Technology, hardware, and gadgets. WiFi speakers, digital dashboards, and more.
With the nettlesome lack of native audio in major social platforms (looking at you, Facebook and Twitter), socializing audio-first content can be a heavy lift. The Headliner app from Sparemin grabs the problem by the throat and presents a solution for posting audio content quickly in an attractive video package. Townsquare Media has bought in — for its entire radio network. Continue Reading
As podcast publishers, hosting companies, and advertising sellers circle around audience measurement standards, the IAB 2.0 Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines represents a hot topic. some podcast entities comply now with those guidelines, others have a compliance schedule. Podtrac, which offers… Continue Reading
Sonos has filed an IPO. According to the paperwork, the wireless speaker company is looking to raise up to $100 million with the public offering. It said that as of March 31, it has sold 19 million products to 6.9 million households. Continue Reading
UK media company Global and its programmatic advertising platform DAX received two certifications from UK-based JICWEBS, an oversight organization focused on developing standards for digital advertising. The specific Global and DAX certifications are for Brand Safety, and absence of Ad Fraud. Continue Reading
Popular finance and economics radio show and podcast Marketplace has launched an Alexa experience which might represent an early foray into original smart-speaker audio content. Called Make Me Smart from MarketPlace, it contains wholly original information pieces that extend the Marketplace brand and voice into the leading smart speaker platform. Executive comment from Sitara Nieves. Continue Reading
Guest columnist Steve Pratt is co-owner and Partner of Pacific Content. In this piece, he compares smart speakers in 2018 to the iPod in 2004. In 2004, the new iPod was “waiting for the podcast to be invented.” If smart speakers are poised in a similar moment, what sort of content might be in the future? Continue Reading
So far, voice assistants are commonly used to access audio entertainment, but as the technology advances, the next step could involve commerce and shopping. Voicebot and Voysis have collaborated on a report pointing to the future of voice shopping. The analysis predicts that, due to the high rates of ownership (79.8%), many people will first be introduced to voice assistant shopping on smartphones. Continue Reading
London-based creative and ad-tech company A Million Ads has announced the completion of a venture capital funding round of 2.3-million GBP, targeted to product development and a U.S. expansion. The company creates “context-aware” audio ads Continue Reading
TuneIn has partnered with Adobe Advertising Cloud to expand how advertisers can reach their audiences on smart speakers and other new devices. The on demand marketplace from Adobe Advertising Cloud allows advertisers to automate their ad buys across TuneIn’s content. In addition to the Adobe deal, TuneIn also announced that it has launched a newly designed channel for Roku devices. Continue Reading
Digital audio advertising platform TargetSpot announced today the opening of an office in Toronto, as it continues a global expansion. The Canadian office is in Toronto, and the recently hired Nora Wallace has been appointed to lead it as Sales Director. Continue Reading
Sonos has taken its ambitious next step into the smart speaker space with a new product that supports multiple voice assistants and changes the form factor. The Sonos Beam is a sound bar, a much larger device than the most popular tabletop smart speaker designs currently on the market, that’s capable of providing quality audio for a range of entertainment purposes in small- or medium-sized rooms. Continue Reading
In 2018 there is a fresh sense that programmatic audio is coming into an era of recognition and marketplace maturity. RAIN spoke with Scott Walker, Pandora’s SVP of Programmatic Sales, and Alexis van de Wyer, CEO of AdsWizz. The conversation touched on Google’s entry into programmatic audio, predictions of the future, and Pandora’s acquisition of AdsWizz.
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