Because Spotify Premium removes ads from music, not from podcasts. Spotify's own help page says that on audio podcasts, "Premium subscribers and free tier listeners may receive both Spotify ads and creator sponsorships." If you want your podcasts without the ad breaks, you need an app that skips them, such as Castria.
What Premium removes and what it doesn't
| Free | Premium ($12.99/month in the US) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ads between songs | Yes | No |
| Ads Spotify inserts into audio podcasts | Yes | Yes, they can still play |
| Sponsor segments the host reads | Yes | Yes |
| Spotify's ads in video podcasts | Yes | No, though sponsor segments can still play |
Spotify splits podcast ads into two kinds:
- Spotify ads are ads Spotify inserts into episodes as you listen.
- Creator sponsorships are part of the episode itself: host reads, branded segments and product placement.
For audio podcasts, Premium removes neither.
What about Spotify's "Skip Ahead" button?
In August 2026 Spotify began testing a Skip Ahead button with some Premium listeners. Reports say it only works with the app open on screen, and that it skips some ads but not the ones Spotify sells itself. It's a test for some accounts, not a setting you can turn on.
Ways to hear fewer podcast ads
- Fast-forward. Spotify has a 15-second skip button. It works, but you have to be holding your phone.
- Pay the show. Many podcasts sell an ad-free version through Patreon, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions or their own site. It's one show at a time.
- Use an app that skips ads automatically. Castria finds the ads in each episode and skips them as you listen, with nothing to tap. Ad-skipping is free.
Most podcasts on Spotify are also published as ordinary podcast feeds, so you can follow the same shows in another app. Shows that are exclusive to Spotify are the exception: they only play in Spotify.
Spotify vs Castria for podcasts
| Spotify | Castria | |
|---|---|---|
| Skips ads inside episodes | No | Yes, automatically, free |
| Music | Yes | No, podcasts only |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android, web, desktop and more | iPhone, iPad, Android, web; Apple Watch and CarPlay with Premium |
| Transcripts | Many episodes, read-along | Every episode Castria scans, searchable, free |
| Spotify-exclusive shows | Yes | No |
Plenty of people keep Spotify for music and use a separate app for podcasts. That's the setup Castria is built for.
Questions
Can Castria skip ads inside the Spotify app? No. Castria is its own podcast app. Ads are skipped in episodes you play in Castria.
How do I move my podcasts over from Spotify? Search for each show by name in Castria and follow it. Castria searches Apple's podcast directory, which lists almost every public podcast.
Is skipping ads fair to the show? Castria downloads the publisher's complete, unaltered episode and skips past the ads during playback, which is the same as fast-forwarding. It never edits or re-hosts the audio. More on that in our ad-blocker comparison.