Audio Advertising: what audio formats can sell

Audio Advertising: Advertisers are forced to regularly look for new channels to attract an audience. One of these channels is audio advertising on the Internet, which has recently gained great popularity. It can be found on radio, music services, websites, and even podcasts. With the right approach, it can help you attract customers and make sales more effective.

What audio formats are ways to sell and what are their key features – we will analyze in detail in today’s article.

Audio advertising worldwide

The global audio advertising market is gaining momentum every day, and streaming services contribute to this. According to Hootsuite statistics , worldwide 39.6% of users listen to music via streaming, 22.9% of respondents prefer radio, 20.4% prefer podcasts, and 20.3% prefer audiobooks. Most of the target audience falls on people aged 16 to 44 years.

The trend of listening to music in Russia is growing every day – this is due to the emergence of new services, such as Spotify and YouTube Music. In the current situation, of course, it is difficult to talk about the growing popularity of these platforms, but this does not mean that people will stop listening to music and podcasts. On the contrary, the number of listening to audio ads is increasing, and those who are not going to remain without a premium subscription will go to other services, such as Boom or Yandex.Music.

Speaking of global spending on audio advertising, it was predicted that in 2022 they would reach $ 6.995 million. At the same time, the Russian market will also grow, but again, in the current realities, it is difficult to talk about any progress. If we close our eyes to the crisis, then according to IAB forecasts, by 2024 the Russian audio advertising market should reach almost 6 billion rubles.

Why audio ads?

The main advantages of audio advertising:

• Convenience – you can listen to radio, podcasts, music in the car, while playing sports or cooking – this is a common thing for most users, so audio advertising in such places will be more useful than ever.
• Implementing the launch of audio advertising will be several times cheaper than creating a full-fledged commercial.
• According to  Mediascope statistics , more than 70% of listeners pay attention to audio ads.
• Nielsen Media Lab conducted research and concluded that audio ads are remembered 24% better than visual ads.
• Based on the Midroll Media Report , over 60% of listeners make a purchase after listening to a podcast.
• Audio advertising can be embedded in almost any audio content: podcasts, radio, and other places where music is popular.

Where is audio advertising used?

Above, I have already talked about the importance of audio advertising on all music platforms, now let’s analyze each channel in detail and see what is better to use now.

Radio

Although digital audio formats have flooded the world, radio is still one of the most popular ways to receive information.

The most popular categories of advertisers are:

• cars;
• retail;
• the property;
• pharma;
• Financial services.

Benefits of advertising on the radio:

1. You can launch advertising on the radio in just a few days, which cannot be said, for example, about television. In addition, a quick launch will allow you to understand the strengths and weaknesses of advertising and, if necessary, add creative or complement the placement.
2. Radio advertising is suitable for both large companies and for those who are just starting their journey.
3. With the help of the Mediascope tool, you can evaluate the effectiveness of radio advertising and understand what is going well and what is not.

The requirements for radio advertising remain the same from year to year, but some principles have changed. It is better to use a bright and recognizable melody, then it will definitely attract the attention of listeners.

Podcasts

Statistics for 2020 show that every fifth Russian listens to podcasts. Thanks to developing platforms, this figure is growing every year. For example, Spotify launched podcasts at the end of 2021 and instilled interest in them in its audience. Although premium subscriptions have gone away, podcasts in such services remain unique and are in demand to this day.

Podcast formats can be different:

• Promotional jinglesare a brief mention of the sponsor, which the host talks about at the beginning of the podcast. It usually only takes a few minutes and it’s about a brand or product.
• Partner participationis already a kind of interview that lasts approximately 15-20 minutes. In the conversation itself, the prescribed structure for the advertiser is used.
• Sponsorship integration– in this form, the entire podcast is formed natively for the advertiser. This is one of the most expensive and difficult ways of audio advertising.

The cost for such formats, as a rule, varies from thousands to hundreds of thousands of rubles, depending on the type of audio advertising.

Streaming services

Streaming services are not only Spotify, Boom, Yandex.Music and so on. It can also include audio books, voice assistants, and platforms like Clubhouse.

According to Research and Markets statistics, the global music market should grow to $60.5 billion by 2026.

Audio advertising on streaming services is suitable for any company, and interest-based targeting can be the “ideal” opportunity for performing concert publicity.

In most cases, only those who have not paid for a subscription have ads on such sites, which is now extremely important for Spotify and other streaming services where payment is blocked in the Russian Federation. And even if it is possible to get a premium subscription, this does not mean at all that all users will pay for it, so advertising in such places will always be relevant.

Format standards

Basic requirements for audio advertising:

• codecs: AAC, mp3, Vorbis;
• minimum quality: 44 kHz, 16 bit, stereo;
• stream compression rate: 192-320 kbps constant bitrate;
• RMS: -10dB to -15dB;
• number of audio tracks: 1;
• size: up to 10 Mb;
• the length of the video should be at least 15 and no more than 30 seconds, and on many sites also a multiple of 5; for example, a track of 17 seconds may not be approved by moderators.

The above advertising requirements may differ markedly depending on the platform on which the track will be hosted.

Instead of a conclusion

Summarizing all of the above, it is worth saying that audio advertising is a great tool for marketers, as it allows you to get:

• access to a large audience at a low cost compared to other advertising formats;
• the ability to quickly track the effectiveness of an advertising campaign;
• high engagement and a variety of targeting methods.

The trend of this format of advertising will remain afloat for a long time, despite the fact that many sites are leaving the Russian market. After all, there are many local services, as well as indispensable radio and audiobook applications.