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Spotify Testing Unlimited Ad Skipping in Free Tier as Part of New “Active Media” Option

PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 06: In this photo illustration, the logo of the Swedish music streaming service Spotify is displayed on the screen of an iPhone on January 06, 2017 in Paris, France. Spotify announced, via a tweet published Thursday, that it now has 70 million paid subscribers. As a comparison, in September, Apple Music claimed 30 million subscribers and Deezer had fewer than 10 million subscribers. Spotify, the world's largest streaming music company, is expected to be listed on the Wall Street stock market in the first quarter of 2018. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

Spotify is testing a new feature that would allow its free tier users to skip audio and video ads. Called “Active Media,” the option allows users to skip as many ads as they want while allowing Spotify to better target ads toward more active users. In a new interview with AdAge, the company’s global head of partner solutions Danielle Lee suggested that the move would help Spotify better monitor user preferences.

“Our hypothesis is if we can use this to fuel our streaming intelligence, and deliver a more personalized experience and a more engaging audience to our advertisers, it will improve the outcomes that we can deliver for brands,” Lee told AdAge. “Just as we create these personalized experiences like Discover Weekly, and the magic that brings to our consumers, we want to inject that concept into the advertising experience.”

Earlier this year, Billboard announced that it would change the way it weighs streaming metrics, with streams on paid subscription services weighed more heavily than those on free, ad-supported services. Throughout this year, the company has been under fire for changes made to its anti-hate policy, most recently involving the removal of right-wing radio personality Alex Jones from its podcast offerings after backlash. Read the full report from AdAge here.

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