• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, April 1, 2020

Last fall, Spotify launched a standalone Kids app in Ireland, which has since rolled out to Sweden, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil.

Now, with children home from school in countries around the world, and in need of entertainment and educational content, Spotify is also launching Spotify Kids in the U.S., Canada and France.

The app’s content has been expanded since its launch. It now boasts some 8,000 kid-friendly songs, more than 125 playlists offering a wide variety of music (ranging from lullabies to Motown hits), and more than 60 hours of audiobooks and stories.

Playlists are developed by editors with backgrounds at major kids’ entertainment brands, including Disney, Nickelodeon, Discovery Kids and Universal Pictures.

In a sign of the times, one playlist, dubbed “Wash Your Hands,“ offers hygiene tips to help kids stay safe from COVID-19 and other communicable illnesses.

Half of the catalog’s content is localized by market, and the app can also be customized by age. It has parental controls, and is designed to adhere to children’s data collection regulations, according to the company.

The app, available on iOS and Android, is positioned to help boost subscriptions to Spotify’s $14.99-per-month Premium Family plan: It’s included free as part of that package.