Audio ad specifications
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Maximum length | 30 seconds for music and for podcast streaming ad insertion |
| Long-form option | Up to 60 seconds in selected markets, skippable after 30 seconds |
| File types | MP3, WAV or OGG |
| Bit rate | 192 kbps minimum, 320 kbps maximum |
| Sample rate | 44.1 kHz |
| Loudness | Minus 16 LUFS, plus or minus 1.5 LUFS |
| Channels | Stereo |
| Maximum file size | 50 MB |
The loudness requirement is the one that catches people out. A master that sounds right in the studio will often be rejected or normalised badly if it was mixed to a broadcast target instead of minus 16 LUFS.
Companion display unit
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum dimensions | 600 by 600 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 square |
| File types | JPEG or PNG |
| Maximum file size | 200 KB |
The companion is clickable, so it is doing real work. It should carry the offer or the brand clearly enough to be understood in the half second someone glances at their phone.
Script length guidance
Spotify recommends no more than around sixty five words for a thirty second ad, and around a hundred words for a sixty second ad.
This is the single most useful number in audio production. Most first drafts run twenty to forty per cent over, and the resulting read is rushed. Cutting to the recommended length nearly always improves the ad, because it forces one clear idea instead of three competing ones.
Video ad specifications
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Maximum length | Up to 30 seconds |
| Aspect ratios | 9:16 portrait and 16:9 landscape. Desktop is 16:9 only |
| Resolution | 720 by 1280 portrait, 1280 by 720 landscape, or similar HD |
| File types | MOV or MP4 |
| Maximum file size | 500 MB |
| Bit rate | 198 kbps ideal, 320 kbps maximum |
| Audio RMS | Normalised to minus 14 dBFS |
| Audio peak | Normalised to minus 0.2 dBFS |
| Not accepted | Interlaced video, black bars, silent creative |
Spotify also publishes separate specifications for in-feed video, display units, carousel ads, sponsored playlists and homepage takeovers. If a sponsorship format is in your plan, get the current sheet from Spotify before you brief production.
Delivery checklist
- Audio mastered to minus 16 LUFS stereo and checked with a meter, not by ear
- Script read at a comfortable pace within the duration, with room at the end
- Companion image tested at small size on an actual phone
- Video exported natively in both aspect ratios rather than cropped
- No black bars, no interlacing, no silent tracks
- File names that identify the variant, so reporting is readable later
Platform figures and specifications quoted across this site come from Spotify Advertising and Spotify's published quarterly results. They change, so treat them as a starting point and check the current documentation before you plan a budget.