I'm a premium user. But I still get ads?

[#1]

I am a confirmed premium user but I'm still getting ads.

[UnhappyPayingSub]

I have been paying for premium for years.

This year I have started getting ads, sponsored and non sponsored.

I continuously write in the play store & email for help but no response.

I have read all complaints & feedback here & have used all the methods described in feedback for others to troubleshoot my problem with no avail.

I pay for no ads but get them blasting (ten times louder than what I'm listening to), and podcasts sneaking in ridiculous amounts of sponsored ads is just ridiculous.

The original agreement for paying premium each month was so that I don't have to listen to ads, this entirely defeats the purpose & is a waste of money if it is not ad free as it used to be years ago.

I'm not sure what perks I am paying for if I am listening to ads, the only reason I paid is to not be bombarded with ads.

I'm more than happy to cancel & listen to the free version if Spotify is going to have premium users pay, still have ads & also never reply to almost a year of reaching out about this.

[cindystjean]

I am also getting ads while streaming radio  (not the the ones from the radio station itself which is fine)  but other ads that stop the streaming completely for the ad then start it again...   Super annoying in middle of a song, and seriously.   why am I paying for this **bleep**?

[Vasil]

Hey folks!

You may see ads when viewing podcasts but you should not encounter them while streaming music if you have Premium.
Would you mind sending us a screenshot or, in case this happens on a regular basis - a link to a video recording of this occurring so that we can alert the right folks?
Much appreciated!

[mzabelin87]

The same issue is happening here. I have the Premium Duo paid subscription that is active and paid up until the EOM. Today, while commuting, I listened to the Case 63 podcast, and in between the 1st and 2nd episodes ads kicked in for ~2 minutes (as if it was a separate episode). That was surprising, to say the least.

I'm not sure if this is helpful information or not, but I listened to the aforementioned podcast from my iPhone (iOS 16.0.3 (20A392)) using the Spotify App (Version 8.7.78.426) over a BT connection with my car (that seems to be the least probable cause of the issue in question).

[UPD] There is one thing that I forgot to mention while writing the original comment: all the available episodes were downloaded to my phone in advance for an off-line listening.

[mzabelin87]

Please find a video attached. FYI, it happens every time an episode switches to the next one.

Aside from that, please clarify what is so special about podcasts that Spotify treats them differently in comparison with music streams? Do the EULA / subscription terms / any other user agreements make any difference between music streams and podcasts by any means? If yes, please point me to the proper stanza.

Additionally, could you please point me to the particular stanza in the subscription terms that clarifies which exact benefits I get as a premium user (i.e., what exactly I'm paying for)?

[hannaholzz]

I’m having the same issue with podcasts. They are not host-read ads and break from my podcast to play. The ads are often back-to-back-to-back multiple times an episode. This is a newer occurrence for me. I haven’t always had this problem which makes it way more frustrating. 

[chrisw84]

Same here - add this morning when listening to podcasts right in the middle! Not impressed at all!! Definitely logged in with an active premium family subscription. 

[mvelasc8]

Hello! 

Premium user here. I was playing a playlist of music and I just heard an ad for a podcast. I really didn't like that - @spotify Please don't push your podcasts/content into people's playlists if they are spending XXX amount of dollars each month for free advertisement. The fact that is your content it really doesn't matter, what I care if that this should be ad free. I already have to listen to all the marketing that is included in the podcasts, so please STOP. 

[Celician83]

Also a Spotify Premium user paying for a Duo's account, and My wife listens to Relaxing music on spotify while she sleeps on our Google Home Mini, and about every 30 minutes or so it is interupted by extremely loud ads that are unskippable! Not the best way to get a good nights sleep.

[ashhi]

I am having the same issue. I have family premium and am listening to music, and not podcasts. I have logged out and back in and re-installed the app on my iPhone with no luck. I do not have this issue on the iPhone that I opened the account which is my home phone. I do have the issue with the iPhone I keep at work. 

[plops420]

Edit:

Please tell me I misread. Podcasts can play advertisements like this for premium users? Why would Spotify allow that, it’s a shitty user experience and feels like a rip-off since I’m paying already (and don’t you come with “read the terms” - it’s reasonable to assume that premium just broadly means no ads at all). Whichever product owner is behind this, here’s some feedback for you: That was a **bleep** idea! If podcasts can’t be offered as a premium experience, don’t offer them. 

I‘ll evaluate alternatives to Spotify ASAP.

Original message:

I randomly got ads twice a few weeks ago while listening to music (either an album or autoplay after the album runs out of tracks), now I’m getting them once every night during a podcast (the ads are not embedded in the podcast, the ad plays as different track, it says advertisement at the top of the track). Listening to music during all day works fine. I’ve attached a screenshot of the ad.

On my account Page it says „premium family“, and I am the one paying for the subscription. I got an IPhone 11 and am on iOS 16.1.

I have close to zero tolerance for ads. That’s precisely the reason why I’m paying - I don’t want to hear about **bleep**ing Coca Cola while chilling. If this happens another 2-3 times I’ll stop using Spotify. Spotify should prioritize fixing this!

[Deirdanna]

Hi, 

Same problem here, I get random ads at the beginning or end of podcast episodes. I know it's not the podcast because though the podcast is in English, the ad is in Swiss German which is where the server my vpn uses is. It shows as part of the episode. I'm pretty sure it has also happened with episodes I was listening to offline. It tends to happen on and off.

I understand that ads within podcasts generate revenue for content makers and that is annoying but fine and not your responsibility. Extra ads shouldn't be there though, especially considering the amount you charge for premium. 

[Alanapone]

Why!?

As many have said already... BAD Business choice!!

We pay for premium so we do not have to listen for adverts. You are now charging us, plus getting ad revenue from advertiser's!

I now have to listen to an advert for something I do not want (and actually start to resent and actively seek alternatives to anything I hear advertised) right at the key moments during a podcast, ruining the experience and in some instances, listening to adverts that go against the subject matter of the conversation I'm listening to!

Poor choice Spotify!

We'll be moving away from you and I'll just download the podcasts from another source that you can't control or place adverts on.

We spent a lot of money on your product over the last few years... It seems you don't care about that and have just turned into a greedy, corporate machine just like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

[Nickrrrad]

Paying customer here! Also getting f in the a by these aholes, even though we are paying customers. Shame Spotify, that’s corporate greed right there. The below ads should not be appearing. 
 

[Moosic415]

Same, I listen to horror stories to sleep and the commercials always wake me up. It’s the worst, there is no point in playing the podcasts anymore because it defeats the purpose. If I had wanted commercials I would have kept to YouTube and not paid for Spotify. Terrible.

[Benzo666]

I purchased "Premium" to cut down &/or eliminate ads(other than those by the podcast's creators)not so that I could still get "SAI" ads. It is absolutely RIDICULOUS that on a pay tier one still has to listen to random ads. So I'm going back to Stitcher(where I've listened to podcasts as a member for over 10yrs. Unfortunately Spotify has JRE. However for me, no podcast is worth sitting through mind-numbing ads). At Stitcher, if you pay to "remove ads"...it actually removes ads

[Benzo666]

Apparently Spotify "Premium"plays what are called "SAI" ads during podcasts.  These are extra ads, NOT the ads that podcast creator's may read during a podcast.  

This fact is obviously NOT very clear at sign up because if it were, I'm sure, like me it would be a HARD PASS for most.

So it looks like my time trying to figure out why I was getting what seemed like MORE ads after I PAID for the "Premium" tier was all in VAIN

Who would ever think that in the year 2023 arguably the most popular PODCAST platform would have a "Premium" pay tier that only removed ads from the MUSIC & not the Podcasts🤔?

[Benzo666]

The person from Spotify in this thread could answer & solve everyone's dilemma by simply being honest an d letting everyone know that a Spotify "Premium" tier account removes ads from the MUSIC side ONLY.  And in fact...one may actually hear MORE of the randomly generated as a "PREMIUM" member then they would as a non paying listener

Spotify is trying to have its cake and eat it too

[Ukjim]

This happened to me today a podcast actively triggered something that played an ad by Disney. It was not a in play ad but a separate file that played. I understand in play ads into the file they upload but I don't pay for premium for this to happen. May as well just stop paying  

[nootlethedoor]

I've just started getting ads between podcast episodes (not that are showing up as part of the podcast or are read by the host or even as playing), can you explain this? It's on android mobile. I've been a subscriber for nearly a year and I've never had this issue?