Retail marketers are facing a highly competitive season where every budget decision needs to prove it can drive real sales. Digital audio stands out here because it captures attention at the right moments, helping brands spark conversions and build lasting shopper loyalty.

The Retail Rush Meets the Audio Advantage

This peak shopping period brings intense competition, and brands are prioritizing media that can influence shoppers closer to the moment of purchase. Retail media spend is climbing globally, and in the US, programmatic digital audio is expected to reach $2.26 billion in 2025. The reason is simple: During Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and year-end promotions, shoppers are flooded with messages on every screen. 

Today’s shoppers move fluidly from one screen to another and from one place to the next. Someone might scroll through gift ideas on a phone during a commute, compare prices on a laptop later in the evening, then stop by a store on the drive home. Digital audio reaches people in those in-between moments, when their hands might be busy but their attention is still open.

About 79% of Americans age 12 and up listen each month, with even higher numbers among younger listeners. And it works. Studies show that audio ads create strong recall and can influence brand choice, helping turn seasonal interest into actual purchases.

Audio Adtech Has Your Back

As more shoppers tune in through digital audio, the technology behind it has accelerated to meet the pace of retail. Modern audio adtech gives marketers the flexibility and automation they need during the busiest time of year.

With the right adtech in place, retail marketers can automate key processes and still deliver ads that feel timely and personal. Imagine promoting a new line of sweaters on a cold morning or reminding a shopper about curbside pickup when they are just minutes away from your store.

This kind of agility sets the stage for what comes next, moving from reactive campaigns to storytelling that adapts to every listener’s moment.

Personalization at Scale With Dynamic Creatives

Personalized audio advertising no longer has to be complicated. By leveraging Dynamic Creatives with Synthetic Voice technology, brands can now produce studio-quality audio spots in minutes. This tech uses data such as location, weather, time of day, device type, demographics, and listening context to create millions of unique ad variations in real time. A listener in Chicago on a rainy afternoon might hear something completely different from someone in Austin on a sunny morning.

By making personalization fast and scalable, dynamic audio helps brands move beyond one-size-fits-all messaging and connect with people in more meaningful ways.

Here is how marketers use it:

• Instant voice production: Generate natural-sounding voiceovers without studio time or voice talent.
• Flexible workflows: Preview, edit, and launch campaigns quickly through a self-service platform.
• Consistent branding: Maintain a unified brand voice across thousands of creative variations.
• Real-time personalization: Match each listener’s moment, mood, or location so every ad feels relevant.

Smarter Targeting That Reaches Every Listener

Personalization is powerful, and precision targeting takes it even further. As the retail season ramps up and consumers face endless messages, the real advantage lies in reaching the right people at exactly the right time with messages that feel natural and relevant.

Tools like contextual targeting make this possible by using non-personal, privacy-friendly signals like listening patterns and even music choice. This helps brands move beyond one-size-fits-all campaigns and deliver messages that feel timely, relatable, and personal.

Here are a few ways this can work:

• Location targeting: Reach listeners nearby. A shopper walking past a mall might hear an ad for a weekend sale close by.
• Weather targeting: Match creative to the forecast. A coffee brand can push hot drinks on a cold morning or iced options when the temperature climbs.
• Multicultural targeting: Reflect diverse audiences. Build connections with growth audiences using bilingual ads or cultural messaging that resonates.
• Contextual music targeting: Align ads with what people are listening to. A shopper streaming a holiday playlist or relaxing after work hears a message that fits the mood.

How Retailers Can Activate Audio Campaigns

For retailers, success during the shopping season depends on being present at the moments that influence buying decisions. Audio connects with listeners throughout their day in ways that feel natural and personal.

Here is how to make it work:

• Plan for key retail moments: Launch campaigns early to build awareness before major sale events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Use audio to stay top of mind while other channels compete for visual space.
• Keep creative fresh: Update messages based on timing, weather, or product trends. Highlight weekend deals, feature trending categories, and shift tone as the season evolves.
• Reach nearby shoppers: Use location data to deliver local promotions and combine it with multicultural and contextual targeting for greater relevance.
• Integrate across channels: Pair audio with display, social, or in-store messaging to strengthen recognition. Someone who hears a podcast ad is more likely to recall the product later while shopping.
• Measure and refine: Track engagement, conversions, and brand lift, then use insights to optimize creative and targeting in real time.

Boost Your Retail Season With Audio

Ready to enhance your retail marketing strategy? 

Contact AdsWizz to learn how our digital audio solutions can help you increase both in-store and online sales this season.

by Bianca Stanescu, Senior Director, Product Marketing

The post Driving Conversions with Audio Ads During Peak Retail Season appeared first on AdsWizz.

According to Sounds Profitable’s 2025 research, podcast advertising achieves an 86% ad recall rate among its most active listeners—proof that well-crafted audio content sticks with audiences long after they’ve tuned out. For brands seeking to connect more deeply with their audience, sound has become one of the most powerful and personal storytelling tools in digital marketing.

Instead of relying on catchy hooks, sound itself now carries the story, adapting to each listener’s mood and moment. People expect audio that feels personal and relevant, and new technology is making that real. AdsWizz is helping lead this shift toward more immersive, responsive listening experiences.

Personalize at Scale with Dynamic Creatives and Synthetic Voice

At the heart of this transformation is the combination of Dynamic Creatives and Synthetic Voice, which together make personalization scalable, efficient, and creative.

Imagine a fitness brand running a single campaign that adapts to different times of day. A morning listener hears, “Start your day strong with your first workout of the week.” Someone tuning in after sunset hears, “It’s been a long day, time to unwind and recover with us.” Both ads carry the same brand tone, yet each feels timely and personal.

With Dynamic Creatives and Synthetic Voice, brands can instantly assemble, test, and optimize their ads while ensuring every version sounds authentic and on-brand. It’s the optimal blend of automation and artistry.

Interaction Is the New Engagement

After personalization comes participation. Interactive formats give listeners a role in the experience, turning attention into action. Audio isn’t a one-way medium anymore. Listeners interact with it, shape it, and respond to it in real time. The result is advertising that feels more like a conversation than a message.

ShakeMe: Turning Listeners into Participants

A standout innovation from AdsWizz is ShakeMe, a powerful way to turn passive listening into active engagement. With a simple shake of the phone, listeners can instantly bridge the gap between message and action, downloading an app, claiming a discount, or visiting a website, all without ever leaving their streaming experience.

For example, when the Swiss finance app Yuh used ShakeMe, it saw an interaction rate 60% higher than comparable non-interactive audio campaigns. This level of engagement demonstrates how creative innovation can transform a simple ad into a meaningful and measurable moment.

Voice Ads: Creating a Digital Dialogue

Equally transformative are voice ads, which invite audiences to respond using voice commands. Designed to immerse qualified listeners in a natural, conversational experience, this format amplifies both attention and engagement. As voice interaction continues to rise, we’re thrilled to bring this dynamic element to audio advertising, enabling brands to spark genuine, two-way conversations.

With voice ads, brands aren’t just sending out a message. They’re opening a real conversation where the listener decides what comes next, like asking for more details or jumping straight into an offer. This turns the experience into something personal and interactive.

Automated Host-Read Ads: Authenticity at Scale

Another breakthrough in immersive audio is automated host-read ads. With a streamlined workflow, buying and selling host-read inventory has never been easier. With a single script, brands can scale their message across thousands of podcasts and reach millions of listeners in the most trusted medium for influence and conversion.

This format scales without losing authenticity. Automated host-read ads let brands programmatically deliver personalized messages in the host’s voice, preserving the trust and intimacy of podcasts while gaining the efficiency and targeting of programmatic buying.

Creativity as a Performance Driver

• Improved recall: Ads that reference current conditions or local context are more memorable.
• Higher engagement: Interactive formats encourage immediate action and reduce friction.
• Stronger loyalty: Consistent, natural-sounding creatives foster long-term trust and brand affinity.

For advertisers, this means stronger ROI and better campaign efficiency. For publishers, it means premium inventory and more valuable impressions. And for listeners, it means ads earn attention and turn engagement into a rewarding experience.

The Vision Ahead

The future of audio creativity will bring data and emotion together in ways we’ve only begun to imagine. Smarter, more responsive ads will be intuitive and emotionally aware, anticipating listener moments and sentiment to forge authentic, lasting connections.

Ready to make your audio ads more dynamic and personal? 

Contact us to learn how AdsWizz can help you craft campaigns that resonate with every listener.

by Catalin Georgescu, Senior Product Marketing Manager

The post How Innovation Is Redefining the Listener Experience appeared first on AdsWizz.

Check out this new article in The Drum by Dave Sosson, Senior Manager, Business Development, Programmatic Demand North America!

For years, advertisers relied on the “rule of three,” the belief that hearing an ad three times was enough to make it stick. The idea came from early research on effective frequency, later formalized by Michael J. Naples in a 1979 ANA report, which suggested that just a few well-timed exposures could drive impact. It was a simple, sellable concept that worked well in an analog world.

Today, that logic doesn’t quite hold up. Listeners move easily between platforms, playlists, and podcasts, often within the same hour. Attention is scattered, but measurement has never been sharper.

The post Building a Data-Driven Standard for Digital Audio Frequency appeared first on AdsWizz.

When Audio Took the Main Stage

The energy carried into Turning Up the Volume on Audio Ads, a panel featuring Will Doherty, SVP of Inventory Partnerships at The Trade Desk; Emma Vaughn, Global Head of Podcast Advertising and Business Development at Spotify; Mike Chevallier, VP of Advanced Audio and Data Revenue at iHeartMedia; and Steven Kritzman, SVP and Head of Sales at SiriusXM Media.

They discussed how audio connects during screenless moments like commuting, cooking, and working out—those everyday times when people are most tuned in. Steven Kritzman summed it up best: “Audio captures 25% of consumers’ media time, yet only 8% of ad spend.” The room went quiet. That gap has been there for years, but it finally feels like the industry is ready to close it.

As Steven described how audio moves with us throughout the day, from the first podcast over coffee to the playlist that carries us home, it hit me that no other medium stays this close. Audio feels personal. It is part of our rhythm. To keep growing, it needs what every other channel already has: transparency, automation, and proof of performance.

Where Automation Meets Imagination

Walking out of that session, it was clear that audio’s future depends on what happens next. The real opportunity lies in how technology can lift creativity instead of getting in its way.

We see that vision come to life every day through the work we do with our partners.

Our technology was part of a campaign recognized as a finalist for Best Use of Technology by an Agency at The 2025 AdExchanger Awards. A Middlesex County NJ campaign used AdsWizz’s AudioPixel, Second Screen retargeting, contextual podcast targeting, and programmatic host-read ads in NPR’s TED Radio Hour to reach decision-makers in autonomous tech, life sciences, and food innovation.

The campaign showed what’s possible when technology supports creative intent instead of dictating it. It offered a glimpse of where programmatic audio is heading.

We build technology that supports creativity. When data and imagination work together, audio moves beyond reach and frequency to create real resonance. The AdsWizz platform helps advertisers plan precisely, measure clearly, and deliver moments that connect.

Safety, Suitability, and Trust

Across adtech, brand safety has become one of the most important conversations. Advertisers want transparency and control across every environment where their messages appear. That focus aligns with the work we’ve done through brand safety for advertisers, which we’ve built in collaboration with partners like Barometer, ArtsAI, and Comscore.

We combine AI transcription with contextual analysis to help advertisers understand content before they buy it. Instead of blunt keyword blocking, our system reads the room. It interprets tone, sentiment, and relevance so brands show up where their message fits and where audiences are ready to listen.

That kind of precision cuts waste and improves efficiency. Every impression works harder. Every placement connects to purpose. Brands can reach the right people in the right context without losing sight of responsibility or creativity.

Safety used to mean just playing it safe. Now it means showing up in the moments that matter most.

A Medium Ready for Its Moment

Leaders from the Turning Up the Volume on Audio Ads panel all echoed the same idea: 2026 will be the year of audio. The numbers back it up. Edison Research’s The Infinite Dial 2025 reports that 76% of Americans ages 12 and up listen to digital audio monthly, the highest level ever recorded. According to Statista, global podcast advertising revenue is projected to reach US $3.56 billion in 2025, showing how audience growth is driving meaningful commercial momentum worldwide.

But numbers tell only part of the story. Growth won’t come from more tech alone. It will come from conviction. Marketers need to put audio at the center of their strategies. Buyers should expect the same rigor they demand from CTV or display. The technology is ready. The measurement is mature. What we need next is belief in the power of sound to move people.

At AdsWizz, we’re helping shape that future by advancing programmatic infrastructure, improving measurement, and building trust through transparency. Real progress in audio comes from efficiency, accountability, and imagination working together.

A Future Built on Sound

As I stepped out of the Marriott Marquis into the noise of Times Square, I kept thinking about how far this medium has evolved.

The future of audio advertising won’t be driven by louder messages. It will grow from sharper insights, stronger values, and more creative thinking. The industry is learning to listen.

Want to see what’s next in programmatic audio? Connect with the AdsWizz team.

by Garrison Dua, VP of Demand, North America

The post How Programmatic Audio Became the Star of Programmatic I/O 2025 New York appeared first on AdsWizz.

To break the ice, I asked a simple question: Who here has listened to audio today? Almost every hand went up, followed by a ripple of knowing laughter.

It was a small moment that captured the bigger story. Audio has moved far beyond background noise. It is woven into daily life, the soundtrack for commutes, workouts, and quiet moments at home. Listeners are already all in. The challenge now is ensuring advertising investment reflects that reality.

Digital Audio Growth Outpaces Ad Spend

In my opening remarks, I shared a snapshot of where the UK audio market stands today. Listener habits are surging, but advertising spend has not kept pace.

• 70% of UK listeners (especially younger audiences) now consume digital audio daily on connected devices.
• Smart speakers are spreading, podcast listening continues to grow, and in-car integrations are making audio more seamless than ever.
• Budgets are still catching up. Although audio accounts for just 5% of total ad spend, according to the Q1 2025 Edison Share of Ear, and digital audio only 1.8%, according to a 2025 eMarketer forecast, the growth potential is enormous. Listener growth is outpacing investment, creating new opportunities for brands.

Panel: Programmatic Audio – The Rise, the Reality, and What’s Next

Our first panel, moderated by Rowan Hamill, Director of Business Development at AdsWizz, explored the shift toward programmatic buying. The panel tackled how automation is reshaping audio and what it really means for agencies, advertisers, and listeners.

Participants:

• Martyn Searles, AV Business Director, Hearts & Science
• Dave Ajumobi, Programmatic Lead, Two Circles
• Nadia Holmes, Head of Business Development, audioXI
• Libby Watling, Senior Account Director, Walk-in Media

The panel left no doubt: programmatic is the future. Agencies are embracing it for its scalability, efficiency, and simplified workflows. Even the skeptics agreed that media buying is moving in one direction.

Programmatic advertising adds flexibility, simplifies reporting, and enables campaigns to run across multiple formats in a single plan. Agencies have been clear in their demand for standardized measurement and streamlined workflows that make buying audio as seamless as display or video.

Fireside Chat: Podcast Targeting Buyers Can Trust

This session focused on podcasting, highlighting how the medium sits at the intersection of culture and commerce and why advertisers must approach it with authenticity.

Participants:

• Thema Archer, Senior Account Executive, EU Marketplace Partnerships at AdsWizz
• Renay Richardson, Founder & CEO, Broccoli Productions

Thema and Renay emphasized the power of independent podcasts to reach tightly knit communities built on trust. These shows give brands access to audiences mainstream channels cannot touch. Authenticity is essential: host-read ads resonate because they carry the creator’s credibility, and when brands integrate naturally into content, conversions follow.

While the UK still trails the US in monetization, programmatic buying is helping close the gap. Podcasts are more than a media channel. They are cultural launchpads, and AdsWizz is helping advertisers scale their investment with confidence.

Panel: Finding Your Brand’s Voice – Reaching Niche Audiences Through Digital Audio Targeting

Next, we turned to targeting. Moderated by Lindsay Lynch, Senior Director of Business Development at AdsWizz, this panel explored how digital audio enables brands to speak to the right audiences in smarter, more efficient ways.

Participants:

• Rachel Holsgrove, Director of Digital Operations, Octave
• Dave Ayre, Managing Partner, Programmatic, Dentsu
• Katriona Connely, Global Media Lead, Publicis Media
• Mike Murray, Head of Programmatic, OMD EMEA

Traditional radio still misses large swathes of listeners. Programmatic fills those gaps with richer data such as device type, IP, and commuting behavior.

Panelists noted that podcast content moves fast, which makes brand safety and suitability top of mind for advertisers. That’s why AdsWizz has built solutions designed to provide the transparency, control, and confidence brands need to invest in audio at scale. This topic gets explored further in the final session, which examines how advertisers can balance brand safety, scale, and authenticity.

Panel: The New Rules of Podcasting

The final session of the day asked what has changed in podcasting and how advertisers should adapt as the medium continues to evolve. Moderated by Guy Taylor, Director of Business Development at AdsWizz, this conversation focused on balancing brand safety, scale, and authenticity.

Participants:

• Tyler Clarke-Richards, Programmatic Account Manager, MG OMD
• Kate Cooper, Activation Director (AV), the7stars
• Pia de Giorgis, Associate Director, Connected Performance, OMD
• Dimana Zaharieva, Programmatic AdTech Solutions Manager, Acast

The panelists stressed the tension between brand safety and creativity. Content evolves fast, so strict controls rarely keep up, while over-targeting can fragment campaigns and stunt reach. The message was clear that podcasts thrive on authenticity. Overly complex classification risks stripping away what makes them effective. Buyers should favor simplicity, accept some unpredictability, and keep scale intact without choking creativity.

Closing the Gap

At AudioDays London 2025, the conversations showed where AdsWizz can make the biggest impact. Listeners are already deeply invested in audio, and advertisers have a clear opportunity to match that engagement. With trusted technologies and strategies, AdsWizz is enabling global brands to turn audience demand into measurable results.

Here are the priorities that emerged:

• Prioritize education by simplifying messaging around programmatic audio, targeting, and measurement so agencies understand the value clearly.
• Lean into curation and step into the driver’s seat. Buyers can now gain the transparency, control, and trust they already leverage in display and video.
• Leverage AI thoughtfully by showing how it creates efficiencies in targeting, identity resolution, and creative personalization while maintaining authenticity.
• Lead in measurement by advocating for standardized, cross-channel metrics that are both credible and easy to compare.
• Adopt a format-agnostic mindset. Audio podcasting remains the foundation, but video and multimedia can amplify reach, depth, and engagement.

These are not distant goals. Programmatic, smarter targeting, AI-driven efficiencies, and podcast monetization are tools AdsWizz is already delivering to help advertisers connect with audiences where they are today.

• Check out the full presentation here.
• Ready to amplify your audio investment? Connect with an AdsWizz audio expert.
• Look out for Audio Days Paris 2025 for more insights and conversations on the future of digital audio!

by Ollie Chadwick, Regional Director, UK & Ireland

The post Audio Days London 2025: Closing the Gap Between Audio and Investment appeared first on AdsWizz.

Globally, programmatic now dominates display ads, capturing nearly 90% of all spend in 2025 and accounting for more than 96% of new growth in the category. It also represents nearly three-quarters of connected TV buys.

Now advertisers are beginning to look for the same simplicity in podcasts. Podcasting, however, isn’t structured quite like display or TV. It’s more open, diverse, and wide-ranging, which can make programmatic podcast advertising a little more complex to scale. As a result, publishers may miss out on opportunities.

The encouraging news is that publishers who tailor their shows for programmatic buyers with better workflows and smarter adtech can unlock new revenue while preserving the authenticity that listeners value most.

The Promise of Programmatic Buying for Podcasts

The opportunity is clear. Programmatic buying allows advertisers to target by demographics, geography, context, or behavior, and to adjust campaigns in real time. That flexibility is now making its way into podcasting.

Take a brand aiming to reach new parents. With programmatic, ads can be delivered on parenting shows during the day, then shift to broader lifestyle podcasts in the evening. That kind of agility is exactly what advertisers want.

Podcast advertising in the US brought in $2.4 billion in 2024, up 26% from the year before. And the momentum isn’t stopping—revenues are on track to top $2.6 billion by 2026. The question isn’t whether to adopt programmatic anymore; it’s how fast publishers can move to seize the opportunity.

How AdsWizz Helps Publishers Scale

One of the biggest shifts for publishers has been the rise of supply-side platforms built specifically for audio. AdsWizz’s AudioMax SSP is an ideal example. It was the first SSP designed for audio, built more than a decade ago, long before most of the industry recognized the potential of programmatic audio. Instead of trying to adapt tools made for other media, AudioMax SSP gives publishers what they actually need: efficiency, insight, and control.

Efficiency is at the heart of AudioMax SSP. It connects seamlessly to every type of demand, including programmatic, direct, resellers, and marketplaces. It optimizes yield across all channels so that no inventory goes to waste and every impression reaches its full value. Insights come from transparent reporting that shows which campaigns perform best and which partners drive meaningful revenue. Control means managing the listening experience with precision, setting frequency caps, maintaining brand safety, and ensuring every ad fits the tone of the show.

For publishers, these are not abstract features. They are the real levers that make it possible to grow audio revenue intelligently while preserving the authenticity that makes podcasting so powerful.

Host-Read Ads

Enhanced adtech sets the stage for growth, but true success requires balancing automation with authenticity. 

Host-read ads remain one of podcasting’s secret weapons. They build trust, and listeners often treat a host’s recommendation like advice from a friend. It is no surprise that, according to Grand View Research, host-read ads accounted for more than 62% of podcast advertising revenue in 2024. But scaling them across shows and formats is not easy. That is where AdsWizz’s automated host-read ads offer a solution, blending the warmth of a host with the precision and targeting of programmatic tools.

Brand Safety

Brand safety in audio has two sides, and both are essential. For publishers, it’s about protecting the listener experience: keeping ads relevant, blocking sensitive IAB categories, and maintaining the tone that keeps audiences engaged. No one wants a jarring message breaking the flow of a show.

For advertisers, brand safety means something else entirely. It’s the confidence that every campaign is running in the right environment, that budgets are being spent on quality inventory with real value. This is where AdsWizz technology makes a difference. Every show in the ecosystem is scanned, transcribed, and categorized into brand-safe segments, giving advertisers the clarity they need to invest wisely and at scale.

By balancing both sides, AdsWizz helps publishers grow authentically and gives advertisers confidence that their messages reach the right audiences. In the end, brand safety comes down to trust, the foundation of a healthy audio ecosystem.

Programmatic Deal Types

Safeguarding the listener experience is only half the equation. To succeed with programmatic, publishers also need a clear view of how deal structures work. The type of deal shapes how much control publishers hold, how steady the revenue is, and how broad their base of potential advertisers can be.

There are four main deal types publishers should understand:

1. Programmatic guaranteed: A direct deal executed programmatically. Advertisers get guaranteed inventory and pricing while publishers reduce manual work. It combines the predictability of traditional direct deals with the automation and reporting benefits of programmatic.
2. Preferred deals: A fixed-price agreement where publishers offer inventory to selected advertisers before it goes to auction. There’s no guarantee of volume, but advertisers get priority access and publishers maintain price control.
3. Private marketplaces (PMPs): Invite-only auctions where publishers offer premium inventory to select buyers. They combine exclusivity with automation.
4. Marketplace auction: The broadest marketplace, where many demand sources compete for impressions in real time. It delivers scale but offers less control.

Building the Foundation for Monetization

Deal structures define how programmatic transactions work. But to translate those transactions into sustainable growth, publishers need a broader framework that brings all the pieces together. That’s where building the foundations for monetization comes in.

• Smarter supply paths: Choose curated, transparent marketplaces that prioritize quality and make it easier for advertisers to buy inventory with confidence.
• Balanced revenue strategy: AudioMax SSP connects with all major DSPs and optimizes audio supply across ad slots, break length, and feed data so programmatic, direct, and host-read deals work together seamlessly.
• Brand safety by design: Integrate safeguards like category blocking and frequency caps from the start.
• Education and enablement: Train internal teams and help advertisers access your inventory confidently.

Scaling Smarter, Earning More

Podcasting has always thrived on trust and intimacy. Programmatic advertising adds the scale and flexibility that publishers need to grow, without taking away the authenticity that makes the medium special. The real opportunity lies in combining both. Publishers who embrace programmatic as part of a balanced strategy will open new revenue streams, strengthen relationships with advertisers, and keep listeners coming back.

Connect with us now to grow revenue while keeping the podcast listening experience authentic!

by Jerome Camerlynck, Director of Product Management at AdsWizz

The post Scaling Podcast Revenue With Smarter Programmatic Strategies appeared first on AdsWizz.

For publishers, that makes this a pivotal moment. Those who can demonstrate audio’s full impact have a chance to reset perceptions and capture a larger share of ad budgets.

A Measurement Reckoning

According to Edison Research’s Share of Ear, Q2 2025, Americans spend about four hours each day with audio. Yet audio continues to receive a disproportionately small share of ad budgets. eMarketer reports that audio accounts for 21% of media time but just 4.5% of total media investment.

Without better measurement tools, publishers risk seeing the medium remain undervalued in an environment where advertisers increasingly demand proof of impact. This growing demand for accountability has set the stage for a new marketing model that bridges the gap between reach and results.

Why Brandformance Matters

Brandformance combines the emotional pull of brand advertising with the accountability of performance marketing. Marketers are moving past the old divide between brand and performance. They’re embracing this hybrid model, which ties long-term brand-building to measurable outcomes.

In short, brandformance means campaigns should not only build recognition but also prompt measurable action. Oxford Road’s Q1 2025 study, The Sound of Growth, found that audio advertising drives an average of 18% of branded search volume, with some brands seeing the number climb above 40% when campaigns are sustained.

In today’s environment of stricter privacy rules and rising consumer expectations, this dual focus is essential. Only measurement that captures both brand impact and direct response can show audio’s full potential. In other words, brandformance proves that what builds your brand can also drive your business, and audio is uniquely positioned to deliver both.

Audio’s Unique Fit

Audio is particularly well-suited to this approach. Its immersive quality allows advertisers to build emotional connections, while its flexibility enables clear calls to action. Nielsen podcast brand lift studies have shown that audio ads can improve brand recommendation by +6%.

For publishers, positioning audio within this full-funnel context is essential. Demonstrating how campaigns build brands while also driving measurable actions strengthens credibility and deepens advertiser trust.

Resetting the Measurement Stack

Meeting this moment requires more than a new mindset. Publishers need systems that link listening to results—without compromising privacy.

Advances in attribution are helping publishers close the loop between audio exposure and listener action. AdsWizz’s AudioPixel allows advertisers to measure performance in real time within an audio-first environment.

AdsWizz has also developed formats like ShakeMe, which lets listeners interact with an ad by shaking their device, making engagement trackable even without on-screen interaction. Another feature, Second Screen, links audio ads with display campaigns by targeting listeners on the same device or within the same household (where allowed). This reinforces messaging and improves response rates.

Together, these tools show how audio is evolving from a medium long associated with reach and awareness to one that delivers clear, measurable outcomes across the funnel.

Protecting Privacy Provides an Advantage

The advertising industry has spent the past few years adjusting to regulations like GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California. At the same time, consumers have become more aware of how their data is collected and used.

For publishers, acknowledging this shift can often be a strength rather than a setback. Privacy-supportive approaches such as Comscore Predictive Audiences, offered through AdsWizz, make it possible to reach aggregated, contextual audience segments defined predictively from consumption patterns rather than relying on individual-level data. This allows advertisers to stay data-driven while fully respecting privacy requirements. By demonstrating the ability to combine meaningful audience insights with privacy protection, publishers can unlock premium budgets and foster long-term advertiser relationships.

What Publishers Should Do Now

The opportunity is real, but it demands decisive action. Publishers that move now can close the measurement gap and position audio as a core, results-driven channel within the media mix.

Publishers looking to lead the reset should:

1. Audit existing measurement practices and identify gaps
2. Invest in attribution systems that connect listening to actions
3. Educate advertisers about audio’s evolving measurement capabilities
4. Partner with a tech platform (such as AdsWizz) that provides transparent tools and works seamlessly within regulatory requirements

Redefining Audio Advertising Through Brandformance

The measurement reset is redefining what success looks like in the audio era. For too long, this medium has been judged by outdated standards that fail to capture its full impact. With brandformance as the guiding framework and modern tools to back it up, publishers can demonstrate that audio drives both brand power and business results.

Those who embrace this shift will not only secure more investment today, but they will shape the next generation of audio advertising built on accountability, creativity, and growth.

This is the moment for publishers and advertisers to work together to prove audio’s full impact.

Reach out today to learn how we can partner on building measurement solutions that prove audio’s full impact.

by Alexandra Ilie, Senior Product Marketing Manager

The post The Great Measurement Reset: Audio’s Brandformance Moment appeared first on AdsWizz.

Audio is how people start their mornings, stay motivated at the gym, and discover new perspectives through podcasts. It’s one of the most personal forms of media. Yet it still doesn’t receive the same level of advertising investment as video or social platforms — even though it commands nearly a quarter of consumer media time.

At AdsWizz, we see that gap as an enormous opportunity, with adtech as the secret sauce that unlocks audio’s full potential.

Personalization That Actually Matters

Every listener is different, which is exactly why audio is so powerful. For audio industry leaders like SiriusXM Media, with 170M listeners generating billions of interactions each year, the question isn’t whether data exists. The question is how to put it to work in a way that feels useful, not intrusive.

That’s where advanced identity frameworks, clean room integrations, and AI-driven contextual targeting—and AdWizz—come in. These tools make it possible to treat people as individuals, not just “listeners.” The result is an ad experience that feels less like an interruption and more like a natural extension of whatever someone is doing. That might mean picking up a podcast on the morning run, tuning into live sports in the car, or winding down with music at home.

Taking the Complexity Out of Scale

Moments with digital audio happen everywhere: in cars, on phones, through smart speakers, and across hundreds of publishers. For advertisers, that fragmentation has always made scale feel messy.

Our job is to make it simple. With AdsWizz, brands can tap into SiriusXM Media’s full portfolio, from streaming and satellite to podcasts, through a single transaction. That means fewer silos, less manual work, and more time for marketers to do what they do best: craft campaigns that connect.

Finally, Measuring What Matters

For too long, audio has been undervalued because advertisers believed it was hard to measure, often due to traditional broadcast metrics that didn’t capture the true return audio delivers. That’s changing quickly.

SiriusXM Media is closing the gap between listening and outcomes. From cross-platform ad data feeds to partnerships with Innovid and the IAB Tech Lab, the company is making audio measurable, transparent, and trustworthy. As audio proves its strength in ROI, that progress matters for marketers who need to show results.

Up Your Adtech With AdsWizz

The future of audio advertising is already taking shape, and it looks like this:

• Data-driven precision grounded in identity and insights
• Personalized experiences tuned to context, behavior, and device
• Unified buying across platforms and partners
• Transparent measurement that proves ROI

This isn’t a theory. It’s what we’re building every day. Whether you want to reach commuters in connected cars, podcast superfans, or cross-platform audiences at scale, AdsWizz is the technology foundation that makes it possible.

Time to Build Your Campaigns With Audio

Audio isn’t just having a moment. It’s changing how brands connect with people. With the right technology in place, it’s proving its value as a powerful part of the media mix. At AdsWizz, we’re here to help brands build that future. 

Ready to get started? Contact us today!

The post Built With Adtech: The Future of Digital Audio Advertising appeared first on AdsWizz.

Now imagine your ad appearing right then, in sync with that feeling.

With contextual music targeting available across AudioMax, AudioServe, and AudioMatic, advertisers can reach listeners in the moments that matter most.

With three powerful targeting capabilities, advertisers can now move past mood to connect with the real-world context driving the music.

• Dynamic top lineups: Reach listeners tuned in to the top 50 trending songs of the week. You can refine by the songs trending with millennials or Gen Z, depending on your campaign goals.
• Music by activity: Target listeners based on what they’re doing. Whether it’s studying, cooking, gaming, or working out, these segments help you deliver your message when it aligns with their current mindset.
• Music by seasonality: Align your campaigns with real-world cultural and seasonal moments like Pride Month, Halloween, back to school, or Valentine’s Day—times when listeners are already emotionally engaged.

Why This Matters

For advertisers, this means your message reaches people when it’s most likely to resonate. For publishers, it improves monetization by matching inventory to timely, behavior-based signals. Because the targeting is driven by contextual insights from the music itself, it respects user privacy while enabling scale and precision.

These segments are powered by more than 60 million songs, analyzed by machine learning and verified by human experts. It’s a system built on real listening behavior, not guesswork or outdated targeting models.

Key Benefits (So Listen Up)

• Engage listeners when it counts: Match your message to what people are doing or feeling in the moment—from studying to celebrating.
• Boost campaign performance: Drive stronger engagement and completion rates by reaching listeners in meaningful, relevant contexts.
• Maximize monetization: Improve fill rates by syncing inventory with live music behavior.
• Stay current: Reach audiences through trending songs and evolving cultural moments.
• Measure smarter: Use updated reporting tools to see how each segment performs and optimize campaigns with confidence.

Let’s Get Started

It’s easy to find new segments available in Publisher Attributes across AudioMax, AudioServe, and AudioMatic. Simply choose the segments that align with your campaign, and the platform will do the rest. Whether you’re focused on reach, performance, or monetization, these tools are designed to help you make every ad more effective.

Explore the full segment list and start reaching listeners in the moments that matter. 

• Want to learn more? For more information, please visit our knowledge base.
• Prefer to talk with a team member? Contact us now!

by Rob Quintiliani, Senior Director, Product Management

The post Hit the Right Note With Contextual Music Targeting appeared first on AdsWizz.

For AdsWizz, it was a chance to present new innovations, highlight partnerships, and explore the future of audio with agencies, brands, and platforms.

Driving Real Personalization With Dynamic Creatives and Synthetic Voice

A highlight for me was presenting Dynamic Creatives with Synthetic Voice. This solution was designed to take the complexity out of personalization in audio. A single script can now be transformed into multiple natural-sounding versions in minutes, shaped by contextual signals like weather, time of day, location, music genre, or device type. 

Its real strength is accessibility. Marketers can generate voiceovers instantly, select from a range of vocal styles, and refine creative without costly or time-consuming studio sessions. Background tracks can be layered automatically, and previews tested before launch, ensuring every variation feels authentic and polished.

The audience reaction echoed what we are already hearing across the market. Personalization in audio has often felt out of reach, and being able to demonstrate a simpler path forward sparked real engagement. Many of the questions focused on how quickly campaigns could be adapted once live and how contextual triggers could work alongside existing targeting strategies.

A Fireside Chat With SoundCloud

AdsWizz hosted a fireside chat between Taeko Matamaru, Business Development Director of Demand at AdsWizz, and Patricia Claper, Senior Manager of Ad Partnerships at SoundCloud. Their conversation highlighted what makes SoundCloud unique: it’s both a home for creators and a community for fans, positioning it as a launchpad for emerging voices and cultural trends.

They discussed how brands can join this ecosystem in ways that feel natural to listeners. Promoted tracks let advertisers align their messaging with music discovery, turning ads into part of the journey rather than a disruption. A collaboration with Under Armour illustrated this approach, connecting the brand with audiences by amplifying new artists and fueling discovery.

The takeaway was clear: SoundCloud gives brands a role in culture creation, not just media placement. To succeed, advertisers must support artists and enhance the experience instead of interrupting it. Done well, these partnerships help brands build credibility with younger, trend-setting audiences.

Trends Shaping the Future of Audio

DMEXCO 2025 revealed shifts that are already reshaping the market. These are not distant signals but changes unfolding now. The brands that adapt quickly will define the next phase of audio. 

For me, three forces in particular are setting new expectations for audio advertising:

• Programmatic audio is crossing the tipping point: Once a test channel, it is becoming the default buying model. Brands that delay building programmatic expertise will struggle to keep pace as efficiency and accountability become standard.
• Authenticity is brand currency: Younger audiences, especially Gen Z, reward advertisers who respect listening culture and collaborate with creators. Inauthentic approaches erode trust quickly.
• Personalization is now the baseline: Real-time adaptation to context, mood, or environment is no longer optional. Tools like Dynamic Creatives with Synthetic Voice are setting a new standard for relevance.

The Path Forward for Audio

DMEXCO 2025 left no doubt that audio is driving digital innovation. It is measurable, flexible, and creative, while still holding on to what makes it unique with its intimacy, authenticity, and emotional pull.

At AdsWizz, we are building the infrastructure that helps brands, creators, and audiences thrive together. The next chapter will be shaped by those ready to embrace authenticity, experiment with personalization, and lean into programmatic scale.

Want to learn more about how audio advertising can work for your brand?

Contact us today to explore AdsWizz solutions and see what’s possible.

by Frank Kretzschmar, Head of DACH/Nordics

The post AdsWizz at DMEXCO 2025: Audio Steps Into Its Next Chapter appeared first on AdsWizz.