Designing Ad Experiences

Designing for an ad experience is about accommodating user goals and business goals, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We need to meet our listeners where they are, by optimizing at the right places, and at the right moment. To me, understanding users’ different intents across various surfaces within Spotify is key to designing how and when promoted content is presented in a non-intrusive way.

We are responsible for ensuring partners are able to meet their objectives and reach listeners in the right moment and in the most appropriate context. To accomplish this we approach design through the lens of the listener first, and always ask ourselves: Will this hurt the trust our users have in the Spotify brand? Are we providing enough transparency about the promotions our users receive? What would make this experience more engaging, relevant, and in tune with user intent?

We want to provide the best possible experience to all users of our product. Instead of thinking about Spotify with ads as a limited experience, I like to think about it as a fully-fledged product for a different audience with different needs. There are millions of people who are okay with promoted content and our team is focused on finding a balance between what listeners and partners want and need.