In short: Spotify ads are annoying because they are loud, long, and repetitive. They try to make their ads as annoying as possible so free users would want to get Premium.
Are you a Spotify free user? If so, you may have been served annoying ads in the music streaming industry. Let’s talk about Spotify ads and why they are so annoying.
7 reasons why free users consider Spotify ads annoying
No one likes advertisements. However, in the music streaming industry, Spotify has gotten the reputation of having the most annoying ads. Here are 7 reasons why.
1. Louder than the music
The biggest reason why people find Spotify ads annoying is the volume. Ads are louder than the music to the point where people jump out of their seats when listening with headphones.
There are countless complaints. Here’s one of them:
“I would be listening to music at night when people are sleeping then suddenly, some loud video ad or music ad pops up so loud it could probably be heard from outside my house and most likely anyone else in my house.”
– gamemaster117
The volume level is easily one of the most annoying parts of Spotify ads. It is a problem that must be corrected to protect the sanity of Spotify users everywhere.
If you are experiencing the same issue, you can learn how to turn down the volume without using any third-party software right here. It will take less than one minute of your time.
2. Some ads are cringe-worthy
Most Spotify ads are targeted toward teenagers and young adults. However, most of the ads are considered cringe-worthy because they are trying too hard by using “teen lingo.”
Teenagers and young adults mostly feel uncomfortable when they hear adults trying to speak in “young people’s language” because it seems out of place and unfitting.
3. Some ads have mostly no words
Plenty of Spotify ads have no words. They are made up of annoying music. Some ads play for 10 to 15 seconds and then tell the users to just “click on the banner”.
Even after all this time, most people don’t know what banner to click on.
There is one ad that is simply the sounds of people at a party and then halfway through the beat drops and everyone at the party screams. It’s random and quite irritating.
5. Inaccurate recommendations
Many Spotify free users keep getting music recommendations that they do not like. For example, a user who loves EDM would get recommendations for country music.
6. Too repetitive
It’s almost impossible to listen to more than 4 songs before being hit with a Spotify ad. Some ads have been played so frequently that most users can recite them word for word.
7. Different language
Many Spotify ads are served in a different language. For example, someone living in the United States would get Spanish ads, or someone living in Canada might get French ads.
Why are Spotify ads so annoying?
You’re not alone. There are countless Spotify free users who have complained about annoying ads. Take a look at some of the user comments regarding Spotify advertisements:
“Yes, I believe the CONTENT of their OWN ads is TERRIBLE, and they create them with exactly that in mind; to irritate the user so they subscribe to premium as long as they do not have to listen to those absurd ads.”
– J. Francisco Arroba
“Oh my god! Don’t even get me started on how annoying those ads are. My mind gets a whole mental breakdown. They know what they are doing. They know this is going to be damn annoying for non-premium users.”
– Cyan
“I don’t have a problem with commercial ads to enjoy free content, as on YouTube and other platforms. However, Those on Spotify aren’t actually ads, but annoying and disruptive messages to make you hate them!”
– Spotify free user
While I do think that “annoying” is a subjective opinion, I do believe that ads in general are not enjoyable. They take away from the overall music-listening experience.
Many people believe that Spotify ads are designed to be annoying. The more annoying the ads are, the more free users are motivated to switch to Spotify Premium.
One Spotify ad actually asked the question, “Want to get rid of all those annoying ads? Try Spotify Premium.” Even Spotify knows their ads are horrible.
As of 2022, Spotify reportedly had 456 million monthly active users worldwide. About 195 million of those users are Premium subscribers, which means about 261 million are free users.
However, Premium memberships account for 88% of Spotify’s sales.
This means that selling Premium memberships is far more profitable than showing ads. The more annoying the ads are, the more likely free users will convert into Premium users.
Why are Spotify ads so long?
Free listeners won’t get the message if Spotify ads are too short. Advertisers need at least 15 seconds to deliver the message of their products and/or services via Spotify ads.
Spotify audio ads are 15- or 30-second audio spots combined with a companion display ad. The maximum length for standard audio ads is 30 seconds, with no more than 70 words.
Spotify also shows video advertisements called “Sponsored Sessions” and “Video Takeovers”.
Sponsored sessions allow the user to choose to watch a 30-second-long video advertisement in exchange for 30 minutes of ad-free listening. (Source)
The video takeover style runs similarly to the usual audio ads, in between songs for 30 seconds when the user has the app open and is engaged with it.
At the end of the day, the length of each Spotify ad is optimized to capture the attention of free listeners. Too short, and people won’t get the message of the advertisement.
Why are Spotify ads so cringe?
A lot of people think Spotify ads are so cringe-worthy because they attempt to appeal to teenagers. Younger audiences agree that adults trying to use teen slang is always uncomfortable.
For example, there was this ad on Spotify:
“Boy, your kicks are on fleek! Girl, your nails are on fleek! Our whole squad is on fleek! Our whole squad gets turnt to this playlist On Fleek!”
The advertisement was also paired with the song “Bow Down” by Beyoncé and a pop-up banner with a picture of Beyoncé, reading “Click to Listen to On Fleek.”
This ad is one of the most cringe-worthy ads in the history of Spotify, according to a lot of younger audiences. They hate it when adults slander teen slang.
Not only does it manage to completely make a mess out of teen slang, but it also makes young audiences actually want to throw their phones against a wall when they hear it.
Why are Spotify ads so repetitive?
Spotify ads are often repetitive because they have not filled a lot of their ad inventory. Many of the ads repeat over and over again during songs and smaller podcast shows.
You could also keep getting ads that encourage you to upgrade to Premium because it is simply profitable. Spotify wants to convert free users into Premium subscribers after all.