Advertising in music services, and ad technologies that power it.
We had heard about SoundCloud’s skippable audio ads, and were on the prowl to see one in action. We struck gold in the new Gimlet Media site. There, we found the unique ad technology used by SoundCloud to present a 30-second pre-roll audio ad. Continue Reading
Media management company WideOrbit has acquired the audio/video publishing platform Castfire, adding a new dimension to WideOrbit’s ad-insertion solutions. WideOrbit plans to position Castfire with its Abacast Clarity product, which it obtained with the Abacast acquisition in June. Continue Reading
Following up our coverage of the integrative partnership of audio ad network Targetspot and data company Quantcast, we wanted to understand the depth of integration, and what Big Data means for the online audio advertising industry. We chatted with TargetSpot co-CEO Leigh Newsome, and started by asking how this partnership is distinguished from previous work the two companies have done together. Continue Reading
Ad network TargetSpot announced a partnership with audience measurement company Quantcast, which will allow TargetSpot to more finely identify audience characteristics across its portfolio of streaming audio publishers. The agreement represents an important example of the Big Data movement in online audio, and the increasing expectation of targeted audience segments among advertisers. Continue Reading
Following our recent examination of native advertising growth for streaming audio, we were on the prowl for live campaign examples in podcasts. We found two instances of a podcast campaign by Casper mattresses, and those two examples demonstrate the range of ad-libbing that is possible when a podcast host is responsible for the marketing presentation. Click to listen. Continue Reading
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA), a leadership group that represents 640 companies carrying 10,000 brands and spending 250-billion marketing dollars, declared “Programmatic” its 2014 Word of the Year. The ANA surveyed 349 participating members to choose that term. What is the future of programmatic advertising in audio? Continue Reading
adStream is an ad-stalking journal in streaming audio.
We usually study audio ads in adStream, but when our eyes are on the screen it is impossible to ignore the steady parade of banner ads in some music services. Interestingly, TUNE released a whitepaper study of the effectiveness of app-download ads. Continue Reading
Native advertising has ebbed and flowed across media categories for decades. 2014 has been a year in which the streaming audio market has embraced native campaigns, and signs point to increased adoption by advertisers, and increased offerings by publishers. We spoke to Cathy Csukas (Adlarge) and Lex Friedman (Midroll Media) for sell-side perspective. Continue Reading
Spotify today announced the launch of a geo-targeted advertising platform for its ad-supported freemium service level. The initial rollout includes the top 15 listening markets. Launch partner Triton Digital provides verification metrics through its Webcast Local Metrics product. We spoke to Spotify ad exec Brian Benedik. Continue Reading
In the start of a new affiliate marketing initiative, ad-repping firm AdLarge has hired Jessica Sherman as Senior Director, Affiliate Marketing. Sherman spent nearly 11 years at Westwood One, as VP of the News/Talk division. There, she worked to populate networks with affiliates with $14-million in sales volume. Continue Reading
adStream is an ad-stalking journal in streaming audio.
In the relentless pursuit of streaming ads, we encounter plenty of “companions.” Companion ads are (usually) banners that accompany audio spots in streams. Tracking the banner impressions is difficult, and companions are secondary to audio advertising which interrupts the stream and captures the listener’s attention. We found an interesting one, with a single purpose. Continue Reading
Broadcast radio competes with pureplay streaming audio in two ways. First, in a platform-vs-platform context, over-the-air is pitched against Internet delivery. Second, radio station webcasts compete for share of advertisers that are building digital campaigns to reach targeted audiences. We reached out to Paul Cramer of Triton digital to dig into data, smart impressions, and programmatic advertising. Continue Reading