XAPPmedia updates streaming audio ad load report: more ads, advertisers, local

XAPPmedia has completed its third quarterly study of Internet radio ad loads, finding more advertisers than in previous editions, a slight bump upward in ad load from the previous report, and more local advertising.

xappmedia ad load q2 2015 chart 01

Two strong trends over the three-quarter period are increasing number of advertisers, and increasing dominance of the 30-second spot.

All data in the report reflect mobile streaming only. XAPPmedia cites industry estimates that 95% of audio streaming transpires over mobile. Triton Digital’s Webcast Metrics measurement is not as extreme, but does identify over 75% mobile listening.

Through the XAPPmedia lens, average ad load for streaming audio is less than two and a half minutes, which XAPP identifies as about one-fifth (22%) of the average broadcast load.

The study observes advertising activity in five streaming publishers, which XAPP keeps unnamed. There is no significant variation of ad load in the group.

One of the most interesting metrics in this report series is “TTFA,” or Time To First Ad. Even assuming that XAPP encountered a fair share of pre-roll ads kicking off streams, the average TTFA was over 14 minutes. This statistic does vary significantly across the five measured services, ranging from nine minutes to 22 minutes.

Top advertisers included Taco Bell, GEICO, NAPA, and The Home Depot, each with over four percent of the total.

Download XAPPmedia’s study here.

Brad Hill