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[All Platforms] No Ads in Podcasts for Spotify Premium users

I pay for my subscription. Every month for years now. The main reason I am a paid-for subscriber with Spotify is so I don't have to hear ads. As I have shifted my podcast listening from other providers to Spotify to bypass ads, both from the platform as well as integrated into the content.

 

I expect not to hear ads on Spotify. I understand there are ads woven into the actual content of the podcast itself, but for as big of a company and the amount of leverage Spotify has, I expect to not hear ads so long as I am paying for the service.

 

I reached out to Spotify and got this lazy, generic answer from Joy in Spotify Customer Support: “if you're hearing ads on podcasts using this Premium account. It's possible that the podcaster integrated that ads to their podcast content”. Thanks for breaking your back on that response.

 

I KNOW what the ads I’m hearing are. And I understand they can’t ask podcasters to export two versions, one with integrated ads and one without. What I expect from Spotify is to either implement metadata that tags the beginning and ending of ad segments and bypass them for us, Premium subscribers, or require podcasters to give metadata timecodes that Spotify can identify to bypass them AUTOMATICALLY.

 

Just to be clear, even if these identifiers are put into the content, I don’t want to have to pull my phone out to hit any sort of “skip ads” button. This is literally the ONLY reason users have Premium. So get rid of the ads. It’s actually very simple. And let’s not get started on how archaic it is to continually hit the “15sec forward” button to bypass the ads, first over shooting, then undershooting the duration of the integrated ad, only to have to make peace with hearing the last ten seconds of the ad. At that point it’s not servicing either party in the transaction.

 

It’s 2020. You are a huge company with a lot of leverage and a huge developer budget. I honestly can’t believe I’m even having to write this suggestion.

 

tl:dr - Spotify, I am a Premium member. You made a promise to me that if I became a Premium member, I wouldn’t hear ads. I’m hearing ads on podcasts. Integrated or not, I don’t care. You have the technology and power to fix it. So fix it. And make it automatic. It’s 2020.

Updated on 2023-04-15

Hey folks,

The Ideas section provides users with the opportunity to share their opinion on what features and app improvements can be developed, to make Spotify better. This idea however, in it's core fundamentals, requires to change how the Premium subscription works and what opportunities Spotify offers to Podcast creators.

 

As part of the Premium subscription, all music can be enjoyed ad-free. And while Spotify doesn’t play ads that interrupt the music listening experience of Premium subscribers, some podcasts may include advertising, host-read endorsements, or sponsorship independently of the streaming platforms featuring such podcasts.

 

Providing a way to circumvent those is not something that our Idea submission process can accomplish.


This doesn't mean that your feedback isn't heard and that this request couldn't be fulfilled by some other means in the future. On the contrary, this is being monitored and we invite everyone to share their opinion in a constructive manner. We will then ensure to pass it on to the relevant teams.

 

Please do note, that we do understand the overall sentiment and if the thread stops being useful as a source to track constructive feedback, we will need to close it for further replies.

 

All the best!

Comments
vaajy

"Over 1300 user votes. Twenty pages of **bleep** off users and this is still "cAsE cLoSeD". The arrogance is astonishing."

If YouTube manages not to broadcas ads when you pay for Premium Lite (YT AdFree), why Spotify can't make it?

Donnajs
I totally agree , surely no ads is what we are paying for ??
sz2020

I've found two ways to avoid ads injected into podcasts with Spotify premium.

  • Use the web player on my computer at home
  • Download the episode on my phone and listen while my phone is in Airplane-mode

The web player seems to be exempt from these ads, and because they are added dynamically (not part of the original recording), keeping my phone in Airplane mode prevents them from being added.

 

Both are mild inconveniences (it would be better if there were no ads obviously) but they give me a few options. I hope this can help some of you also.

vaajy

Ads I hear on podcasts are not coming from Spotify, they are clearly inside the stream. You can not really remove them.

I just can't understand why same episodes on paid YouTube account are without these podcast included ads.

EnerJay

@vaajy

Spotify allows creators to put markers inside their podcast where ads may be injected. Those ads are then injected by Spotify. The reason I know it's Spotify is because I was listening to an American podcast but got a South African (my country) ad.

The problem is that Spotify injects these ads into the stream and then there's no check whether or not the listener is premium or not to decide whether or not to play the ad. It just plays every ad regardless. This goes against their marketing stating "Ad free listening"

s9g

Can't this be reported to the FCC or a consumer agency??? This is absolutely unacceptable on a premium membership.  Is this disclosed in the fine print of the premium membership?   I have been listening to several podcasts ad free for some years now and this issue started for me when listening to earlier episodes of Criminal in the past week or so.  Would be nice if Criminal confirmed if in fact they inject ads and "ask" Spotify to add these external tracks w ads.  They are definitely not part of the podcast track.  

zuy-_hugn2ny8

Apparently Spotify has changed the definition of what AD free means. Paying to listen to ads? Does it make sense when you can listen for free all day long with ads. I'll be moving back to Pandora. Too bad Spotify, I know good help is hard to find. I hope you can find people who know how to treat their paid customers. Because the people you now have are not up to the task. Let me know if you get a clue and decide to stop the ads. Don't email me unless you are going to stop the ads. 

vaajy

Then it is needed to change Premium model. Ad-free audio.

Or make another app for any content that can be delivered with ads you can not control. Best solution even.

I am getting bombed with ads while listening podcasts and music.
(no not "sponsored sections" made by the podcast creator.
Kiril
Status changed to: Case Closed

Updated on 2023-04-15

Hey folks,

The Ideas section provides users with the opportunity to share their opinion on what features and app improvements can be developed, to make Spotify better. This idea however, in it's core fundamentals, requires to change how the Premium subscription works and what opportunities Spotify offers to Podcast creators.

 

As part of the Premium subscription, all music can be enjoyed ad-free. And while Spotify doesn’t play ads that interrupt the music listening experience of Premium subscribers, some podcasts may include advertising, host-read endorsements, or sponsorship independently of the streaming platforms featuring such podcasts.

 

Providing a way to circumvent those is not something that our Idea submission process can accomplish.


This doesn't mean that your feedback isn't heard and that this request couldn't be fulfilled by some other means in the future. On the contrary, this is being monitored and we invite everyone to share their opinion in a constructive manner. We will then ensure to pass it on to the relevant teams.

 

Please do note, that we do understand the overall sentiment and if the thread stops being useful as a source to track constructive feedback, we will need to close it for further replies.

 

All the best!