Table of Contents
Overview
Advertisers increasingly recognize the value of programmatic access to audio inventory as more consumers turn to streaming services for podcasts and music. This shift has made digital audio one of the fastest-growing yet underutilized channels in programmatic advertising, presenting a significant opportunity to expand reach and scale within omnichannel campaigns.
Digital audio excels in performance, particularly in upper-funnel KPIs like brand recall. This makes it a powerful component of omnichannel strategies, especially when paired with CTV. Both channels offer premium inventory and highly engaged audiences, yet audio has a distinct advantage in cost efficiency.
With full audio support on Beeswax, you can:
- Increase brand awareness and reach: Leverage an omnichannel buying strategy, inclusive of audio, to amplify messaging across touchpoints and benefit from accurate and scaled cross-device targeting, measurement, and attribution from the FreeWheel Identity Network.
- Centralize your omnichannel buying: With support for video, display, native, and now audio you can centralize campaigns in Beeswax to streamline your workflows.
How to Traffic Audio Campaigns
When creating a line item, select Audio as the Line Item Type. From there, continue to the creation of the audio line item. More details here.
Targeting
During line item creation, a Targeting screen will appear. Click the Audio tab and select from the available targeting options. Below are the available targeting options:
| Targeting Key | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Start Delay | Position of the ad relative to the content (i.e. pre-roll, generic mid-roll, generic post-roll). | Use INCLUDE or EXCLUDE |
Best Practices for Leveraging Existing Fields for Audio Inventory
Frequency Capping:
When device, user ID, or IP address data is available in bid requests, Beeswax can apply frequency capping. For more details, refer to the Frequency Caps documentation. Although the majority of audio inventory is sourced from mobile devices, for those employing an omnichannel strategy, it is advisable to implement frequency capping on the FreeWheel Identity Network at the campaign level to ensure consistent frequency capping across all channels.
Deals:
Audio inventory is typically purchased through PMP deals, with music inventory being exclusively accessible via these deals. To tailor deals according to specific needs, consult with the Inventory Desk team or choose from their selection of always-on deals.
Geography:
While audio inventory is available globally, the largest scale is observed in the United States.
Device Types:
Most audio inventory is sourced from mobile devices, though there is also a limited supply of desktop inventory.
1st & 3rd Party Data Providers Supporting Audio Inventory:
- DoubleVerify
- TransUnion (including Webbula within the data marketplace)
- IAS
- Lotame
- Comscore
- Alliant
- Data Axle
Creative Specifications
Reach consumers on audio inventory by uploading your own audio creative assets or leveraging a third-party tag:
Creative specifications are below:
| Direct Upload Formats | MP3, WAV, WMA, or OGG format |
| Max File Size | 2MB |
| Protocols | VAST 2 (inline and wrapper) |
| Durations | 15, 30, 60 |
| Audio Quality | At least 128 kbps bit rate / 44100 Hz sample rate |
| Tracking Pixel | 1x1 tracking pixel only (SSL compliant) |
| Companion Banners (note: limited scale) |
|
Key Performance Indicators
The main KPIs for audio inventory include higher funnel metrics such as brand awareness and reach.
Inventory Availability & QPS
Reach goals and scale audio budgets effectively by accessing global inventory from leading audio publishers, including iHeartRadio, through the integration with the Triton SSP. While the majority of Triton’s inventory is based in the U.S., support for EU inventory is also available. For the most current inventory breakdown by geography, refer to Metamarkets.
Additional insights into audio inventory can be accessed through Metamarkets by utilizing audio-specific fields such as "start delay," which helps differentiate between mid-roll and pre-roll segments.
Beeswax continues to support the purchase of audio inventory via the video object for Magnite inventory.
Optimization
Optimization tools including Bid and Delivery modifiers and models include audio-specific fields (Placement Type, Start Delay) to help reach performance goals.
Measurement & Reporting
To enhance optimization strategies, analyze audio campaign performance using insights from audio-specific metrics and detailed reporting fields, such as audio completes and audio plays. For additional information on available fields, refer to the Report Builder documentation.
It is important to note that music audio inventory is typically streamed, while podcast inventory is generally downloaded. As a result, there is limited visibility into the actual listening time of a podcast, as tracking only captures the completion of the download. This consideration is particularly relevant for performance-based campaigns requiring more granular insights. To address this, filtering for music inventory in the audio line item targeting can help avoid this limitation.
For omnichannel strategies that include audio inventory, it is recommended to use the FreeWheel Identity Network for measuring reach and reporting on conversions.
CPM Guidance
- Open Exchange Podcast Inventory: ~ $1.20
- PMP Podcast Inventory: ~$4.50
- PMP Music Inventory: ~$6.00