Spotify teams up with Opera for browser music integration

The arrangement made public on 19 November, makes Spotify the default streaming service within the upgraded Music Player in Opera’s flagship browser, Opera One. Opera users can also enjoy a free trial of Spotify Premium, with features like ad-free music, offline listening, and higher-quality audio.

“People love listening to music and podcasts while at their computers,” Opera product director Joanna Czajka said. “Now, with Spotify in the sidebar of Opera One, everything’s right there at your fingertips – you can shop, write, plan a trip, all while never having to stop listening to your favourite music and audio via the browser’s floating multimedia player,”

According to a recent survey by Opera, 66% of participants admitted to streaming music on their phones while working on their desktops, with 89% saying it’s more convenient than constantly switching tabs or apps. 66% of users also said that integrating a music player directly into their browser would eliminate distractions and make it easier to control music while multitasking.

“The new music player with Spotify as the default streaming service is located in the sidebar of the Opera One browser,” a statement explains. “When activated, it can be detached and moved around the screen without interrupting a user’s browsing flow. The feature also caters to users who often join meetings or calls: the audio playing inside the browser automatically fades out, pauses for the duration of the call, and resumes thereafter.

Last month, Spotify, launched in 2008 and currently boasting over 100 million tracks and users in more than 180 markets, launched a new integration with Instagram, allowing users to easily save songs they discover on the social media platform directly to their Spotify accounts. 

Meanwhile, per its third-quarter financial results, Spotify is on track to achieve its first-ever profitable year, with a projected operating profit of $1.5bn in 2024. The company’s Premium subscriber base grew to 252 million in Q3, while its global monthly active users (MAUs) reached 640 million, driven by strong performance in regions like Europe and Latin America.