Why is Spotify showing ads to Premium subscribers?

Spotify users with Premium subscriptions are experiencing an unusually frustrating issue, encountering ads that cannot be skipped despite paying for ad-free service. A significant number of subscribers have reported this problem on platforms such as the Spotify community forum, Reddit, and X.

Spotify’s support team has acknowledged the situation and confirmed that their engineering team is investigating the issue. In a forum post, they suggested that if users encounter this problem, they should log in and out of their accounts 2-3 times to facilitate the sync process. Additionally, they advised users to clear the app’s cache on their devices and relaunch the application. On X, the support channel also suggested deleting and reinstalling the app, though the effectiveness of this solution remains uncertain.

However, many users have found that these workarounds have not resolved the issue. Reports indicate that the ad problem affects a range of Premium subscription types, including standalone, Duo, and Family plans. One user expressed frustration on Reddit, stating, “Also having the same issue today, have combed through all settings and logged in/out multiple times. Driving me absolutely mad. They better fix this soon.” Others noted attempts to resolve the issue by confirming payments and logging in on multiple devices, without success.

Some subscribers have reported being inundated with consecutive ads. Another user lamented, “There were 3 ads in a row right now. I’ll switch to Apple Music if ads are going to be on Spotify when you have a subscription.” This advertisement issue has been documented not just in the mobile app, but also in the web player and while streaming from smart home devices. Users have also reported malfunctions related to song skipping and shuffle features.

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Spotify has yet to clarify the specifics of what caused the internal systems glitch, and it appears that previous workarounds have not universally resolved the problems. The company is preparing to launch a hi-fi streaming tier later this year and has also expanded its platform to include AI-generated audiobooks. Meanwhile, YouTube recently introduced a Premium Lite subscription in the U.S., which does not include access to YouTube Music Premium or features like background play.

A previous incident starting on February 5 provided a similar experience, as many Premium subscribers found themselves facing unskippable ads. After initially reporting the issue to be resolved, users continued to encounter ads, leading to a growing thread of complaints that now spans 92 pages. Users were advised to log in and out multiple times to attempt a “force resync,” though this worked inconsistently.

As per Spotify’s statement to TechCrunch, the current incident is attributed to a cause distinct from the February bug. The company indicated that a small number of users were impacted and that a fix had been deployed. Nevertheless, as of the current reporting, their X account has yet to confirm the resolution and is still suggesting workarounds.

Premium subscribers have raised concerns about not receiving the ad-free experience they are paying for. Many have confirmed their payment information is up-to-date, and some have even sought refunds due to the service not meeting their expectations. Spotify’s fluctuating reliability follows recent price increases for the Premium plan, which rose from $9.99 to $10.99 in July 2023, and is set for another increase in July 2024 to $11.99—averaging an annual subscription cost of $143.88.

The ongoing bug additionally impacts all user types, including those using mobile, desktop, and smart devices. Many reports indicate a higher incidence of issues on smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo, Google Nest, and Sonos. It has been suggested that removing the Spotify account from smart devices might aid in enforcing a resync, though specifics of what a resync entails remain unclear.

Despite acknowledging the ongoing issues, Spotify has not provided detailed insight into the internal systems that failed, nor have they indicated how many customers are affected by this current wave of ad interruptions.

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