For me, and apparently thousands of others, it was insisting on showing these bullshit podcasts at the very top of my home screen. I had to scroll down past it to see any actual music.

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/All-Platforms-Po...

After a year or two of this they finally moved it further down the page where I don't have to see it every day, though.

They were everywhere. Every search I did showed podcasts at least as prominently as music, for example. I don’t remember the details, but I think they even did popover ads in the app trying to get me to start listening to podcasts. On a paid account.