How Many Ads Does Morbid Have?

Morbid averages 1.8 ads per episode — 4.3 minutes of a 67-minute episode. Learn how PodSkip's free on-device AI automatically skips Morbid podcast ads.

You're deep into a Morbid episode — Ash and Alaina are pulling you through a chilling true crime case in their trademark deadpan-then-horrified rhythm — and then it hits: a host-read ad for a mattress brand. Delivered in the same warm, intimate voice they used to describe a murder scene thirty seconds ago. You stab the fast-forward button, overshoot the break, and spend half a minute scrubbing back to find your place. If you've found yourself wondering how many ads does Morbid have, PodSkip measured it from real listener data.

After analyzing 19 Morbid episodes, the numbers are clear: Morbid averages 1.8 ads per episode, with roughly 4.3 minutes of ad time inside a typical 67-minute episode. That's about 6.4% of every episode devoted to ads. Not the worst in podcasting — but enough to interrupt the mood every single time.

Breaking Down Morbid's Ad Count

Morbid sits in a moderate range compared to the broader podcast world. Here's how it compares to other shows PodSkip has measured:

Show	Avg Ads/Episode	Ad Minutes/Episode	Ad %
Morbid	1.8	4.3 min	6.4%
NPR News Now	1.3	0.3 min	6.8%
The MeidasTouch Podcast	2.2	2.0 min	8.0%
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz	3.7	3.3 min	8.7%
The Bobby Bones Show	12.8	9.9 min	17.2%

Average ads per episode — Morbid compared to other popular podcasts.

Morbid's 1.8 ads per episode is relatively restrained — The Bobby Bones Show packs in more than seven times as many. But 4.3 ad minutes per episode adds up to roughly 90 minutes of ads per year for someone listening to two episodes a week. And the placement matters: these are overwhelmingly host-read mid-rolls, delivered by Ash and Alaina themselves, which makes them far harder to catch and skip manually than a jarring pre-roll jingle.

One podcast audio engineer noted that Morbid actually mixes its ads at a slightly lower volume than the main content — a genuine listener-considerate touch. But quieter ads are still ads. For the true crime genre comparison, see what Crime Junkie's ad load looks like — a show with a similar audience and format.

Why Dynamic Ad Insertion Makes Morbid's Ads Worse Over Time

The 1.8-ads-per-episode average measures what's in the feed right now. The underlying problem is structural: Morbid uses dynamic ad insertion (DAI), which means ads are not fixed into the audio file permanently. They're stitched in at playback time — and they can be swapped, added, or refreshed without touching the original episode.

This has real consequences for Morbid listeners. The show has been publishing since 2018 and has an archive of hundreds of episodes. Every one of those episodes can be freshly monetized whenever you pull it up today. You might be listening to a 2020 cold case episode and still hear a 2026 ad for a VPN service.

DAI now accounts for more than 90% of all podcast advertising revenue, and the financial pressure to use it is only growing. Podcast ad revenue surged 26.4% in 2024, crossing $2.4 billion — networks like Wondery, which distributes Morbid, have every incentive to keep the ad inventory flowing into the back catalog.

This is also exactly why Spotify Premium and Amazon Music Unlimited can't solve this problem. Both platforms only control the ads they sell. Morbid's host-read and dynamically inserted ads live in Wondery's own feed and pass straight through to your ears regardless of what streaming subscription you have.

How PodSkip Detects and Skips Morbid Ads Automatically

PodSkip takes a different approach entirely. Its on-device AI listens ahead in the audio stream and identifies sponsored segments automatically — including the host-read ads delivered in Ash and Alaina's own voices. There's no crowdsourced timestamp database, no manual flagging, no waiting for other listeners to mark the ads. The AI finds the transition into a sponsored segment and jumps past it before you even hear the first product name.

It's free. It works on every podcast feed. And it catches host-read ads that every other podcast app misses. If you ever want to hear a specific ad you skipped — a discount code you actually wanted — you can review what was skipped and replay it.

For a full comparison of methods, see how to skip podcast ads automatically.

What the Listening Experience Actually Feels Like

With PodSkip running, a typical Morbid episode drops from 67 minutes to about 62.7 minutes. Ash starts the episode. They set the scene. They walk through the case. The mid-roll break — the one where the audio tone shifts and Alaina starts reading a promo — simply doesn't happen. The story continues. No scrubbing. No overshooting. No jarring key-change back from ad-voice to podcast-voice.

For a show built entirely on atmosphere and sustained dread, uninterrupted listening isn't just convenience — it's the difference between a genuinely immersive experience and a fragmented one.

Does This Work on Other Podcasts?

Yes — PodSkip works on any podcast, not just Morbid. The same on-device AI that identifies Morbid's sponsored segments runs on thousands of other shows automatically. There's no per-show configuration, no show-specific database to update. If it's a podcast, PodSkip listens ahead and skips the ads. You can browse and subscribe to Morbid directly at podskip.app/shows/morbid.

How many ads does Morbid have per episode?

Based on PodSkip's analysis of 19 episodes, Morbid averages 1.8 ads per episode — about 4.3 minutes of ad time in a typical 67-minute episode.

What percentage of a Morbid episode is ads?

About 6.4% of each Morbid episode is ads. That's moderate compared to shows like The Bobby Bones Show (17.2%), but adds up to roughly 90 minutes of ads per year for a listener who follows the show weekly.

Can I skip Morbid ads on Spotify?

No. Spotify's premium tier blocks ads that Spotify itself sells. Morbid's host-read and dynamically inserted ads are part of Wondery's own feed and play through regardless of your Spotify subscription tier.

Does Morbid use dynamic ad insertion?

Yes. Morbid uses DAI, which means ads can be swapped into both new and archived episodes at playback time. An episode from 2019 you listen to today may contain entirely new ads.

Is PodSkip free to use?

Yes, PodSkip is completely free. You can start listening to Morbid ad-free at podskip.app/shows/morbid with no trial period or subscription required.

Morbid is one of the best true crime podcasts running — the research is thorough, the hosts are genuinely compelling, and the case selection is consistently strong. The ads don't ruin it, but they do interrupt it. PodSkip's on-device AI identifies those sponsored segments automatically and skips them before you notice they started. It's free, it works on Morbid's full archive, and it catches the host-read ads that Spotify and Amazon simply can't touch. Start listening to Morbid ad-free on PodSkip today.