General Content Standards

In addition to the below policies and our Platform Rules, promotional content such as ads, product placement, sponsorships and endorsements (“ads”) on the Spotify service or utilizing Spotify technology must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and industry codes and satisfy our Editorial Policies. Advertisers must also hold, and maintain the active status of, all necessary licenses and registrations.

 

We reserve the right to reject or remove any ad for any reason. This includes ads that negatively affect our relationship with our partners or that promote content that goes against our interests. We also reserve the right to request modifications to any ad and to require factual substantiation for any claim. In some instances, we may take further action beyond rejecting or removing an ad. Please read our Content Actions for further information. These rules are subject to change at any time.

 

To learn more about our policies, please contact your Spotify representative or Spotify Ads Manager Support if placing ads via Ads Manager.

Prohibited Ads

Ads promoting the following products and services are prohibited on the Spotify service

Dangerous or Derogatory Content

Spotify is home to a diverse community of users and creators. As such, we don’t allow you to use our advertising products to:

  • Promote, incite, or glorify violence

  • Harass, bully or incite hatred against any individual or group

  • Promote stereotypes or negatively portray or attack an individual or group on the basis of race, religion, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, veteran status, age, disability or other characteristics associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization

  • Engage in or promote any other behavior that may place people at risk of harm

Inappropriate Content

We don’t allow ads containing, depicting, or promoting content that is inappropriate for our advertising platform including:

  • Harmful or unlawful acts

  • Graphic violence or depictions of serious bodily harm

  • Gruesome audio or imagery

  • Gratuitous use of profanity

Explicit Adult Content

We don’t allow ads containing or promoting sexually explicit material, including:

  • Pornography or visual depictions of genitalia 

  • Sexual solicitation

Dangerous Products and Services

We don’t allow ads promoting dangerous products, including: 

  • Firearms

  • Firearm parts and accessories

  • Dangerous weapons, such as knives that are designed to injure an opponent

  • Explosives and instructional content about building explosives 

  • Cigarettes, tobacco products, and related accessories

  • Nicotine products not designed to aid in smoking cessation 

  • Vaporizers and related accessories 

  • Recreational drugs and related accessories

Illegal or Deceptive Products and Services

We don’t allow ads that promote any illegal conduct, product, enterprise or service or intend to deceive users through exclusion of important information or misrepresentation of a product, service, or advertiser identity. The following examples reflect prohibited advertising content:

  • False or misleading representations (of identity, business models, etc.)

  • “Get rich quick” schemes

  • Manipulated and synthetic media that causes harm

  • Deceptive or fraudulent offers 

  • Counterfeit or fake products

  • Cloaking, malware, or phishing

  • Content that infringes upon or violates, or encourages the infringement or violation of, the rights of any third party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, defamation, or other personal or proprietary rights

  • Otherwise enabling illegal, deceptive or dishonest behavior

Restricted Ads

Ads promoting the following content, products and services are allowed with some restrictions and/or limitations:

Financial Products and Services

We restrict the promotion of financial products and services on our platform. We may prohibit or restrict certain financial products or services beyond what local regulations require. 

 

We don’t allow the promotion of the following financial products: 

  • High APR personal loans (e.g., payday loans)

  • Initial coin offerings (ICOs) and binary options

  • Decentralized finance (DeFi) trading protocols

  • Credit cards with staking requirements

  • Bail bonds

Below are examples of financial products and services that we may permit in certain instances: 

  • Cryptocurrency wallets, platforms and exchanges

  • Credit cards without staking requirements

  • Credit products and services (e.g., credit cards, HELOCs, etc.)

  • Loan products and services (e.g., mortgages, car loans, etc.)

  • Auto, medical, life or other insurance products and services

  • Prediction markets

Gambling and Games

We restrict the promotion of gambling and gambling-related ads on our platform. 

 

Below are examples of gambling-related ad content that we may permit in certain instances:

  • Brick-and-mortar casinos

  • Online casinos and social casino games

  • Sports betting, daily fantasy sports, and lotteries

  • Products or services where users can play games of chance to win money or prizes with real world value

  • Other websites or services facilitating or leading to online gambling content, including affiliates, aggregators, and comparison sites

Alcohol

We restrict the promotion of alcohol, alcohol surrogates, and alcohol-related products. 

 

Alcohol ads cannot:

  • Target or appeal to users under the applicable legal drinking age based on where ads are targeted

  • Depict irresponsible or underage drinking

  • Imply that drinking alcohol can improve social, sexual, professional, intellectual, or athletic standing 

  • Imply that drinking can treat health issues or offer therapeutic benefits

  • Portray excessive or irresponsible drinking, including consuming alcohol in conjunction with operating a vehicle or other heavy machinery

Political

At this time, we only permit advertisers to promote political ads in the United States, UK, Australia, India, and Japan. In order for an account to be eligible, the account holder must complete an advertiser identity verification process.

 

Below are examples of political ad content that we may permit in certain instances:

  • Ads sponsored by candidates, political parties, political committees, any entity registered or reporting under any federal, state or local campaign finance law, or others sponsoring ads on behalf of any of the above-listed categories

  • Ads that feature a candidate for elected office or current elected officeholder

  • Ads that feature a ballot measure, proposition, or initiative 

Additionally, we require that political advertisements clearly disclose the use of any synthetic or manipulated media, including media created or edited with the use of artificial intelligence tools, that depicts real or realistic-looking people or events. This disclosure must be included in the advertisement and must be clear and conspicuous.

Healthcare

Some healthcare ads on our platform may be restricted based on the advertiser, the product or service being promoted, and/or the region they target. Other healthcare products and services may not be permitted under any circumstances. 

 

Below are examples of healthcare-related ad content that we may permit in certain instances:

  • Online pharmacies

  • Offline brick-and-mortar pharmacies

  • Prescription pharmaceutical products

  • Over-the-counter medication and supplements

  • Pharmaceutical manufacturers

  • Medical devices

  • Birth control products and contraceptives

  • Clinical trial recruitment

  • Medical and cosmetic services

Editorial Requirements

To promote a positive user experience, we require that you adhere to the following editorial requirement:

 

Text:

  • Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation

  • Avoid excessive or unnecessary punctuation and capitalization

Branding and clarity:

  • Clearly reflect and state the brand, advertiser name, or identity

  • Avoid assets or text that are unclear or incomprehensible

  • Do not imply an endorsement or relationship with any brand, label, artist, album, or track, unless you’ve independently obtained the rights to do so

  • Do not use Spotify's trademarks, trade names, brand features, or other intellectual property without Spotify’s prior written approval

Media:

  • Ads must follow our Audio and/or Video Ad Specs and Requirements

  • Visual assets should be suitable for all targeted users

  • Avoid repetitive, gimmicky, or otherwise low quality media assets

  • Media assets should not mimic the Spotify interface or otherwise mislead or trick users into interacting with an ad

Prohibited Targeting

We don’t permit the use of any data that directly identifies, infers, or is intended to identify sensitive personal characteristics for targeting purposes. This includes audience selection, audience matching, audience expansion, retargeting, optimization, and ad delivery.

 

Sensitive personal characteristics include race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief system (including political beliefs), sexual orientation, marital status, health conditions or treatments, or other actual or inferred characteristics associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization.

 

We reserve the right to reject, suspend, remove, restrict, or require modification of any campaign, audience, targeting strategy, or advertising activity that violates this policy.