Netflix is testing the waters with an exclusive insider service dubbed 'N-Plus' that features behind-the-scenes content, podcasts, TV show playlists and more, according to reports from Protocol.
The streaming giant sent out a survey to select users asking if they'd like to see the aforementioned features, referring to N-Plus as "a future online space where you can learn more about the Netflix shows you love and anything related to them".
Speaking with Protocol, a Netflix representative stated that the survey was one of its many efforts to gauge the audience's response to features and changes it's considering introducing, so we don't have any concrete details on when this service may launch, or indeed if it ever will.
- The best TV shows on Netflix right now
- Netflix's best movies on offer
- The best VPN for watching Netflix
Among the proposed features is the ability for users to create custom playlists containing TV shows they curate, with the ability to share these playlists with other Netflix subscribers. This idea could even extend to showcasing the music featured in said shows, allowing for custom soundtrack-esque playlists to be made.
This could appear as an N-Plus feature alongside Netflix-curated behind-the-scenes content, user reviews, podcasts diving deeper into a show's production, in-memoriam pages, and even the option for users to weigh in on planned and pre-production shows ahead of their creation to see if they're worthwhile enough to launch on the platform.
This last feature could create a system where the streaming giant gets a chance to gauge interest in its upcoming ideas without having to commit to the entire development process, and the cost and time involved in it.
For showmakers, this trial by fire could just as easily be a boon as a curse – plenty of successful series may not have looked so great on paper ahead of their development, but wound up becoming cult classics regardless. It'll come down to just how much weight Netflix would place in the user feedback they gather.
All of these proposed ideas are evidently part of Netflix's desire to expand its platform beyond a TV and movie streaming service, much like Spotify has done in the past with its 'behind the lyrics' sections, artist curations, podcast and audiobook integration, and other multimedia exercises. However, there's no indication on whether this proposed new service would cost Netflix users more to access.
