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Spotify is turning podcast ads into in-app banner ads to increase clicks

Spotify is looking to shake up the podcasting industry yet again, and yet again, not necessarily for the better. The company announced today that it is rolling out new “call-to-action cards” for podcasting ads, which are in-app advertisements correlated to the audio ads you hear in podcasts.

Spotify explains the reasoning for this:

You’re often forced to remember a promo code or URL or make a mental note to look up the offer when you return to your phone or laptop. This process is far from seamless. That’s why we’re excited to announce a new ad experience launching across podcasts called call-to-action (CTA) cards. 

The company goes on to say that these call-to-action cards will appear in the Spotify application as soon as a podcast ad begins playing. Furthermore, the app will “resurface later on while you’re exploring the Spotify app.” This basically sounds like an in-app advertisement, but Spotify is spinning it as a way to make it “easier to check out the brand, product, or service you heard about while listening.”

CTA cards will appear in the app as soon as a podcast ad begins playing, and will resurface later on while you’re exploring the Spotify app—making it easier to check out the brand, product, or service you heard about while listening. CTA cards will make it easier for you to directly discover the products and services you’re interested in without having a hard-to-remember promo code or vanity URL.

During testing, Spotify says that tests have shown “twice as many site visits with these new clickable ads compared to non-clickable podcast ads.” You can learn more in the Spotify announcement here.

Spotify says that the new call-to-action cards will launch with select Spotify Original & Exclusive podcasts in the U.S. beginning today.

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac, overseeing the entire site’s operations. He also hosts the 9to5Mac Daily and 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcasts.

You can send tips, questions, and typos to chance@9to5mac.com.

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