Option to disable video on podcasts to save data on all platforms

[MadeFromMetal]

Give us the option on Android and iOS to disable video playback so users can save data usage. 3 hours of 1080p is a lot of data used. This is a huge problem for so many users, especially ones you want to use Spotify away from home. This could be a deal breaker for me. I mainly watch podcasts but only want to listen to audio and many channels are offering audio/video stream and Spotify doesn't have the option to turn video playback off. Even when I play Spotify in the background it still is pulling video data in its small window using an unnecessary amount of data.

[MadeFromMetal]

Here is how much data YouTube consumes in just 1 hour on 1080p. It's not completely accurate to Spotify but it'll give you an example:

• 1080p at 30FPS: 2.03GB per hour
• 1080p at 60FPS: 3.04GB per hour

If you watched 9 hours per day the equivalent of 3 podcasts you would consume:

▪︎18.27GB in 9 hours at 30fps(1080p) which is 548GB if done over a month at 9hrs a day.

▪︎27.36GB in 9hrs at 60FPS (1080p) which is 820.8GB if done over a month at 9hrs a day.

Might be worth adding an option to also reduce video resolution and FPS to reduce data if we can't get a audio option to turn off video playback.

[MafeG · Accepted solution]

Hi @MadeFromMetal

Thank you for reaching out to the Community.

We've moved your post to this help board because this is something you can already do from the mobile app.

You can go to Settings and toggle on "Stream audio only" under Playback options. This will force the podcasts to play as audio only when using mobile data and not WIFI.

You can also download the episodes for offline listening and have the option to save them as audio only or with video as well.

Let us know if you have any questions.

[skelly_flacko]

@mafeG this doesn't work. There is no "stream audio only" option in playback settings. The fact that you can't disable video when you want to LISTEN to a podcast is absolutely mind boggling. Boneheaded product call. 

[Eni]

Hey there @skelly_flacko, 

Thanks for reaching out about this and welcome to the Community. 

You should find this option in the app settings under "Video podcasts":

If you don't see it there, it's well worth running a clean reinstall to get rid of any cached files that might be causing trouble. This one is more thorough than the usual one.

If this doesn't do the trick, could you send us a screenshot of your app settings? You can attach it to your next response by using the Insert image option in the post editor. Make sure not to send any private info.

We'll be on the lookout.

[shalerwells]

Is there a way to never play video? I don't want my kids playing videos at all and their phone is always on WiFi.

[ijndjdfk]

This does not work.  I have the Download audio only option enabled and the video still plays when I start a video podcast. Does this option not work for streamed podcasts?

[Rexthegendertraitor]

is this an option on desktop? video podcasts are extremely glitchy on any computer ive used, and i would like to disable the video as im not caring to watch it anyway.  

[AlejaR]

Hey @Rexthegendertraitor,

Thanks for your reply in this thread.

To answer your question, yes, the feature to disable a podcast video is available on Desktop 🙂 You can either click the X in the video itself or the Show/Hide video button in the lower left corner of the app, next to the title of the currently playing episode:

Hope this clears things up. If you have any questions or need anything else, the Community is here for you.
 

Take care!

[divega]

The option used to be there a few days ago but I cannot find it anymore. Was this removed?

edit: never mind. It is under data saver, not playback options.

[NatanAugusto]

How do I disable the videos from podcasts even if I'm connected to wifi?

[Eni]

Hey @NatanAugusto, 

Thanks for reaching out about this here in the Community. 

Currently, it's not possible to disable podcast videos while connected to WiFi. 

In this case, you can have a look in our Idea Exchange to see if someone else has already made a similar suggestion. If there isn't one, you can give these steps a go and submit your idea so that other users can also support it. The higher the number of votes an idea gets, the more likely it is for it to be implemented.

Also, you can read more about how your feedback reaches Spotify here.

If you need a hand with anything else, the Community is here for you. 

[rg38j_-1iftpm]

This doesn't actually stop the downloading of the video though, at least not in my experience.
I'm still getting stalls and stutters that I wouldn't otherwise experience with music.
Plus if I click to open the video - it's available instantly - as though it was already playing in the background.

Is there a way to ensure, whilst on WiFi - on the desktop app, that it only streams audio?

The listening experience on my current WiFi set up (LOS based internet), is pretty awful.

However listening to music is seamless and great?

[Xeazal]

I’m looking at the Playback options and don’t see that as a setting.

[AlejaR]

Hey @Xeazal,

Thanks for your reply.

In this case, keep in mind that you'll see the option to disable video podcasts when not listening to them with WiFi under Video Podcasts> Stream audio only (from the mobile device settings). On the desktop app you'll see the button as explained here 🙂

If you don't see the option under Video Podcasts, can you share with us the make/model and OS of your device along with the Spotify version you're running? It'd be helpful if you could share with us a screenshot of it as well.

Keep us in the loop!

[basfellinger]

Exactly, I have a family subscription and I love the fact that my children are able to listen to their favourite songs. However, since they discovered the video podcast option, they are glued to their screen. There should really be an option to uncheck this. 

[Audiobit]

To all concerned about the topic, you may want to vote to introduce video disabling option:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Idea-Submissions/Community-Other-Add-quot-remove-video-podcast-cont...

[Audiobit]

I fully support the idea of switching off video and disabling videos is the reason I found this place. Restriction to videos was the reason why I disabled almost any video apps (youtube, games etc) to my kids and gave them Spotify. Now I found out that audiostreaming Spotify has videos too!

@admin: please allow in parental control to disable video content option. Quick changing videos are addictive to kids. If this is what Spotify wants to achieve as other platforms does so i will need to disable entire app. Please look deeper at this phenomenon (video addiction) and let parrents provide only healthy content.

[cameron_lapstra]

it's in data saver not playback 

[kazi_sun]

I’ve just discovered that my 10-year-old son is watching video podcast on Spotify after I turn off YouTube shorts for him!! I totally agree with you that we should, as parents who have paid for a streaming service Be able to turn off videos on Spotify! If there is not a fix for this from Spotify soon, I know my husband and I will be cancelling our Spotify subscription and finding a different streaming service that offers a better way of protecting our kids!