The Spotify bug that shows ads to Premium subscribers has finally been fixed - for now at least

If there’s one thing that entices music lovers to sign up to Spotify Premium, it’s the seamless ad-free listening. However, a recent bug in the Spotify app has snuck in ads in between music streams, proving that even the best music streaming services have their faulty moments.

First reports of the bug surfaced online four weeks ago in the Spotify Community forum, and it quickly proved to be a common occurrence for a lot of Premium subscribers, causing significant frustration among those who pay to hear ad-free music. A few days following the online complaints, Spotify acknowledged the issue and set about fixing the bug, sharing the following statement: “We have good news from our teams – a fix for the instances where Premium users noticed ads when listening to music has been deployed and you should notice a difference right away”.

But that was four weeks ago, and almost a month after the issue with ads in Spotify Premium was raised, it seemed many paying music fans were still finding ads playing between songs. Although Spotify has been vocal about running into promotional content mainly within podcasts, ads should still have no place in the Premium tier for those who subscribe.

At long last, Spotify finally addressed the issue (again) just this week by taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, March 6, to share the status of the problem (see below). This is the last update we’ve received from the company, therefore, we can only assume that Spotify is currently tackling the issue head-on.

Could this bug indicate the arrival of Spotify HiFi?

Spotify has surely had its work cut out for it, especially following its crackdown on ‘cracked’ apps, but it’s awfully convenient that these bugs have surfaced - particularly in the wake of the recent rumors that Spotify HiFi could arrive later this year.

As opposed to launching a brand new tier for lossless audio, we can expect Spotify HiFi to be an add-on to its Premium tier. One of the more interesting parts of Spotify’s next business ventures is the possibility of a new ‘superfan’ tier, which promises enhanced fan experiences through deeper music catalogs and even deals on concert tickets.

Given that Spotify has experienced not one, but two bug issues within a short space of time, it only raises my suspicion that it could be in the middle of making room to introduce its next tiers and subscription add-ons. Spotify has borne the brunt of a lot of criticisms, not just because of its ads-in-Premium bug but also its five-year lossless audio delay. There’s a lot of pressure on Spotify to get it right, and I just hope it can redeem itself.

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