Spotify may expand an option for users of its ad-supported music streaming service where they can choose to skip ads.
The option is currently available to all users of its ad-supported service in Australia, Spotify confirmed in a statement.
The idea behind the option is allowing its users to personalize the advertising they hear or see on Spotify, skipping ads they don’t want.
“We launched Active Media, skippable audio and video ads, in Australia for now and will consider expanding to additional markets in the future,” said Spotify in a statement. “We are committed to our freemium model and will continue innovating our products to ensure the best experience on both our free and premium tiers.”
Spotify currently operates in 65 markets worldwide. The company boasts 83 million paid subscribers and 180 million monthly active users.
The ad-supported one is critical for Spotify as it competes with chief rival Pandora for advertising dollars. According to Ad Age, the ad market is estimated at $1.6 billion.
Spotify is also competing with Apple, Amazon and Google in the growing music subscription market. On Friday, shares of Spotify surged after the company confirmed it was partnering with Samsung to offer its service natively on the electronic giant’s devices.
