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Spotify could soon let you skip ads for free

The "Active Media" feature has been quietly rolled out in Australia, letting users skip as many ads as they want.

Claire Reilly Former Principal Video Producer
Claire Reilly was a video host, journalist and producer covering all things space, futurism, science and culture. Whether she's covering breaking news, explaining complex science topics or exploring the weirder sides of tech culture, Claire gets to the heart of why technology matters to everyone. She's been a regular commentator on broadcast news, and in her spare time, she's a cabaret enthusiast, Simpsons aficionado and closet country music lover. She originally hails from Sydney but now calls San Francisco home.
Expertise Space, Futurism, Science and Sci-Tech, Robotics, Tech Culture Credentials
  • Webby Award Winner (Best Video Host, 2021), Webby Nominee (Podcasts, 2021), Gold Telly (Documentary Series, 2021), Silver Telly (Video Writing, 2021), W3 Award (Best Host, 2020), Australian IT Journalism Awards (Best Journalist, Best News Journalist 2017)
Claire Reilly
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James Martin/CNET

Spotify is testing a new feature that lets users skip audio and video ads, even without being on a paid subscription.

The feature, known as "Active Media," has been quietly rolled out in Australia and allows users of Spotify's free, ad-supported service to skip particular ads, with advertisers only paying for completed listens or views.

When an ad break comes up, users will be able to choose whether they see or hear the ad in question, or whether they want to skip the ad all together. The selling point for advertisers? Spotify will now know more about user's preferences and be able to better target advertising in future.

According to Spotify, Active Media feature is the "first of its kind globally" and will allow the company to "learn from each interaction" and "deliver a more personalised ad experience." There's no word yet on if or when the feature will expand beyond Australia, but Spotify has billed the feature as an "evolution" of its advertising model.

Watch this: 7 good reasons to pay for Spotify Premium