Spotify has plenty of data to help drill into what works and doesn't work—we know how to drive results. To help save you time and get you up and running, follow these creative best practices for writing and producing audio ads on Spotify.

1. Stay on message

The more focused an ad is, the more engaging and memorable it is to listeners. Avoid overwhelming your audience by keeping your message succinct and focused on one or two key takeaways. In fact, ads with a lower word count drive stronger Recall.¹ For a 30-second ad, we recommend no more than 60-80 words.

2. Introduce the brand the right away

Ads with brand mentions in the first five seconds drive stronger Favorability, Message Association, and Intent. Our creative recommendation? Make the brand name the last word of the opening sentence.

Ads with brand mentions in the first five seconds drive 24% higher Favorability than those without a mention in the first five seconds.²

3. Say it, then say it again

Don’t stop there—repeated brand mentions tend to boost Favorability and Intent even further.³ We recommend mentioning the brand name at least twice more after an initial mention in the first five seconds.

4. Hit the right tone

Use shorter phrases and sentences that reflect how people talk in real life—and match that with a voice that will make the ad’s personality really come to life. When defining that personality, consider what feeling your listener should be left with after hearing your ad.

5. Follow a three-part format

Ads following a three-part format score higher in key performance attributes. The key three parts are:

1. Introduce the brand
2. Define the brand and outline its benefits
3. Close with a clear call-to-action

6. Clearly convey your CTA

Choose a short URL that's easy to read out loud. If the URL or offer code is difficult to understand by ear—or if the spelling might catch listeners by surprise—repeat it, and spell it out.

7. Hit the 15-30 second sweet spot

Simply put, audio ads that last longer than 15 seconds perform better. For best results, don’t rush your message—instead, build in enough time to ensure it's clearly heard and absorbed.

Ads that run longer than 15 seconds score (on average) 36% higher on Message Association compared to ads that run under 15 seconds.⁵

8. Keep it real

When recording or choosing a voiceover, create an experience of being talked to, not talked at. Remember, energy and authenticity are key—vocal quirks and natural intonation will give more life to voiceover reads, and help listeners relate to your message in the way you intend.

9. Go easy on the ear

Purposeful sound design can create an immersive experience for the listener—but beware of excessive sound effects (SFX). Put yourself in the listener’s headphones, and avoid SFX that could be distracting or disruptive to their experience. Instead, consider how SFX and music can combine effectively to activate the listener’s imagination.

10. Let the music play

Ads with background music drive stronger Intent and Message Association. To avoid competing with the voiceover, choose background music that contains no vocals, with ambient or rhythmic melodies to minimize distraction.

Hear Grammarly's top-notch ad in action

To raise awareness of their new advanced tone suggestion service, Grammarly tapped Spotify to run a music streaming ad campaign. As an early adopter of the new Spotify Ad Analytics solution, Grammarly was able to use data to help ensure the campaign struck all the right notes.