Help Center

Ad creation on Ad Studio

Spotify Ad Studio lets you create audio or video ads of 30 seconds or less. You can reach listeners across both music and podcasts.

Ads in music are seen and heard by users of the ad-supported Spotify app during ad breaks between songs.

Ads in podcasts are heard by users of the ad-supported and Spotify Premium apps, as well as listeners off Spotify across the Spotify Audience Network, during ad breaks in podcast episodes.

To create a new campaign, click new campaign or create new campaign in the top-right corner.

Campaigns can contain one or more ad sets, and each ad set can contain a collection of ads.

Non-music related

If you’re looking to promote non-music related objectives like raising awareness for your business, or promoting a new product or service, choose a brand, product, or organization. This promotion type can reach both music and podcast listeners.

Music-related

If you’re looking to promote an artist’s music on Spotify and you either represent the artist team or the artist themselves, choose an artist’s music on Spotify.

If you’re looking to promote a concert or artist merch on Spotify and you either represent the artist team, the artist, or a show where the artist is performing, choose a concert or artist merch.

Choosing one of these promotion types will allow you to use fan targeting and view streaming conversion metrics for the artist you’re promoting. Learn more about promoting music.

Choose automatic placement to run ads in music and podcasts. Automatic placement helps you reach relevant listeners for your ads, wherever they are listening on Spotify.

Ads in music reach ad-supported listeners on Spotify, in ad breaks between songs. Ads in podcasts reach ad-supported and Premium listeners on Spotify.

Audio and video formats are available for ads in music and podcasts.

If you only wish your ads to run in music streams, select music only.

Podcast ads on Ad Studio are delivered through Streaming Ad Insertion (SAI), Spotify’s own ad technology. With SAI, Spotify can record an ad impression in real time, as soon as the ad starts playing, rather than when it is downloaded. This allows advertisers to understand confirmed ad impressions and unlocks first-party insights into audience, reach, frequency, and clicks.

To maintain a quality listener experience, each user will receive the ads within your ad set no more than 5 times each day by default.

You also have the option to set the following custom frequency cap at the ad set level:

  • Daily: Daily frequency cap between 1 - 5 impressions max per 1 day per listener
  • Weekly: Weekly frequency cap between 1 - 35 impression max per 1 week per listener
  • Monthly: Monthly frequency cap between 1 - 50 impressions max per 1 month per listener

For example, if you apply a daily frequency cap of 3 per day for an ad set with 5 ads within it, a listener will receive those 5 ads within the ad set a collective maximum of 3 times per day in total. If you do not set a custom cap for your ad set, the ads within your ad set will still have a default cap of 5 impressions max per 1 day for each individual listener.

Please note that setting a low daily, weekly, or monthly frequency cap may reduce your budget delivery likelihood.

For ads in podcasts, please note that frequency caps apply separately to ads that are delivered on Spotify and ads that are delivered off Spotify. There may be some overlap in your audiences on and off Spotify. Learn more about podcast ad delivery.

Audio ads are 30 seconds or less with a clickable companion image shown for the duration of the ad. If you already have a pre-produced audio ad, you can simply upload it directly to Ad Studio from your computer by selecting Upload file or from Asset library by selecting Add from library. If you don’t have an audio ad, our free creative tools can help you make one from scratch.

You can find audio requirements for your voiceover and tips for making a great audio ad here.

Keep in mind that only one ad format, audio or video, can be selected for each ad set.

Specs to keep in mind

Audio file

Length: 30 seconds or less
File type: MP3, .OGG, or WAV format
File size: 1MB

Sample rate: 44.1kHz
Audio with the wrong sample rate runs the risk of playing at the wrong speed.

Bit rate: 192kbps
Important for good-quality audio. Think of bit depth like the resolution of a digital photograph.

Stereo: If your ad has music or sound effects (SFX), it will likely sound crowded in mono. Most music tracks are stereo, and bouncing to a mono file will flatten any spatial mixing on the track. Bouncing in stereo also allows you to place different components of the ad (music, SFX, VO) in different parts of the sound field for more engaging audio.

Overall loudness: -16 LUFS.
Integrated average loudness of -16 LUFS (+/- 1.5 LUFS) and a True Peak limit of -2.0 dBTP. This ensures the ad volume is consistent with content and throughout the ad itself. If listeners feel the need to adjust their volume for an ad, they’re more likely to skip or feel interrupted. Note: The True Peak limit is a maximum and not a number to necessarily reach. As long as the integrated loudness averages -16 LUFS (+/- 1.5 LUFS) and the TPL is equal to or less than -2.0 dB, the ad meets our spec.

1x Companion Image
- Aspect Ratio: 1x1
- Dimensions: 640x640
- File type: JPEG, .PNG

1x Logo Image
- Aspect Ratio: 1x1
- Dimensions: 640x640
- File type: JPEG, .PNG

Tagline
40 characters maximum

Clickthrough URL
URLs should direct to HTTPS destinations only. Please use only one destination URL.

Video ads on Spotify are served to ad-supported listeners on mobile or desktop when the Spotify app is in focus. Your video message is served to listeners during commercial ad breaks, and includes a clickable companion image and the call-to-action of your choice. If you don’t have an image for your ad, you can upload assets to the asset library by clicking upload asset or drag-and-drop the assets to the uploading area.

On desktop devices, your companion image is shown alongside your video ad. On mobile devices, it will be displayed on the lock screen if a listener locks their device while your video ad is playing.

Keep in mind that only one ad format, audio or video, can be selected for each ad set.

Specs to keep in mind

Video file

  • Length: 30 seconds or less
  • File types: MOV, MP4
  • Max file size: 500MB
  • Aspect ratio: 9x16 (portrait), 16x9 (landscape)

Volume: RMS normalized to -14 dBFS, Peak normalized to -0.2 dBFS

Resolution: HD 720x1280 or similar (portrait), HD 1280x720 or similar (landscape)

Additional Requirements:
-Must provide clickthrough URL (only one clickthrough URL can be used).
-No black bars (no letter-boxing, pillar-boxing, or window-boxing).
-No interlaced videos.
-Frame rate should be NTSC or PAL compatible.
-Video must be submitted without leaders (no slates, countdowns, etc.).
-All files must include sound - no silent videos will be accepted.

Companion image

  • Dimensions: Square, at least 640 x 640 pixels
  • File type: JPEG or PNG

Logo Image

Aspect Ratio: 1x1
Dimensions: 640x640
File type: JPEG, .PNG

Tagline
40 characters maximum

Clickthrough URL
URLs should direct to HTTPS destinations only. Please use only one destination URL.

Clickable calls-to-action (CTA) are available for audio and video ads.

"Learn more" is the default CTA for each ad you create in Ad Studio. This CTA is localized into your audience's preferred language.

You may also choose from the following calls-to-action:

  • Apply now
  • Book now
  • Buy now
  • Buy tickets
  • Click now
  • Download
  • Find stores
  • Get coupon
  • Get info
  • Learn more
  • Listen now
  • More info
  • Pre-save
  • Save now
  • Share
  • Shop now
  • Sign up
  • Visit profile
  • Visit site
  • Watch now

Once you select your call-to-action, you'll need to enter a clickthrough URL. This is the link that users will visit when they tap or click on your image or call-to-action button.

Note: Spotify Ad Studio doesn't support URLs with special characters. As an alternative, we recommend creating a shortened or encoded version of the URL with a site like bitly.com or urlencoder.org.

Ads can be created by the advertiser or with our free creative tools. All you need to do is tell us what you want your ad to say and pick some background music. Then, we’ll work with a voice actor to produce your audio ad free of charge.* Here’s how.

  1. When you get to the create new ad step for an ad set in which you have selected the audio format, click the help me create one option.
  2. Name your voiceover, type your script, and add any instructions you have for the voice actor. Instructions could be anything from pausing after a certain word to explaining specific pronunciations. See tips for creating a great audio ad here.
  3. Select the language you want your ad in.
  4. Select the voice profile of the voice actor.
  5. If you choose to have background music, select one from our catalogue recorded by independent artists. Or, upload your own if you have more specific background music needs, like adding in your own sound effects. You can only upload one background track per ad and we’ll mix it against the voiceover for you.
  6. Submit the request.
  7. After requesting a voiceover, you’ll get a notification within 48 hours that your ad has been recorded and is ready to be reviewed. Listen to it within the Ad Studio UI and approve it, reject it, or choose to make revisions. You can use one voiceover option per ad. Your final asset will also be saved in the asset library.
  8. To make changes, choose revise from the dropdown menu, prompting a window to appear that will ask whether you want to make changes to your voiceover clip — like giving new direction on tone or emphasis — or your background music & mixing.
  9. Pick background music & mixing to launch our audio revision tools. For more details on how to use the audio revision tools see revising your audio ad.

If you need help scripting your ad, here are some best practices to help get you started.

The standard turnaround for an ad to be approved is usually 24-48 hours and includes any audio ad requests using our free audio creative tools.

*Subject to change

Need to make changes to the audio ad you created using the free voiceover tool? Our audio revision tools make it easy to quickly edit your ad in the Ad Studio UI. Here’s how it works:

  • After requesting a voiceover, you’ll get a notification within 48 hours that your ad has been recorded and is ready to be reviewed. Listen to it within the Ad Studio UI and approve it, reject it, or choose to make revisions.
  • To make changes, choose revise from the dropdown menu, prompting a window to appear that will ask whether you want to make changes to your voiceover clip — like giving new direction on tone or emphasis — or your background music & mixing.
  • Pick background music & mixing to launch our audio revision tools.

To add a new background track:

  • Delete your current background track.
  • Select choose from library to pick another licensed track, or you can upload your own.
  • Preview the new background track by pressing the play button.

To adjust the timing of your background music:

  • Drag the pink slider across the music clip from side to side. The left side of your pink slider will determine the start time of your selected background music and the right side determines the end.
  • To ensure your ad plays for a full 30 seconds, background duration is automatically selected so your background music plays for 30 seconds regardless of the length of your voiceover. If you want the background music to be the same length as your voiceover, which may be less than 30 seconds, uncheck the box.

To adjust the timing of your voiceover:

  • To change when the voiceover starts, drag the blue slider from left to right, aligning it with the pink slider to coincide with your background music.
  • You can also edit the voiceover’s start time by inputting a numerical start time in seconds.

To adjust the volume of your background music:

  • Toggle the volume slider from left to right to increase or decrease the volume of your music.

To preview your remixed audio ad:

  • Hit the play button next to auto mix to combine your revisions and listen to your mixed audio ad.

When you submit your ad, it will be routed to our team for approval. In the event that your ad is not approved, you’ll be able to make edits and, if necessary, resubmit your ad for approval.

Ad not approved? Some common reasons why.

When creating an ad in Ad Studio, you can upload and save your assets in the asset library, which allows you to upload new files, download an asset, and preview uploaded assets. Once you have assets uploaded, you can search by name or filter by type (image, audio, video). You can also upload the assets separately from the ad creation process, which allows you to prepare your assets in advance.

All users who have access to the Ad Studio account can access the asset library from the Ad Studio homepage by selecting Asset Library. Account admins and contributors can collaborate in the asset library by adding and managing the assets under one ad account.

You can upload a new asset to the asset library by clicking Upload asset or by drag-and-dropping the file into the uploading area. All assets uploaded into the asset library must meet the requirements included in Ad Creation on Ad Studio.

You have the ability to set an average daily budget or a lifetime budget.

Average daily budget enables you to set a target amount you want to spend each day. The minimum you can set is $15.

The average daily budget is a target amount, which means on some days you might spend up to 2x the average daily budget, and on others you’ll spend less. The most you’ll spend each calendar month is 30.4x your average daily budget.

With an average daily budget, you have the ability to set a start and end date, or you can schedule the budget to run without end dates to enable always-on buying. We recommend running an average daily budget without end dates in order to drive more consistent demand and benefit from continuous learnings.

With a lifetime budget, you can set a maximum amount to spend whenever opportunities appear until the budget runs out or the schedule ends. The minimum lifetime budget you can set is roughly the equivalent of 250.00 USD in your local currency.

Lifetime budgets must be set up with a specific start and end date.

By default, ad sets start and end at midnight on the dates selected. To start or end your ad set at a specific time, use the time fields when setting your schedule and budget to choose your preferred times. If the ads within the ad set are approved after the start date, the ad set will start once at least one ad is approved. All start and end times will be set in the local time zone you're in when building your ad set.

For ad sets using daily budgets, daily and monthly budget maximums are based on UTC time zones.

Audio and video ads from Spotify Ad Studio are priced through an ad auction. When it’s a listener’s turn to hear or see an ad, Spotify auctions the ad space and advertisers compete to “win” the impression.

When setting up a new ad set in Ad Studio, you’ll be asked to select your goal and bid cap. Along with your target audience and pacing, these inputs will help determine which ad impressions you win.

When selecting a goal, you can choose from three goals depending on how you’d like your ad to be delivered:
- Impression delivery: We’ll aim to deliver as many impressions as possible to your target audience. This goal is best for advertisers who want to keep their brand or product top of mind and build consideration.
- Reach: We’ll aim to reach as many unique listeners as possible with your message. This goal is best for advertisers who want to build awareness across a wide audience.
- Clicks: We’ll aim to optimize for clicks and drive listeners to an advertiser-specified URL. This goal helps advertisers create an auction strategy that prioritizes users who are more likely to click on an ad. Any clicks generated by CTA cards will be rolled up into the existing audio format reporting column.

A bid cap is the maximum amount you’re willing to pay per 1000 impressions.

When setting your bid cap, you’ll see a suggested bid range based on your objective and target audience. When you do win an impression, you’ll only be charged the price necessary to win the auction, and you’ll never pay more than your bid cap.

Your goal or bid cap can be adjusted at any time. For more information on bid cap management, see Managing your bid.

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