Spotify Denies Ads Featured In Premium Subscription Tier

Spotify Advance described a number of major adjustments to the way the music platform will display advertisements. Among them is a brand-new programmatic marketplace that allows Spotify’s logged-in users to bid in real-time on audio, video, and display advertisements. Additionally, Spotify revealed new Gen AI advertisements that make use of AI to produce advertisements that capitalize on listener preferences.

A number of tweets that surfaced in the days after the event implied that Spotify will introduce advertisements on its paying subscriptions, just like Netflix. According to the theory, Spotify will launch a higher-paid tier for continuous ad-free listening, while the existing $11.99 monthly Premium plan would see restricted commercials.

There are no commercials on Spotify Premium, and the firm has no plans to add any for paying users. The proof was provided by the music streaming service itself, weeks after it resolved a glitch that was causing some Spotify Premium users to see advertisements. Spotify is anticipated to introduce a ‘Music Pro’ Hi-Fi membership tier later this year, which will provide access to higher quality audio streaming along with other features. Both a paid Spotify Premium subscription tier and an ad-supported free plan are now available on the site.

Following the propagation of rumours on X (previously Twitter) that Spotify Premium will include ads, the service replied to one of these posts (since removed), claiming that “Spotify Premium music streaming is ad-free” and that the rumour was untrue. It also addressed similar issues raised by other users on the microblogging site.

There are rumours that Spotify is inserting advertisements into its premium music service. This is not a true rumour. In a separate article, the site declared that listening to premium music is and will continue to be ad-free.

Regretfully, Spotify has not yet released any information on the Hi-Fi feature’s deployment. Even if the corporation made the announcement in 2021, high-quality music listening is still unavailable. In the meantime, other services like Tidal and Apple Music have long provided Hi-Fi quality without charging more or running advertisements.

In response to the report, Spotify only tweeted, “There is a rumour circulating that Spotify is putting ads into premium music listening.” The rumour is untrue. Listening to premium music is and will continue to be ad-free.

Even with a paid Premium subscription, some users have reported seeing advertisements in spite of the refusal. Spotify has attributed such problems to a technical malfunction. However, the response on social media against an ad-supported Premium tier demonstrates how much people are willing to pay to escape advertisements rather than to help artists.

Although the source of the rumour about Spotify Premium advertisements is unknown, the music streaming service fixed a glitch that affected certain Spotify Premium users in February. Customers with Spotify Premium plans at the time complained that advertisements were playing as they were listening to music on the site.

These rumours gained traction among Spotify’s rumoured upcoming ‘Music Pro’ tier, which is anticipated to provide higher-fidelity audio and additional features for a higher price—with speculation that ad-free listening would be bumped to this tier. One angry tweet on X platform about the potential change reads, “I hope Spotify knows that the only reason I use them is for Spotify Wrapped and I don’t need it. So the minute I hear a whisper, a hint, a concept of an ad, BYE!”

Ads within podcasts (as part of the show’s normal programming) are not eliminated, even if a subscriber has paid for a Premium membership. However, Spotify Premium customers are not subject to advertisements while listening to music on the site.

The ‘Music Pro’ or Hi-Fi tier of the service, which is anticipated to debut later this year, is anticipated to include support for streaming high-quality music. This tier, which is reportedly an add-on to the basic membership plan, may cost an extra $6 a month on top of the $11.99 monthly charge.

The cost of a Spotify Premium subscription that automatically renews each month in India is Rs. 119, its equivalent in dollars is 1.38 USD. Additionally available to users are duo (two accounts) and family (six accounts) plans, which have monthly prices of Rs. 149 and Rs. 179 (1.73 USD and 2.08 USD) equivalents, respectively. The alleged “Music Pro” membership tier’s price in India is unknown, but additional information should be released in the upcoming months.