Why does Spotify Premium still have ads on podcasts?

Podcast ads are sold separately from your music subscription. Most are inserted into the audio by the show's hosting service, so they play for everyone, Premium or not.

Do video podcasts on Spotify have ads for Premium users?

Since January 2026, Premium removes ads from eligible video podcasts in the Spotify Partner Program (US, UK, Australia, Canada). Audio podcasts still carry ads.

How do I get rid of ads on Spotify podcasts?

Inside Spotify, you can't. Spotify blocks external feeds. The working route is a standard podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Overcast) plus an ad-free feed from a service like ZeroAds.

Does Spotify Premium Remove Podcast Ads? (No, Here's Why)

See how it works — internal navigation link

Jul 3, 2026 - 2 min read

Andrey

Founder @ ZeroAds

The Short Answer

No. Spotify Premium removes ads from music, not from audio podcasts. The podcasts you listen to keep their ads whether you pay or not.

There’s one exception: since January 2026, Premium removes ads from some eligible video podcasts (Partner Program shows, in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada). If you’re hearing ads in an audio show, that exception doesn’t help you. It isn’t a bug either.

Why Premium Doesn’t Cover Podcast Ads

Three reasons, none of them accidental:

Podcast ads are a separate business. Your subscription covers music licensing. Podcast ads are sold on a different market, by different people, at different prices.
Most ads aren’t Spotify’s to remove. Shows insert ads into the audio file itself through dynamic ad insertion at the hosting level. The ad reaches Spotify already baked in.
Creators earn from ads regardless of your plan. Removing them would mean paying creators out of your subscription. Spotify does exactly that for eligible video podcasts, and only there.

So “Premium = ad-free” was always a music promise. It just doesn’t say that on the label.

Can You Block Podcast Ads Inside Spotify?

No. Spotify doesn’t accept external RSS feeds, so there’s no way to swap in a clean version of a show. Ad blockers don’t work either. The ads are inside the audio stream, not separate requests a blocker could filter.

If you want ad-free audio podcasts, the listening has to happen outside Spotify:

Pick a standard podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Overcast, Podcast Addict, or any app that accepts an RSS URL. (Moving your shows off Spotify takes about 20 minutes.)
Get a clean feed. ZeroAds detects the ad segments in each episode’s audio at 90%+ verified accuracy, cuts them out, and gives you a private ad-free RSS feed.
Add the feed to your app and listen as usual. Same shows, same app mechanics, no ads.

Hear it on your own shows first. Try ZeroAds. Your first 5 episodes are free

What About Everything Else?

For speed-listening tricks, per-creator subscriptions, and the full comparison of what works and what doesn’t, see the complete guide to removing podcast ads.