Spotify is using Australia to test a new feature allowing users to skip adverts at any time while the ad is playing, and better take on competitors like Pandora and others.

The feature being tested is called "Active media".  Advertising Age reports that users would be able to do this any time they want, as often as they want, and the new feature will also let them jump straight back into the music. 

Australia is the ideal test market for this feature because the small population minimizes the financial risk.  Advertisers won't have to pay for any ads that are skipped, and that means the potential for decreased revenue.  But Spotify's algorithm is trained to serve ads to the users' tastes, and users who cancel ads will actually be teaching the algorithm which ads work and which won't.

"Our hypothesis is if we can use this to fuel our streaming intelligence, and deliver a more personalized experience and a more engaging audience to our advertisers, it will improve the outcomes that we can deliver for brands," said Danielle Lee, global head of partner solutions at Spotify.

If the tests in Australia go well, it's likely the feature will be expanded globally.