Spotify to add 8 minute 46 seconds track of silence to playlists, podcasts to pay tribute to George Floyd

The music-streaming platform Spotify has announced that it will add an 8 minute and 46-second track of silence to select playlists and podcasts to pay tribute to George Floyd.

"June 2 is Black Out Tuesday, a day of collective disconnect from work meant to help people reflect and come together in support of the Black community... Listeners will see a black logo and headline image on more than a dozen of our flagship playlists and podcasts, including Today's Top Hits and RapCaviar, as well as all of our urban and R&B playlists and many podcast covers," the company said in a statement.

"Spotify will also pause social media publication as a symbol of solidarity that reminds us that things cannot remain status quo. Finally, select participating playlists and podcasts will include an 8-minute, 46-second track of silence as a solemn acknowledgment for the length of time that George Floyd was suffocated," the statement added.

Protests erupted in Minneapolis and other US cities on Tuesday after Floyd, an African-American man, died following his arrest by four officers.

A viral video showed a police officer, Derek Chauvin, pinning the 46-year-old Floyd to the ground with his knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes. Floyd died at a local hospital shortly thereafter.

The four police officers were fired. Chauvin was also charged with murder and manslaughter, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.

( With inputs from ANI )