We've all been there: You hear an ad while streaming music on Spotify or Pandora and it's just too much effort to look up the product later.
Well, both music streaming services are looking into ways to change that with interactive voice ads.
SEE ALSO:Spotify now has 100 million paid subscribers worldwideSpotify announced on Thursday that it would do limited tests of voice-activated ads in the United States. Right now it's just advertising its own products, like original podcasts and branded playlists. The ads give users a moment to say "Play now" if they want to hear what is being advertised. If not, the ad will keep going like usual.
The company initially hinted at the move in an earnings call this week, according to TechCrunch. So far it's just happening with a limited amount of free users in the U.S., and they can opt out in the app's settings menu.
This is just a month after Pandora announced it would try its own voice-activated ads — these would allow users to get more information about an advertised product — sometime in 2019.
This is what it might look like when you talk to one of Spotify or Pandora's new ads.Credit: Getty Images/Westend61While this idea may seem a bit dystopian, it was probably inevitable after people started letting voice-controlled virtual assistants into their homes. There have been recent concerns about Google Assistant's relationship with companies that advertise on Google, for example.
Advertisers might like it because it gives them firmer metrics to work with, including how many people actually interacted with their ads.
Of course, both Spotify and Pandora offer paid subscriptions that remove ads entirely, so this is easy to avoid if you're able to pony up the cash. Spotify just announced it has 100 million paid subscribers worldwide, so plenty of people will never get the chance to talk to ads.
TopicsAdvertising
(责任编辑：娛樂)
Did our grandparents have the best beauty advice?
'The Last of Us' finale: Why Ashley Johnson's cameo is so perfect
That Ahmed Best Jedi cameo in 'The Mandalorian,' explained
Biden wants everyone driving an EV with 'strongestHonda's allThis chart shows just how high Simone Biles can jump
American gymnast Simone Biles has dominated the Rio Olympics with five medals (four of them gold) bu
...[详细]'Clone High' review: Joan of Arc and JFK return for a super fun, self
A lothas changed in the 20 years since Clone High first aired on — then got canceled by &mdash
...[详细]Fake Pentagon explosion photo caused a real dip in the stock market
A deepfake of an explosion at the Pentagon that caused the stock market to dip exemplified the misin
...[详细]Google Pixel Fold and 7a leaks reveal potential June launch
A long-rumored Google Pixel device may be just a few months away.According to reports (based on reta
...[详细]Dramatic photo captures nun texting friends after Italy earthquake
The image of an injured, bloodied nun, calmly texting friends and family in the wake of the deadly e
...[详细]Google Pixel phones may get a dashcam feature
You may already own your next dashcam and you don't even know it yet.9to5Google analyzed some unrele
...[详细]Google I/O 2023: New Gmail AI feature will soon write entire emails for you. How it works.
Gmail will soon have a feature that will write entire emails for you using AI, Google announced on W
...[详细]How Mars rovers could explore vast uncharted caves
Ever since scientists have had an orbiter's view of Mars, they've observed intriguing black spots on
...[详细]Donald Trump's tangled web of Russian influence
Donald Trump has had ties to Russia for decades, but they've thickened as his campaign for the White
...[详细]Why are celebs donning blue ribbons at the Oscars?
As celebrities strutted down the Oscars red carpet, awash in the glitz and glam of Hollywood, some w
...[详细]Two states took big steps this week to get rid of the tampon tax
An open letter to Elon Musk: Leave stan Twitter alone
