People listen to music and podcasts on Spotify while they're working out, commuting, hanging out with friends, and so much more. But now more than ever before, Spotify isn't just a place to come and listen—it's also a highly engaging visual environment. In the first quarter of 2024, we saw a 44% increase in video streams from the same time frame the previous year, driven by Gen Zs, with an 81% increase in video streams year over year.¹

From searching for and discovering new music, to reading song lyrics and watching videos, to sharing their latest song obsessions on social media, Spotify users' eyes are often on their screens. And this makes our platform a great place to tell your brand's story through video ads, as well as audio ads.

Get the best of both worlds when you advertise with Spotify: audio ads for screenless moments, and video ads for when the app is in view. Below, we break down the core ad types you can leverage to reach people on Spotify.

Audio ads

Digital audio advertising lets brands forge a connection with their audience through powerful personalized messaging. In fact, 76% of users we asked agree that Spotify offers personalized content tailored to them.² Audio ads can be served on different devices, in a variety of environments, and at multiple moments in the consumer decision journey.

Even when they have their phone in their pocket, you can connect with Spotify users by creating a relevant and engaging audio ad that's delivered within a no-swipe, no-scroll environment—like when they're on their morning commute.

When creating audio ads, advertisers can also leverage tools and features like:

CTA cards

Enhance your audio ad campaign with a clickable call-to-action (CTA) card so listeners can visit your site and take the next step toward making a purchase. Spotify CTA cards appear across various touch points in the app, after a listener has heard an ad—and always when the app is in focus.

Canvas for Advertisers

Enhance your audio campaign with Canvas for Advertisers, a feature that displays immersive, looping visuals alongside audio ads—just like when a song plays. As a bonus, you can trim and re-apply existing 9:16 assets to make the most of ad resources you've already invested in.

Initial research suggests that Canvas not only captures users' attention effectively, but also positively impacts their likelihood of making a purchase after receiving the ad.³ In fact, users who are exposed to both the audio and full-screen visual of a brand's ad at the same time experience a 12% lift in Aided Awareness and a 6% lift in Purchase Intent, compared to those who don't hear an ad at all.⁴

Video ads

Video ads are another way to get your brand's message out and into the world. Below are two avenues advertisers can take to enhance their video ad campaigns on Spotify.

Video Takeover

Regular video ads—what we call Video Takeover ads—can help tell your brand's visual story. These ads are served in the Now Playing View with sound on.

App users see Video Takeover ads during a listening session and when they're actively browsing through the Spotify catalog to curate playlists or discover music and podcasts—in other words, when their attention is focused on the screen. These video ads include a companion banner with a customizable CTA card to help drive engagement.

Video Takeover ads are delivered only when the screen is in view between songs—and like all Spotify ads, they're served in a non-interruptive way, slotting into playlists seamlessly.

Opt-In Video

Opt-In Video is an ad type that appears on Spotify's Now Playing View while users are actively listening to music on the app.

With Opt-In Video ads, brands' videos begin with the sound off, allowing the music to continue uninterrupted. Users can choose to dismiss the ad, click to unmute and expand it to full-screen mode, or tap the CTA button to visit the advertiser's website right away. If a user takes no action, the ad plays to completion with the sound off.

This format is smart and adaptive—it leverages machine learning to identify listeners who are in focus and more likely to engage with ads. The Video Views objective, which can be used in conjunction with Opt-In Video ads, makes it possible to reach listeners showing intent to interact with a video—giving advertisers the potential to boost metrics related to consideration.

Why multi-format campaigns can lead to greater results

Spotify users aren't simply passive listeners. They regularly interact with the Spotify app by browsing, reading lyrics, and sharing playlists—all actions that keep their eyes on the screen.

This means there are many ways you can get your message heard—and seen—on Spotify. Experiment with different Spotify ad types to help drive engagement. Data shows that multi-format campaigns can be more effective: Campaigns with both audio and video formats perform better than audio-only ads across the entire purchase funnel, boosting Brand Awareness (7%)⁵, Purchase Intent (27%)⁶, and Incremental Sales (66%).⁷