BlockTheSpot targets audio, video and banner ads through three mechanisms in config.ini: an adsEnabled patch in the xpui-snapshot.js bundle for audio ads, a URL block list of ad-related paths, and interface patches. Coverage depends on whether those patches match your Spotify build. The sources we reviewed do not map every video or banner variant, so test each type you care about and revert if something misbehaves.
Spotify's free tier shows ads in several forms. Audio ads play between songs or podcast segments. Video ads appear in some contexts. Banner ads sit in the interface, on the home screen, in search, or in playlist views. Each form is produced by different code and loaded from different places, so a patch can cover one form and miss another. That is the reason this page covers each type separately, rather than promising a single "all ads blocked" result.
The project's README says the focus is mainly on blocking listening ads and performance, and that cosmetic changes are not the main purpose. That is a useful expectation: audio ad blocking is the core, and banner and video coverage depend more on how each part of the interface loads.
The clearest audio mechanism in the config file is the [adsEnabled] entry inside the [xpui-snapshot.js] section. It searches for the text adsEnabled:!0 in Spotify's interface bundle, then changes one byte at a fixed offset so the flag reads false. This is a signature-based edit, so it depends on the exact build of the bundle. If the bundle changes, the signature may not match, and audio ads can return while the rest of the patch still applies.
If audio ads are blocked on your build, that is the patch doing its main job. If they return after an update, the signature is the first thing to suspect. Our ads still showing guide walks through the checks, and the config.ini guide explains the section.
Banner ads reach the interface in two ways that BlockTheSpot addresses. The first is the [URL_block] section, which blocks requests to ad-related paths. The config lists /ads/ and /ad-logic/, among others. A banner whose content loads from one of those paths will not complete. The second is the set of interface patches in the bundle sections, such as the upgrade-button entries. Those change how specific interface elements render.
The coverage gap is in the middle. A banner may load from a path the list does not name, or it may be rendered by an element no patch targets. In that case the banner continues to appear, and the fix is either a new config.ini that covers the path or a new patch. We cannot list every banner location, because the sources we reviewed do not map them, so test the screens you use most.
The project's own description on GitHub mentions video, audio, and banner ads together. The URL block list contains ad-related paths, which is consistent with blocking video ad requests that go through those paths. However, the sources we reviewed do not map each video ad format to a specific entry, and video ads can be delivered in several ways. We therefore cannot promise full video coverage. Treat it as something to confirm on your own setup.
Change one thing at a time if you adjust the config, and revert if the app misbehaves. Our uninstall guide restores the original files.
It is tempting to promise that everything is blocked. That promise would be easy to make and hard to keep, because ad delivery changes. A more useful answer is the one this page gives: audio ads are the core target, banner and video coverage depend on the paths and patches your build matches, and you should test the parts of the app you use. That gives you a result you can check, not a claim you have to take on trust.
BlockTheSpot targets audio, video, and banner ads through the adsEnabled patch, a URL block list, and interface patches. Audio is the core, and banner and video coverage depend on your build and on paths the project does not fully map. Test each type on your own setup, and treat the result as yours to verify.
A consistent test order makes coverage easier to compare over time. Start with playback, because that is where audio ads appear. Then move to the screens where banners are most likely: the home screen, search, and playlists. Finally, check any screen where you have seen a video ad. Record each result as you go.
If audio ads are blocked but banners are not, the banner path or interface element is the likely gap. If banners are blocked but audio ads return, check the config.ini sections and your version match. Separating the results this way points you to the right section of the config.
It is designed to. The config.ini includes a patch for an adsEnabled flag in the xpui-snapshot.js bundle, which is the mechanism for audio ad blocking. Whether that works on your build depends on whether the signature still matches the Spotify code.
The project describes video, audio, and banner ads as its targets. The URL block list contains ad-related paths, but the sources we reviewed do not map every video ad variant to a specific entry. Test video coverage on your own build.
Banner coverage depends on which URL paths and interface patches match your build. A banner loaded from a path not on the block list, or rendered by an interface element the patch does not target, can still appear until the list or patch is updated.