The two ways to stop ads on Spotify for PC
Spotify on Windows and Mac shows ads in the free tier unless you pay for Spotify Premium, which costs $11.99 per month in the US (pricing varies by country). There is no other way to remove ads while keeping the free account — no settings toggle, no workaround, no ad blocker that works reliably with Spotify's desktop app.
Your actual choices are: upgrade to Premium, or switch to a different music service that does not show ads on its free tier. Some services like YouTube Music and Apple Music do not offer a free ad-supported option at all, so Premium is the only paid path there. Others like Amazon Music Unlimited and Tidal have free tiers with ads, just like Spotify.
If you use Spotify's web player in a browser instead of the desktop app, ad blockers can suppress some ads, but Spotify actively works against this and the results are inconsistent. The desktop app itself cannot be blocked this way.
Key Takeaways
- Spotify Premium removes all ads and costs $11.99 per month in the US, with different prices in other countries.
- The free tier of Spotify on PC will always show ads — there is no setting or trick to turn them off without paying.
- Ad blockers do not work reliably on the Spotify desktop app and Spotify blocks them on the web player.
- Student, family, and bundle plans (bundled with other services) offer lower prices than the standard Premium rate.
- Switching to a different music service is an option if you want a free tier without ads, though most paid services require a subscription.
What Spotify Premium includes beyond ad removal
Premium removes ads, but it also unlocks other features that the free tier does not have. You get unlimited skips on any song (free users can skip 6 times per hour), the ability to play any song on demand instead of shuffle-only, and higher audio quality at 320 kbps instead of 160 kbps.
You can also read songs to listen offline, which is useful if you travel or have spotty internet. On the free tier, you can only listen to songs you have saved if you are online and connected.
Premium works across all devices — phone, tablet, computer, smart speaker — with the same account. If you share your household, Spotify Premium Family lets up to 6 people have their own account for $16.99 per month, which works out cheaper per person than buying individual subscriptions.
Student and family pricing options
If you are a full-time student, Spotify Premium Student costs $5.99 per month and includes a free Hulu subscription. You will need to verify your student status through SheerID, a third-party verification service, when you sign up.
Spotify Premium Family costs $16.99 per month and covers up to 6 people in your household. Each person gets their own account, recommendations, and offline downloads. Family members do not share a listening history or see each other's playlists unless they choose to.
Spotify also bundles Premium with other services — for example, some phone carriers and internet providers offer it as part of their plans. Check your current subscriptions to see if Premium is already included.
How to start a Premium subscription on PC
Open Spotify on your computer and look for the "Upgrade" button, usually at the top right of the window or in the left sidebar. Click it and you will be taken to Spotify's payment page. You can pay with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal.
Spotify will ask for your billing address and payment method. After you enter this information, your account upgrades when ready and ads stop. If you signed up for a free trial, the trial period starts right away — you will not be charged until the trial ends unless you cancel before then.
You can also go to spotify.com, sign in, and click "Upgrade to Premium" from your account page. The process is the same.
Canceling or pausing your subscription
You can cancel Premium at any time through your account settings on Spotify's website. Go to Account, then Subscription, and select "Cancel Premium." Your access continues until the end of your current billing cycle, and you will not be charged again.
If you want to pause instead of cancel, Spotify does not have a pause feature, but you can downgrade to the free tier. Your playlists and saved songs stay in your account, and you can upgrade again later without losing anything.
If you are charged after you cancel, contact Spotify support through the Help section on their website. Keep your cancellation confirmation email as proof.
Why ad blockers do not work on the Spotify desktop app
Ad blockers work by blocking the web addresses (URLs) that ads come from. Spotify's desktop app does not load ads the same way a website does — it uses a different system that ad blockers cannot intercept. Even if you run your computer's DNS through an ad-blocking service, Spotify's app will still show ads.
On the Spotify web player (spotify.com in your browser), ad blockers can suppress some ads, but Spotify detects them and may prevent you from playing music or show a message asking you to disable the blocker. Spotify's terms of service forbid using ad blockers, so this is not a supported method.
The only reliable way to remove ads is to pay for Premium.
Comparing Spotify to other music services with free tiers
YouTube Music has a free tier with ads on the web and mobile app, but the desktop experience is limited. YouTube Music Premium costs $11.99 per month and removes ads. YouTube Premium (which includes Music Premium) costs $13.99 per month.
Amazon Music offers a free tier with ads if you have an Amazon Prime membership, or a standalone free tier with ads and limited features. Amazon Music Unlimited (ad-free) costs $10.99 per month or $109 per year.
Tidal has a free tier with ads and costs $11.99 per month for ad-free listening. Apple Music does not have a free tier — it is $10.99 per month or included with Apple One bundles.
None of these services offer a way to remove ads on the free tier without paying, just like Spotify.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a VPN to get Spotify Premium cheaper in another country?
Spotify's terms of service forbid using a VPN to access pricing from a different country. If Spotify detects this, it may suspend your account or require you to pay the price for your actual location. The price difference is usually small anyway — most countries charge between $10 and $13 per month.
Does Spotify Premium remove ads on the mobile app too?
Yes. Premium removes ads on all platforms — desktop, mobile, web, and smart speakers. One subscription covers all your devices.
What happens to my playlists if I cancel Premium?
Your playlists and saved songs stay in your account. You can still listen to them on the free tier (online only, no downloads). If you upgrade to Premium again later, everything is still there.
Is there a free trial for Spotify Premium?
Spotify sometimes offers a free trial period (usually one month) for new Premium users, but the offer changes and is not always available. When you click Upgrade, Spotify will show you what trial period, if any, you are may be able to access for before you enter your payment information.
Can I share my Premium account with someone else?
Spotify's terms allow you to share your account with people in your household, but if you want separate accounts and recommendations, Premium Family is the right choice. It costs $16.99 per month for up to 6 people and is cheaper per person than buying individual subscriptions.