Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular, with an estimated 120 million podcast listeners in the United States in 2021 according to Statista. Spotify is currently the number-one podcast streaming service nationally and globally.

In an effort to make podcast advertising more interactive, Spotify released an ad format for podcasts in January 2022 that allows for a visual call-to-action (CTA) card to accompany an audio ad. In the past, advertisers only had 15 or 30 seconds to pitch a product or service before potentially losing that listener’s attention forever. This new feature allows podcast advertisers to drive direct traffic to a website and help listeners remember useful information like URLs or promo codes.

However, many people listen to podcasts while driving, cooking, cleaning or doing various other activities where the podcast screen is not visible. Spotify states that these 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.” This statement reveals that even those who do not engage with the podcast while listening will still have the opportunity to explore advertised products or services afterward, creating the first truly interactive podcast experience beneficial to the advertiser and the listener.