Spotify is testing a skip button that might let you skip podcast ads

Spotify has rolled out a feature that lets some users skip past podcast ads not sold directly by the platform, per an exclusive report from Semafor.

In the report, Spotify frames the change as a streamlined version of its existing skip button, but publishers say it could gut their ad revenue. According to Semafor, Podnews called the update a "significant threat" to ad-funded shows, while Crooked Media co-founder Tommy Vietor was more direct, writing on social media that it was "very cool" of Spotify to "try and destroy the podcast industry."

Semafor reported that several major audio networks contacted Spotify directly after the announcement to raise concerns about their monetization. Privately, the company has argued that the feature actually helps publishers by keeping people listening longer overall, citing internal engagement data, while also stressing that the button is still in early testing and could be pulled back.

A Spotify spokesperson confirmed to Semafor that the rollout is limited to certain paid subscribers and only appears when the app is open in the foreground, describing it as part of routine product testing aimed at making podcast listening "more intuitive" for Premium users.

The move lands as the podcast industry is already contending with a broader shift toward video platforms like YouTube, Semafor noted, and it isn't the first time Spotify has drawn pushback from publishers — the company partially reversed a podcast play-count rollout last year after similar complaints.