Spotify has launched its self-serve advertising platform, Spotify Ads Manager, in India, opening up direct access to its ad inventory for a wider set of advertisers.
The tool allows brands to plan, run and measure campaigns across audio, video and display formats without going through managed services or agency-led buying. Campaigns can be activated directly with prepaid options or credit-based billing, lowering the entry barrier for smaller advertisers.
The rollout expands Spotify’s advertising base beyond large brands to include startups, D2C companies and independent marketers. For a market like India, where digital ad spend is still heavily skewed towards performance platforms, this positions Spotify more clearly as a mid-funnel and upper-funnel channel.
Arjun Kolady, Head of Sales, Spotify India, said, “Spotify sits at the intersection of two powerful forces for advertisers, an audience that is in fan mode, with high intent, high emotion, and high recall, and an evolving platform where culture is created, discovered, and amplified across audio and beyond.
“With Spotify Ads Manager now live in India, we are making it possible for brands of every size, whether you are a CMO at an enterprise brand, a media agency buyer, or a growing D2C business, to reach these audiences directly and drive measurable impact. And for India’s musicians, labels, artist managers, and podcasters, this is equally significant — Spotify Ads Manager gives them the tools to promote their work and connect with a global audience directly from India,” Kolady said.
Spotify says the platform supports campaign setup within minutes, with placements across music and podcasts. As a logged-in service, it offers targeting based on listening behaviour and context, rather than relying only on demographic segments.
The company is also pushing multi-format campaigns, combining audio, video and display. According to Spotify, these formats together have delivered higher returns compared to audio-only campaigns in global markets, although performance in India will depend on adoption and pricing.
The platform includes built-in testing and optimisation tools. Advertisers can run split tests across creatives and track metrics such as completion rates and click-through rates. Automated bidding adjusts spend in real time based on delivery conditions.
Spotify has also integrated creative tools into the platform. Advertisers can upload assets, generate audio ads, or use AI-assisted tools for scripting, voiceovers and music. Measurement is supported through Spotify’s own attribution tools as well as integrations with third-party platforms including DoubleVerify, AppsFlyer, Kochava and Branch.
For the music business, the launch brings a practical shift. Artists, labels and managers now have access to the same ad infrastructure used by brands, without needing intermediaries. The question is whether this translates into consistent spend from the industry, or remains largely advertiser-led.
