Tech

Spotify's new Netflix Hub is packed with soundtracks and pods

The content hub includes enhanced listening experiences and exclusive new Netflix content.

Spotify

Spotify has created a new home for every Netflix soundtrack ever released, if for some reason you feel like listening to Squid Game’s haunting beats alongside a few hits from tick, tick…Boom! The aptly named “Netflix Hub” is a collection place for all types of Netflix content, including official playlists and podcasts about shows and movies on the streaming service. It’s launching today in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Ireland, and India.

Both Netflix and Spotify see the Netflix Hub as an opportunity to capitalize on the success of Netflix’s wide slate of originals. “Today’s trending shows and movies aren’t just inspiring fandoms, they’re also fueling internet-wide obsessions,” Spotify says of the hub. The company cites the overwhelming viewership of Squid Game as a recent example of this obsession.

The Hub is already packed full of Netflix-curated playlists for shows like Bridgerton and On My Block, as well as podcasts like Netflix Is A Daily Joke, The Crown: The Official Podcast, and Okay, Now Listen. Netflix is using its new hub as a place for never-before-heard show content, too.

Enhanced experiences to come — Just collecting every Netflix soundtrack and podcast in one place wouldn’t be much of a pull for the new hub, so Spotify and Netflix have planned some other exclusive surprises as well. First up is an “enhanced album experience” for the new Netflix original film The Harder They Fall, a Western starring Idris Elba and Regina King, amongst others.

The Harder They Fall was actually co-produced by Jay-Z, so music is important to the movie experience. It’s the perfect opportunity for Netflix to provide a behind-the-scenes peek at how the movie’s soundtrack was created, complete with audio liners from featured artists like Kid Cudi.

As part of the rollout of La Casa De Papel’s final season, Spotify has also re-created the show’s “destination.” It includes new cast and crew videos as well as a mobile-only Character Match Playlist quiz to “find out your perfect La Banda character and soundtrack match.”

Two giants standing tall — Having a central location for all Netflix listening content will be beneficial for both Netflix and Spotify. The companies are right: Netflix fandoms are intense and eager for more than just the content they can get from the Netflix app.

Now Spotify users will not only be able to easily find all these soundtracks and podcasts in one place — they’ll also be directed toward content they wouldn’t have searched for otherwise. This in turn might send them back to the Netflix app to watch a show they first heard about on the Netflix Hub. And just like that, both companies profit.

Netflix has managed to bring in more cash than ever this year, while Spotify’s global reach has almost hit 400 million monthly active users. Their combined powers don’t leave much room for competition... but we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple TV+ and Apple Music soon offer something similar.