The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced a rapid switch from in-person to virtually hosted events overnight. While platforms such as YouTube and Twitch have had the infrastructure to host such events for a number of years, it seems the surge in demand for remote events has grabbed Spotify‘s attention.
Screenshots from Jane Manchun Wong, an engineer with a history of uncovering features from major tech companies before they are rolled out, suggest Spotify is beginning to build out its infrastructure for the livestream event era.
Wong’s photos show fans may soon have the opportunity to search for virtual events an artist is playing, just as they would today for in-person concerts and music festivals. A move to expand its footprint in the virtual events arena makes sense for Spotify as many of the ticketing partners they currently work with have wholly embraced the concept in order to keep business afloat during the pandemic.
In the leaked images, the virtual events search feature shows a September 19th virtual concert for BTS, Coldplay, and Kane Brown, which aligns with the lineup and date for the forthcoming iHeartRadio Festival, lending further credibility to the photos.
At the time of writing, Spotify has neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of Wong’s findings.
