Ad Specs

Podcast ad specs and requirements

Podcasts are intimate and personal—and so are podcast ads. It's easy to create compelling podcast ads that authentically tell your brand's story and make your target listeners want to learn more. Check out our specs to get started.

Podcast ad specs

Spotify Ad Studio is able to accept any creative up to 30 seconds.

For Direct IO, the maximum length is 30 seconds for pre-roll ads and 60 seconds for mid-roll ads. If you're running both pre-rolls and mid-rolls, keep your message to within 30 seconds to hold the listener’s attention and reduce the chances of skipping.*

*To make sure our listeners get the best experience, Spotify reserves the right to review and approve any pre-produced spot before launch.

We recommend no more than 65 words for a 30-second ad.

Note: The recommended script length is 100 words for a 60-second ad.

File Type: Direct IO, MP3 required for ad trafficking via Direct IO.

Sample Rate of 44.1kHz: Required for ad trafficking. Audio with the wrong sample rate runs the risk of playing at the wrong speed.

Bit rate of 192 kbps: Important for good quality audio. Think of bit rate like the resolution of a digital photograph.

Stereo: If your ad has music or sound effects (SFX), it will likely sound crowded in mono. Most music tracks are stereo, and bouncing to a mono file will flatten any spatial mixing on the track. Bouncing in stereo also allows you to place different components of the ad (music, SFX, VO) in different parts of the sound field for more engaging audio.

Overall Loudness: -16 LUFS: Integrated average loudness of -16 LUFS (+/- 1.5 LUFS) and a True Peak limit of -2.0 dBTP. This ensures the ad volume is consistent with content and throughout the ad itself. If listeners feel the need to adjust their volume for an ad, they’re more likely to skip or feel interrupted.

Note: The True Peak limit is a maximum and not a number to necessarily reach. As long as the integrated loudness averages -16 LUFS (+/- 1.5 LUFS) and the TPL is equal to or less than -2.0 dB, the ad meets our spec.

Podcast ads are served across mobile, desktop, tablet, web player, gaming consoles, smart TVs, connected speakers, in-car, and wearables.

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