Advertisers can now run clickable podcast ads on Spotify

The news: US advertisers can now run clickable ads within the Spotify app, per a company press release.

• These ad experiences, which the company calls “call-to-action (CTA) cards,” are currently exclusive to select podcasts and aren’t offered with its music streaming service.

Here’s how it works: Once a podcast ad starts playing, the CTA card pops up within the app, giving the listener the ability to click to a brand’s website or product page. These ads are not limited to the podcast page—they will also appear later on as users navigate the Spotify app.

The bigger picture: Until recently, podcast advertising had a reputation for being less sophisticated than other forms, mostly because its audio format meant brands had to rely on inefficient methods such as exclusive promo codes or URLs to identify conversions. With its new clickable cards, Spotify hopes to bring podcast ads closer to the standards set by digital advertising, enabling brands to get a clearer sense of how well their investment is performing—and incentivizing them to advertise on the streaming platform.

• This new ad format, coupled with Spotify enabling video podcasting in Q4 2021, is the latest move by the company to capture users’ eyes as well as ears. By doing so, Spotify is setting the stage for future visual ad experiences, as well as cementing its preeminence as a dominant podcasting platform.