Spotify users who have paid for the ad-free Premium subscription will still have to listen to adverts if they use the platform for podcasts.
Users of the music streaming service are split into two tiers: Free and Premium.
Free users can listen to music, interrupted with adverts, and have limits placed on playing and choosing music. Premium subscribers, by contrast, get “no ad interruptions”, according to the company’s website.
However, the music streaming service announced on 21 January that it would be bringing Spotify Podcast Ads to the UK for all users – meaning Premium subscribers who paid to avoid adverts will still have to listen to promotional content.
When asked why paying users would experience the same service as free users, Spotify said that advertising is “an integral part of the podcast industry.”
“All Spotify users receive an on-demand podcast listening experience that may include ads or sponsorships. Spotify Premium offers users an ad-free music listening experience. However, Spotify offers all listeners the ability to pause, rewind and fast forward through any part of a podcast episode, including advertisements,”
The ads are only available on podcasts that Spotify produces itself, so it will receive money both from subscription fees and company ads. Like the Joe Rogan Podcast that you can check out here: