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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
steenify

I also cancelled my subscription as soon as I started hearing ads in my own language during podcasts.

 

There is no other explanation than greed for this behaviour. I won't support that.

 

P.s. on the recommendation of some folks here. I'm on Tidal now - seems just as good. Spotify is not a hard app to develop, there are plenty of competitors.

 

Vote with your money.

newchick23

Why are you blaming the customer? if you sign a contract that states that in exchange for paying $9.99 a month, you will receive ad-free content, you shouldn't have to be subjected to ads Or skip through them. Spotify should be paying the podcasters so they don't have rely on ads for revenue for these customers. in essence Spotify is "double dipping"

 

Change the contract or stop lying to customers, Spotify. Either way, we want our money back!

 

Spotify = unethical business practices and fraud. 

newchick23

Who is taking the lead? I'm in

Canadianmilk

I have been having ads that ARE seperate from the podcast. They have their own clips, and it even says "advertisement from ---". These are not embedded into the show, they are seperate. I had three seperate advertisements that played before my show started. I pay for premium, and I have for years.

What gives?

Canadianmilk

I have been having ads that ARE seperate from the podcast. They have their own clips, and it even says "advertisement from ---". These are not embedded into the show, they are seperate. I had three seperate advertisements that played before my show started. I pay for premium, and I have for years.

What gives?

Canadianmilk

I have been having ads that ARE seperate from the podcast. They have their own clips, and it even says "advertisement from ---". These are not embedded into the show, they are seperate. I had three seperate advertisements that played before my show started. I pay for premium, and I have for years.

What gives?

Vonplaf

SPOTIFY!!!
So as you can see there are still more and more people having this problem, a problem that Spotify needs to FIX NOW!!

Climbdamount

This is blatently incorrect. Spotify is adding ads (injected ads not ads the podcaster records themself) in premium user podcast playthroughs. Please either correct this or stop falsly advertizing that premium removes ads.

Soonerprid3

We are all talking about the ones that a) are on spotify original content aka who is already getting paid by our subscription b) ads that can't be skipped. Just because you don't agree or whatever doesn't make us wrong or that we are whining. 

celextial

Honestly, this is just completely unacceptable. If you can't pay your content creators because you priced your product wrong (or don't provide enough value for a higher price) and therefore have to pass the problem down to the consumer to deal with, then your business model sucks and you deserve to fail. Anyway, I've switched to Apple Music in light of discovering this myself.