Spotify Is Testing A Free Version Of Its Service Where Users Can Skip Ads

One of the signature features of music streaming service Spotify’s paid premium membership tier is zero ads, but soon, users may not have to pay to get their ads to go away. A Spotify spokesperson tells Tubefilter that Spotify has rolled out a test version of its service that will allow 100% of Australian users with free, ad-supported accounts to skip any ad they want, as often as they want.

If implemented, the ability to skip ads would benefit to Spotify, global head of partner solutions Danielle Lee tells Ad Age, because it would help Spotify ascertain the kinds of ads that people prefer.

“Our hypothesis is if we can use this to fuel our streaming intelligence, and deliver a more personalized experience and a more engaging audience to our advertisers, it will improve the outcomes that we can deliver for brands,” Lee said. Using skip/no skip data would allow Spotify to better curate ads and apply that curation to ads the same way Spotify currently curates its ‘Discover Weekly’ playlists, she added. Discover Weekly rolls out each week and exposes users to new tunes based on what Spotify has learned about their musical preferences.

No details are available about how long the Australian test will run or when free, ad skipping-enabled accounts might be available in other territories. A Spotify spokesperson tells Tubefilter that the company “will consider expanding to additional markets in the future,” and that it is “committed to our freemium model, and will continue innovating our products to ensure the best experience on both our free and premium tiers.”