v3.0.1 - say which Spotify you have

Two messages that sent people looking for a bug that was not there. No behaviour changed, no new files, no new permissions - if neither of these has bitten you, there is nothing here worth updating for.

Fixed

The Microsoft Store build of Spotify is recognised. It installs as a Windows package instead of into %APPDATA%\Spotify, so this app cannot work with it - and said so as "Spotify was not found", to people who were looking at Spotify while it played music. It now names the build and says what to install instead. Found because a volunteer reported the app as broken; it was not, but the message was.

The installer named the wrong certificate store. The wizard said "your personal certificate store". Personal is a different store that Windows really has - the CA goes into Trusted Root. Reworded to something a reader can act on.

--selftest also stops reporting "all mechanisms available" on a machine where Spotify is missing or the wrong build.

Installing

Download SpotifyAdsSkipper_Setup.exe below and run it. Windows will warn that the publisher is unknown - the installer is not code-signed - so choose More info -> Run anyway.

You need the Spotify desktop client from spotify.com. The Microsoft Store build cannot be used; if that is the one you have, this version tells you so on launch instead of claiming Spotify is missing.

Upgrading from 3.0.0 is just running the installer over the top. It closes the running copy first, and your certificate and settings are left alone.

New here? The 3.0.0 notes explain what the app installs, what the certificate is for, and what is worth knowing before you use it. All of it still applies.

Verifying the download

You do not need this to install the app. It is here in case you got the file from somewhere other than this page.

SHA-256  4622905A2A9FD9631E0C2E62E5593417077CDE3BA7293D73B37F6311CE5ACFE1

Get-FileHash .\SpotifyAdsSkipper_Setup.exe

v3.0.0 - audio ads never play

Version 2 blocked ads with the hosts file. That stopped working, and it cannot be made to work again: Spotify hands the client a per-region hostname at run time, so no static list can enumerate them, and ad audio now streams from audio-fa.scdn.co - the same host that serves music. There is no hostname that is only ever an ad.

This version filters by URL path instead, where the separation is still clean. Audio ads are never fetched, so the next track starts immediately rather than after thirty seconds of silence. Display ads are removed from the client's interface separately.

Installing

Download SpotifyAdsSkipper_Setup.exe below and run it. Windows will warn that the publisher is unknown - the installer is not code-signed - so choose More info -> Run anyway.

Setup explains the certificate it needs and then installs. Nothing else to do: Spotify restarts once and the app sits in the tray from then on. Right-click it for the status line; blocking (N ad requests dropped) means it is working.

You need the Spotify desktop app from spotify.com. The Microsoft Store build installs elsewhere and will not be found.

About the certificate

Spotify sends ads down the same encrypted connection as music, so telling them apart means inspecting that connection locally, which needs a certificate in your personal store. It is created on your machine and never leaves it.

It is limited by name and by purpose: it can only vouch for spotify.com, scdn.co and spotifycdn.com, and only for websites. Windows and OpenSSL both reject anything it signs for another site, for a bare IP address, or for e-mail and program signing. The private key is encrypted to your Windows account and readable only by it.

Uninstalling removes it, and so does Remove local certificate in the tray menu.

Worth knowing

• Patching the client and intercepting its API traffic both break Spotify's Terms of Service.
• The ad endpoints are paths, not domains, and Spotify can rename them. Ads come back until the list is updated.
• While the app runs, traffic to Spotify's domains is decrypted on your machine - a Spotify browser tab included. Nothing is stored and nothing is sent anywhere.
• Windows only.

Verifying the download

You do not need this to install the app. It is here in case you got the file from somewhere other than this page.

SHA-256  38742FEADFD931FECCA8873EC47F77CF7EFDCFCB09A6C7E8F475F3B2185A546C

Get-FileHash .\SpotifyAdsSkipper_Setup.exe

v2.0.0 - Official Release

🚀 v2 Release

The ultimate Host-Based Spotify Ad Skipper is finally here!

✨ Features

• Blocks Ads: Silences audio and video ads seamlessly.
• Silent Operation: Runs quietly in the background (System Tray).
• Automatic: Manages the hosts file for you.
• Safe: Open source and verified.

📦 How to install

1. Download the SpotifyAdsSkipper_Setup.exe file below ("Assets").
2. Run the installer.
3. Enjoy ad-free music! 🎧