Entertainment apps are adding more formats as AI blurs the lines

In short: Big entertainment apps are starting to offer the same mix of videos, audio, games, and shopping, and AI is helping them keep people in one place.

What's going on

For years, entertainment apps tried to “own” one type of content. Spotify was mainly for music, Netflix for TV and movies, YouTube for creator videos, and TikTok for short clips.

That separation is fading. Netflix has added games, live sports and events, and more recently short video clips and podcasts. Spotify moved beyond music into podcasts, video podcasts, audiobooks, narrated magazine articles, fitness content, and even physical book sales.

YouTube now mixes long videos with Shorts, podcasts, music, movies, live streams, sports, news, and shopping. TikTok has been pushing into longer videos and extra features like travel planning, ticket sales, and shopping, plus separate apps for microdramas and big events.

A key reason is that growth from new sign-ups is slowing for many platforms. So companies are competing more on time spent and how much money they earn per user.

AI also makes it easier to run many content types in one app. AI, which is software that finds patterns in data (like a very fast librarian), helps recommend what you might want next across different formats. Examples include Spotify testing ways to let users edit their “Taste Profile” and adding chat-like tools for choosing content, and Netflix telling investors it is using newer AI methods to improve personalization.

What to watch

As these apps become more similar, the biggest fight may be over which one becomes your default entertainment hub. That can make switching harder, since the app that learns your habits best can keep you watching, listening, or scrolling even if prices rise or quality drops.

Source: TechCrunch AI