Wanna Break From The Ads?

About

Wanna Break From The Ads? also written Want A Break From The Ads? refers to a male voice Spotify advertisement that plays between songs for non-Premium listeners that use Spotify for free, prompting them to watch a short video for 30 minutes of ad-free music. Starting in the early 2010s, it became a pop culture reference in memes. In the 2020s, it became a notable TikTok sound and video sound effect within viral videos on YouTube. In 2022, a Slowed + Reverb version started to trend as well as one that incorporated both the Goofy Ahh and AUGHHHH sounds.

Origin

In 2012, Spotify's "Want a break from the ads?" advertisement was first launched, evident from the earliest tweet ever posted about it on June 19th, 2012 from Twitter^[1] user samturnxr. On April 13th, 2015, Twitter^[2] user stdney tweeted, "my fav song lyric is 'want a break from the ads? upgrade to premium,'" earning over 670 likes in seven years (shown below). This is the first-known tweet mentioning the ad to receive over 500 likes.

Continuing into 2016 and 2017, the reference became more prominent in memes. For instance, on December 6th, 2016, Twitter^[3] user Danny_Severe used a variation of the Turn Up The Volume template in reference to the ad, earning over 345 likes in six years (shown below, left). On March 20th, 2017, Twitter^[4] user beidoubunny used the Meryl Streep Singing meme to demonstrate knowing the second "WATCH THIS SHORT AD TO GET 30 MINUTES OF AF FREE MUSIC" part of the advertisement by memory. The tweet received over 650 likes in five years (shown below, right).

Going into early 2019, the Spotify ad had a male voice that recited the notorious "Want a break from the ads? Watch this short video to receive 30 minutes of ad-free music" line while an indie, acoustic guitar song playing in the background. On July 29th, 2019, YouTuber Luis Gonzalez uploaded the sound effect as a video, earning roughly 86,900 views over the course of three years (shown below, left).

In late 2019, Spotify altered the ad by changing the background music to an ambient and electronic soundscape. The ad opened with a "bwooooom" sound effect and had a new male voice reciting, "Want a break from the ads? If you tap now to watch a short video, you'll receive 30 minutes of ad-free music… Yes, really! If you tap now to watch a short video, you'll receive 30 minutes of ad-free music." On March 20th, 2020, YouTuber 325 Entertainment uploaded this late-2019 version of the ad as a video, earning roughly 295,100 views over the course of two years (shown below, right).

On February 13th, 2020, TikToker^[5] shoe.jordan used the 2019 "Wanna Break From The Ads?" sound as the audio for his "Fire vs. Never Heard Of It" TikTok video. Over the course of two years, the video received roughly 380,000 plays and 94,500 likes (shown below). This is currently the first-known video to use of the 2019 "Wanna Break From The Ads?" sound in a memetic context.

Spread

Going into 2020, other TikTokers used shoe.jordan's sound for their videos. One of the first viral uses was uploaded on March 8th, 2020 by TikToker^[6] edsheerand1sliker who used it in a sketch about when the ad plays just before making out with someone. In two years, the TikTok received roughly 3.3 million plays and 810,100 likes (shown below, left). In June 2020, the sound was used en masse on TikTok. For instance, on June 17th, 2020, TikToker^[7] mlloly used the sound for a video of 3D-modeled pants slowly approaching the viewer. The TikTok received roughly 3.4 million plays and 1.1 million likes in two years (shown below, right).

On June 20th, 2020, YouTuber Tonsillitis Mcgee posted a video that used the "Wanna Break From The Ads?" sound, inserting it into the Anonymous Asexual meme template. Over the course of two years, the video received roughly 52,300 views and 1,900 likes (shown below, left). A year later, on July 21st, 2021, YouTuber Not Very Lengthy used the sound for a video of a stuffed Elmo being tortured, earning roughly 51,900 views and 4,200 likes in one year (shown below, right).

Wanna Break From The AUGHHHH?

On February 16th, 2022, TikToker^[8] df_statix posted a video that added the Goofy Ahh sound and the snoring AUGHHHH sound onto the end of the "Wanna Break From The Ads?" sound. Over the course of six months, the video received roughly 434,200 plays and 46,000 likes (shown below, left).

TikTokers used the sound in their videos going into mid-2022. For instance, one of the first viral uses was uploaded on February 19th, 2022 by TikToker^[9] poopmangaming21, earning roughly 6.1 million plays and 988,900 likes in six months (shown below, right).

"Wanna A Break From The Ads?" Slowed + Reverb

On July 16th, 2022, TikToker^[10] stevehairharringtonbae uploaded a screen-recording of a CapCut audio that repeated the "Wanna Break From The Ads?" sound, with each repeat becoming slower and more reverbed. Over the course of one month, the TikTok received roughly 926,600 plays and 115,900 likes (shown below, left).

Continuing into July and August 2022, the slowed + reverb version became a trending sound in memes. For instance, a lip dub trend emerged with the sound, wherein, creators lip-synced each slow repeat of the audio as they became more Chad and GigaChad like. On July 23rd, 2022, TikToker^[11] maxtaylorlifts started this trend, earning roughly 3.8 million plays and 711,100 likes in one month (shown below, right).

The sound spread to YouTube as well in August 2022, being used by multiple YouTubers to show transitions in characters or between shitpost style videos. For instance, on August 11th, 2022, YouTuber DarkHumor momo used the audio with their own OC characters, earning roughly 363,100 views in six days (shown below, left). On August 14th, 2022, YouTuber new account ∙ 7.7B views ∙ 3 seconds ago posted an iteration that referenced 3D Saul Goodman, Kid Named Finger and other Ironic Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul memes. The video received roughly 306,100 views in three days (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References