Advertising. It sucks, but it also feeds my children. Do I have a vast arsenal of ad blockers installed on my browser? Of course. Should Gizmodo readers make use of such an arsenal? Absolutely not, and I’m shocked you even asked. You should view, and indeed click the ads you see around this article, and purchase the exciting and valuable products and services you see advertised.
It’s the same deal with a very cool new Spotify feature: the Skip Ahead button for podcasts, which materialized recently for select Spotify users during podcast ad breaks. A single press of the button during an ad brings you right to the bumper music or sound effect that signals the end of a break. You don’t even have to jump too far ahead and then jump back a little bit and hear the part of the ad where they tell you an offer code for the third time. It’s amazing!
But, uh, not so amazing for the business side of podcasting. In fact, podcast business leaders are downright apoplectic. Look at the reaction of Tommy Vietor, co-founder of the political podcast mini-empire Crooked Media.
Very cool of @Spotify to try and destroy the podcast industry. What a great partner! pic.twitter.com/CDBHMI1izh
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) August 5, 2026
“Very cool of @Spotify to try and destroy the podcast industry. What a great partner!” Vietor wrote on X.
It’s worth noting that ads sold by Spotify itself aren’t Skip Ahead button-eligible, per Semafor.
According to Podnews—which describes the feature as “a significant threat to ad-funded shows”—the Skip Ahead button is only available for, “Premium users in selected markets.”
And according to Semafor, the feature supposedly could still go away. Spotify apparently told publishers in a private meeting (who then spoke anonymously to Semafor) that Skip Ahead is in an early phase of testing, and the company is still seeking feedback from stakeholders. Spotify also apparently tried to make the case that allowing users to skip ads improves listener engagement.
Podnews’ argument that this feature could do major damage to the podcast business is pretty compelling. They point to a study finding that with existing tools, users skip less than 10% of ad breaks. If you’re an ad-skipping freeloader, that may come as a shock. Currently, skipping an entire ad break in Spotify by hitting the current 15-second jump-ahead button involves, according to Podnews, nine taps in total. Spotify’s new button brings you smoothly back to the show with a single tap.
