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# watch and listen
Using Spotify for free? Expect video ads to make an appearance soon
The music streaming service will offer two video ad formats, one for desktop and one for mobile, as it capitalises upon the 30 million using it for free.
THOSE WHO USE Spotify’s free product will be familiar with the ads that play in-between listening to songs.
While they’re not the most intrusive examples of advertising out there, it does well considering there are roughly 30 million users who are using the service for free. Now the company is taking this one step further by introducing video ads.
There are two types of video ads available. The first are ‘Video Takeover’ ads which allows companies to own ad breaks on the desktop, and will work similarly to how audio ads are presented. The ads will only play if the desktop app is in view.
The second type is ‘Sponsored Sessions’, which is aimed at mobile users. This invites users to opt-in to view short videos which they can view on their smartphone.
Partners for the service include Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Ford, Nike and Universal Pictures among others.
The pay-off is that by choosing to watch them, you receive an extra 30 minutes of uninterrupted music, adding to the 146 minutes a day users spend listening to music on average.
More than 10 million people pay for the service, but introducing video ads will not only increase the amount of revenue it will earn, but it might also convince users to opt for the paid version to help escape ads.
