Does uBlock Origin Block Spotify Ads?
Does uBlock Origin Block Spotify Ads? With over 422 million monthly active users, Spotify has become one of the most popular music streaming services in the world. Many listeners enjoy Spotify’s massive library of over 82 million songs and podcasts. However, Spotify employs a “freemium” business model, meaning the basic service is free but supported by advertisements.
For users who want an uninterrupted listening experience, these ads can be disruptive and annoying. This has led some users to explore ad blocking as a solution. One of the most popular ad blockers is uBlock Origin, a free and open-source extension available for web browsers like Chrome and Firefox. But can uBlock Origin actually block ads on Spotify?
uBlock Origin is an efficient blocker designed to be less memory-intensive than others. It blocks ads through filtering network requests, stopping requests to ad-serving domains. Many users have reported success using uBlock Origin to remove ads from the Spotify web player. However, its ability to block Spotify ads entirely is limited. Also, you may want to know How to Download Spotify Songs.
How to Install uBlock Origin
Installing uBlock Origin is quick and easy across different browsers.
- On Google Chrome, go to the Chrome Web Store and search for “uBlock Origin“. Click “Add to Chrome” and then “Add extension” in the popup.
- For Mozilla Firefox, go to the Add-ons site and search for “uBlock Origin“. Click “Add to Firefox” and confirm the add-on installation in the popup.
- It’s recommended to enable uBlock Origin in private or incognito browsing modes as well. This ensures the extension works across all browser windows.
- Once installed, the uBlock Origin icon will appear in your browser toolbar. No further configuration is necessary for basic ad-blocking.
Using uBlock Origin to Block Spotify Ads
After installing uBlock Origin, head to Spotify’s web player at open.spotify.com. Log in to your Spotify account and start playing music. The uBlock Origin extension will automatically block ads on the web player.
You’ll notice Spotify’s banner and sidebar ads are removed on the player view. The interruptive audio ads between songs don’t play either. You can enjoy uninterrupted music listening during your session.
However, this ad blocking only applies to Spotify’s web player which uses standard web ads. uBlock Origin cannot block the built-in ads on Spotify’s desktop and mobile apps. So you’ll still get audio ads when using the Spotify desktop program or mobile app.
Why uBlock Origin Works on Spotify
uBlock Origin can block ads on Spotify specifically because of how the web player works. The Spotify web player runs on web technology inside the browser. It requests ads separately from external ad networks.
uBlock Origin is able to intercept these requests and stop them before ads are loaded into the page. This creates an ad-free experience on the web player.
In contrast, Spotify’s desktop and mobile apps have proprietary ad functionality baked into the app code itself. The apps incorporate ads in a way that isn’t as easily filterable by extensions like uBlock. So ad blocking remains limited only to Spotify’s web version.
Limitations of uBlock Origin on Spotify
Because of how deeply ingrained Spotify’s ads are, there are some notable limitations in using uBlock Origin:
- It only blocks ads on Spotify’s web player, not the desktop or mobile apps.
- You have to listen through the web browser, on either Chrome or Firefox.
- Spotify may push updates that circumvent ad blocking on the web player. Maintaining an ad-free experience isn’t guaranteed.
- Performance may be better on the desktop and mobile apps, compared to the web player.
Essentially, uBlock Origin only works fully on Spotify’s web version. Heavy Spotify listeners may find the inability to block ads universally limiting. Still, using the extension to remove ads from the web player can be a worthwhile improvement.
Conclusion
In summary, yes – uBlock Origin can block ads on Spotify’s web player through Chrome or Firefox browsers. This creates an ad-free listening experience on the web version of Spotify. However, its ad blocking does not apply to Spotify’s desktop or mobile apps due to how their ad functionality works.
For users who primarily listen through the browser, using uBlock Origin can be an easy way to remove disruptive audio ads during music playback. But the limitations mean it isn’t an end-all solution for blocking Spotify ads completely across all devices and platforms. Even so, the web player improvement highlights the usefulness of ad blockers like uBlock Origin for specific use cases like Spotify.
