Spotify adds Sponsored Playlists tools

Spotify used its first-quarter 2026 earnings report on April 28 to push an ad-business update alongside its subscriber and revenue numbers. (newsroom.spotify.com) The company said it added new ad products including Sponsored Playlists, Carousel Ads, Split Testing and Automated Bid. Spotify first unveiled that package on March 31, then highlighted it again in the earnings release. (newsroom.spotify.com 1) (newsroom.spotify.com 2) Sponsored Playlists are the clearest change. Spotify said brands can now take 100% share of voice on big playlist destinations including RapCaviar, New Music Friday and Today’s Top Hits. (newsroom.spotify.com) Carousel Ads are a swipeable display unit in Spotify’s Now Playing view. Spotify said advertisers can use up to six cards, each with its own image, description and link, and named Priceline, eBay and GNC as early beta brands. (newsroom.spotify.com) Split Testing and Automated Bid are aimed at ad buyers rather than listeners. Spotify said the tools are meant to help advertisers compare creative or audience setups and automate bidding toward performance goals. (newsroom.spotify.com) The ad push landed inside a quarter where Spotify reported 761 million monthly active users, 293 million Premium subscribers, €4.5 billion in revenue and €715 million in operating income. (newsroom.spotify.com) Spotify also tied the ad story to a broader personalization push. Its Taste Profile beta, announced in March and referenced again in the earnings report, lets Premium users in New Zealand see and adjust how Spotify reads their interests across music, podcasts and audiobooks. (newsroom.spotify.com 1) (newsroom.spotify.com 2) On the creator side, Spotify has been widening its Spotify Partner Program for video podcasters. In January it cut eligibility thresholds to 1,000 engaged audience members, 2,000 hours consumed over 30 days and three published episodes. (newsroom.spotify.com) The through line is that Spotify is trying to make the free, ad-supported side of the service more valuable while it keeps growing paid subscriptions. The company’s own framing in March was that brands should “tap into and surround fandom” rather than buy a standard audio slot. (newsroom.spotify.com) That leaves Spotify selling two things at once: a bigger paid audience and a more packaged ad product around playlists, podcasts and fan behavior. The company used this week’s earnings cycle to show both are now part of the same pitch. (newsroom.spotify.com)