Pocket Casts does not insert ads into episodes. So, it doesn’t matter if a user has Pocket Casts Plus or Patron.
Any ads you hear would be from the podcast author adding them to their podcast. These are the two common methods authors use to insert ads into their episodes:
- Recording the ad with the rest of the podcast – to listeners’ ears, this sounds the most natural, as there are well-defined transitions for when an ad starts and ends.
- “Dynamic Ad Insertion” (DAI) – if you hear ads that sound very local and rather out of place compared to the rest of the episode, it is often a sign that DAI is being used. This is because DAI serves ads based on your phone’s IP address. However, it’s important to note that Pocket Casts does not provide your location for these ads. It’s actually the podcast hosting providers who figure out your location based on where your phone requests downloads from.
FAQs
Does Pocket Casts Plus insert advertisements into episodes?
No, Pocket Casts does not insert any ads into episodes.
If I subscribe to Pocket Casts Plus or Patron, will it remove ads from podcasts?
No, subscribing to Pocket Casts Plus or Patron will not make episodes ad-free. This is because we do not insert the ads ourselves, and we respect the choices made by podcast creators to support themselves through ads.
Although ad-blocking or removal is not included with Plus or Patron, a subscription gives you access to many other benefits that you can view here.
How do I get ad-free listening?
Some podcast authors provide members-only or private versions of their podcasts that are ad-free. Podcast creators may also refer to these as paid premium feeds that contain bonus content.
Listeners can often access these premium feeds by being patrons or subscribers through platforms like Patreon and Memberful.