--- title: "Audio Buyer's Guide" canonical: "https://hub.freewheel.tv/space/BC/115179527/Audio%20Buyer's%20Guide" format: markdown --- 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 connected TV (CTV). Both channels offer premium inventory, yet audio has a distinct advantage in cost efficiency.  With full audio support, users can: Increase brand awareness and reach: Leverage an omnichannel buying strategy, inclusive of audio, to amplify messaging across touchpoints and benefit from accurate, scaled cross-device targeting, measurement, and attribution from the FreeWheel Identity Network.  Centralize omnichannel buying: With support for video, display, native, and audio, you can centralize campaigns to streamline 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. For more details, visit Create a Line Item . Targeting During line item creation, a Targeting screen will appear. Click the  Audio tab and select from the available targeting options found below: Targeting Key Description Recommendation Start Delay Position of the ad relative to the content. Options include: Unknown: Start time is not specified, so the ad may serve at any point during the content. It is recommended to use Exclude on this value. Generic post-roll: Plays after content has finished. Generic mid-roll: Plays during content. Pre-roll: Plays prior to content starting. Use INCLUDE or EXCLUDE Audio Delivery The audio content delivery method. Options include: Streaming: Content plays live from the server without downloading the file. Progressive: Content plays while the file is downloading and is stored temporarily on a device. Download: Content is stored on a device for offline use. Audio Feed The type of audio content feed. Options include: Music Service: Music apps FM/AM Broadcast: Digital radio station streams Podcast: On-demand podcast episodes Best Practices for Leveraging Existing Fields for Audio Inventory Frequency Capping: When bid requests include device, user ID, or IP address data, you can apply frequency capping. For more details, refer to  Frequency Caps . For those using an omnichannel strategy, implement frequency capping with the FreeWheel Identity Network at the campaign level to ensure consistent frequency capping across all channels and devices. Deals: Audio inventory is typically purchased through Private Marketplace (PMP) deals. To tailor deals to specific needs (such as content genre or podcasts vs. music), consult the Inventory Desk team to choose from their selection of always-on deals or create a new deal. 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. First and Third-Party Data Providers Supporting Audio Inventory:  Please reach out to your account team for a breakdown of supported audio inventory. Creative Specifications Consumers can be reached on audio inventory by uploading custom audio creative assets or leveraging a third-party tag. Creative specifications are below:  Category Requirements Direct Upload Formats MP3, WAV, WMA, or OGG format Max File Size 3MB Protocols VAST 2 (inline and wrapper) Durations 15, 30, 60 seconds 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) Formats GIF JPEG JPG PNG Sizes (50K max file size) 300x250 (widely used) 728x90 (often used) Audio MIME Type (for VAST Wrapper creatives) MPEG, WAV, or OGG. Publishers typically expect the MPEG MIME type instead of MP3. If you want to use MP3 audio and do not have specific publisher guidance, include MPEG in your audio MIME types as well. Include as many MIME types as possible if your ad server supports it, to increase your chances of serving. Key Performance Indicators The main KPIs for audio inventory include higher funnel metrics such as brand awareness and reach. Companion ads can be used; however, scale is limited. As a result, it is suggested to work with Triton to develop a deal ID of inventory that supports companion ads. Inventory Availability Reach goals and scale audio budgets effectively by accessing global inventory from leading audio publishers – including SiriusXM, Pandora, and iHeartRadio – through integrations with AdsWizz SSP, Triton SSP, and Magnite. Purchase inventory via PMP (private marketplace), PG (programmatic guaranteed), or OX (open exchange). For the most current inventory breakdown by geography, refer to  Metamarkets . Additional insights into audio inventory are accessible through Metamarkets using audio-specific fields such as "start delay," which helps differentiate between mid-roll and pre-roll segments. AdsWizz Inventory with AdsWizz is globally available by PMP only. Most AdsWizz inventory is automatically available for purchase; however, buyers must sign a DRA (Data Rights Agreement) to access Pandora inventory. For more information on buying Pandora inventory, contact your account representative. PG inventory is not available. Triton Inventory with Triton is globally available by PMP, PG, and OX. Magnite Inventory with Magnite is globally available by PMP and PG only. For more details on how to buy Magnite inventory, see the  Magnite Inventory section below. Please note that most audio buying is done via PMP, and very little OX inventory is available. 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 Enhance optimization strategies by analyzing 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. Music audio inventory is typically streamed, while podcast inventory is generally downloaded. As a result, visibility into actual podcast listening time is limited, as tracking captures only download completion. This consideration is particularly relevant for campaigns tracking audio completion rates.  For omnichannel strategies that include audio inventory, it is recommended to use the FreeWheel Identity Network for measuring reach and reporting on conversions across devices. CPM Guidance The following are CPM recommendations for audio inventory to ensure your line items win audio inventory impressions: Music Inventory via Deals: ~ $8.00 Podcast Inventory via Deals: ~$12.00 Magnite Inventory Buyer Cloud customers have access to Magnite's audio inventory through their Rubicon SSP.  Inventory from the following sources can be accessed through Rubicon: Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Acast  TuneIn  Soundcloud  Amazon Music  iHeart Radio  For a full list of publishers, view the . Access Magnite Inventory Creatives using Magnite inventory must meet specific requirements to serve. To configure an audio creative for Magnite inventory, do the following: Make a creative with the Audio Creative Type. The Creative template can be either VAST Inline or Wrapper. Set the Audio MIME type: When setting up the creative, in the Creative Attributes section of the General tab, set the Audio MIME type to one of the following types supported by Rubicon: MPEG, OGG, WAV, or MP3. Spotify supports only MP3, OGG, and WAV audio MIME types, so include at least one of these for creatives serving on Spotify. Include multiple MIME types if your ad server can support it. Publisher support for different MIME types varies, and using multiple types maximizes creative type coverage. Set the Audio Bitrate: The Audio Bitrate is located directly below the audio MIME type. Set the bitrate to 200 kbs, and ensure your audio files are under 320 kbs, which is the maximum bitrate allowed by Magnite. Finish the creative setup process and save it. Create an audio line item. In Line Item targeting, navigate to the Exchange targeting tab, and include the Inventory Source " Magnite DV+ (Rubicon)". In Creative Association, associate the previously created audio creative with this line item. Finish adding details to the line item and save it. Access Spotify Inventory through Magnite Buyer Cloud customers can purchase Spotify through Magnite, using the inventory buying process outlined above. To set up a Spotify deal, please email  na-automation@spotify.com  with deal details. When sending the deal request, include both the buyer and advertiser names. Buyer Cloud currently has the following Run of Network (RON) deal set up with Spotify, available for all users: Deal ID: rp/SX-MN-BEE-4g9sGXmDFuKq The recommended bid price for this deal is $9. Training Resources