free plan, and you request it from Tools in your account for a track that is eligible. The team reviews and delivers it, so it does not appear automatically. Spotify’s eligibility decides whether it can be shown. The Spotify for Artists set-up guide covers claiming the profile and the other free tools, and the Spotify for Artists page explains what WBBT helps with.
A plan for the next two weeks
- Open Spotify for Artists on a computer and look for Video & Visuals. Note whether the Wrapped banner and the video upload banner are there, and which date the banner gives.
- If you can send a message, film it once. Hold the phone upright, speak for under 30 seconds, and leave out music, text and logos. Thank your listeners, mention one real thing from your year and say what is next. Write a caption of under 100 characters.
- If you are not in the beta, join the waitlist on Spotify’s music video page, and keep your video master and credits in one folder.
- Add a Canvas to your best-performing tracks and update the bio and photo.
- Plan any video pitch around the seven-day rule. A video that came out a month ago cannot be pitched, so decide before the release whether it comes out with the song.
Where WBBT fits
WBBT delivers audio releases, and it handles Canvas on eligible plans. It does not deliver music videos today, and its video distribution page says there is no announced launch date. If a video is central to your release, you can use Spotify’s beta if you are in it, or another provider that delivers video, and ask that provider what it charges and takes. The audio release is a separate job, which the guide to distributing to Spotify and Apple Music and the release timeline explain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I upload my music video to Spotify myself?
Only if you are in Spotify’s video upload beta. Spotify says access is rolling out gradually and that there is a waitlist, and that labels and distributors remain the main way to deliver video. Log in to Spotify for Artists on a computer and look for the Video & Visuals tab. If it is not there, join the waitlist.
Does WBBT deliver music videos to Spotify?
Not at the moment. WBBT’s video distribution page says the service is not active and has no launch date. Audio distribution is separate, and so are Canvas loops. Do not plan a video release around WBBT until support confirms otherwise.
Do the Wrapped video messages earn money?
Spotify does not say they do. Its page says full-length performance videos, which stay on your profile after Wrapped, are eligible for royalties and charting. The short video message is removed when the campaign ends.
What is the deadline for a Wrapped video message?
Spotify’s own page says two things: the heading gives 6 November and the text gives 13 November. Check the banner in Spotify for Artists for the date it shows to you. Submitting does not guarantee that your message is placed.
Do I have to make a video to release music on Spotify?
No. Audio releases work as they always have, and Spotify’s video features are optional additions. Treat video as extra reach for a song that is already live or scheduled.
Sources and next steps
Pages read for this article, all accessed on 9 November 2026:
- Get ready for Wrapped, Spotify for Artists.
- Now in beta: upload full-length videos directly to Spotify, Spotify for Artists, 17 June 2026.
- How video on Spotify takes your fans further, Spotify for Artists, 21 July 2026.
- Music videos on Spotify, Spotify for Artists.
- Spotify for Artists opens Wrapped 2026 portal with new tools, Hypebot, 14 October 2026.
- Get ready for your Spotify Wrapped, Spotify Newsroom, 5 November 2026.
- WBBT’s own FAQ and plan comparison, for Canvas and the video service status (read on 9 November 2026).
Spotify changes these pages often, so check the current wording before you rely on a detail. If you are preparing an audio release, submit your music with the artist link to hand.
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