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.

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.

Contextual advertising doesn’t rely on personal data but still connects with listeners based on their situational context. It’s smart, scalable, and built for a privacy-first future.

Privacy obligations aside, it simply works better to serve relevant ads to the right audiences at the right moments without tracking their every move. When consumers tell you where they like to spend time, there’s no need to peek through the blinds.

Why Contextual Is the New Gold Standard

People are spending their days with audio, and the numbers speak for themselves.

According to Edison Research’s Share of Ear Report (Q1 2025), listeners are spending four hours and 29 minutes hours a day with audio, using it as a companion throughout their daily routines.

SiriusXM Media’s User Study 2024 reinforces this: 64% of people listen while doing chores, 50% while cooking, 48% while working, and 44% while exercising. More than 30% also tune in while commuting, getting ready, playing video games, or relaxing at home. Nearly 80% of all audio listening happens when visual media isn’t available, making audio more integrated into daily life than most screen-based advertising.

That level of listener integration demands the same from advertisers. Ads that align with listeners’ routines boost brand connection by 12%, while ads that miss the moment achieve just a 3% lift.

The impact of contextual relevance is striking:

• Emotional impact is 156% higher with culturally relevant ads.
• According to Deloitte Digital, brands incorporating personalization into their ad campaigns experienced a 50% growth, with advertising budgets rising by 29% in 2024 compared to the previous year.
• More than 70% of brands and agencies are expanding their first-party data sets.

Mood, Weather, and Location Signals in Audio

Contextual targeting is a win-win for listeners and advertisers. It connects brands with more receptive audiences while reducing irrelevant ad clutter for those who might otherwise be open to the right message.

For example, a regional outdoor brand can promote lightweight waterproof outerwear to listeners within 25 miles of retail locations who are streaming a “Running Mix” during rainy weather—all without compromising privacy.

Weather Targeting

Weather influences behavior, and your advertising should reflect that. With updates every 60 minutes using live data from trusted sources, weather targeting allows brands to deliver messages tailored to current conditions. 

Trigger dynamic ads based on weather types like thunderstorms, fog, drizzle, clear skies, or snow, and go deeper with environmental triggers such as UV index, humidity, barometric pressure, and pollen count.

Location Targeting

Today’s location targeting goes far beyond basic geography. With powerful tools, you can go beyond the basics and engage listeners where they are with surgical precision.

• Reach users by country, region, city, DMA, or MSA
• Target specific points of interest, like a five-mile radius around airports, gyms, restaurants, or campuses
• Home in on postal codes or even exact GPS coordinates

Mood Targeting

In audio environments, mood isn’t just a vibe—it’s a signal. We analyze over 60 million tracks and use a blend of machine learning, expert human curation, and real-time scoring to detect emotional tone. With 10 rich mood segments, advertisers can align their message with listeners’ emotional state, whether that’s focused, happy, angsty, or soothing.

Life Moments, Trends, and Seasonal Targeting 

Advertisers can go even deeper with new segmentation layers that reflect how, when, and why people listen. Dynamic Top Lineups, Music by Activity, and Seasonality segments unlock powerful new ways to match your message to the moment.

• Activity-based segments let you engage during everyday routines—from working out and studying to cooking, gaming, or partying.
• Top Chart segments help you tap into cultural momentum with listeners who stream the week’s Top 50 songs, with added filters for Millennials and Gen Z.
• Seasonal moments give your brand relevance during key life and cultural events, like back-to-school, Pride Month, summer vacation, or Halloween.

Enhancing Listener Relevance Without Personal Identifiers

Privacy concerns are real, with 65% of Americans skeptical about data privacy efforts and 71% saying they would end their relationship with companies that mishandle sensitive data. Most important to advertisers: 83% of consumers consider data protection crucial for building trust.

The industry’s response has been transformative, with solutions like anonymized data processing, clean rooms, and predictive audiences leading the way. AdsWizz’s partnership with pioneering ID-less firm NumberEight exemplifies this shift. AdsWizz uses anonymized contextual data and machine learning to deliver precise demographic insights without compromising personal privacy.

We’re committed to privacy-first advertising, with 60% of global targeting on AdsWizz now using contextual signals. This marks a clear shift from traditional tracking to smarter, more respectful methods. Simply put, advertisers connect with audiences using the information people choose to share, not what they want to keep private.

Skip Ahead in Your Audio Advertising With AdsWizz

We’re not just part of the audio advertising evolution. We’re leading it.

Our technology delivers personalized, privacy-safe audio ads at scale. Each month, we power 16 billion impressions and scan 40 million podcast episodes to ensure brand safety and relevance. Tap into contextual targeting through weather, mood, location and more data signals—while meeting the highest privacy standards. 

Ready to transform your approach? Connect with us today!

by Bianca Stanescu, Senior Director, Product Marketing

The post Activate Smarter Audio Advertising With Contextual Targeting appeared first on AdsWizz.

Through a series of engaging panels and dynamic discussions, attendees walked away armed with fresh insights on how to supercharge campaign performance and expand their media strategies.

So, let’s break down each panel discussion and the must-know takeaways that are set to redefine the future of digital audio.

Opening Remarks to Set the Stage for Digital Audio’s Future

Speaker: Ollie Chadwick, AdsWizz, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, AdsWizz

The day began with a welcome from Ollie Chadwick, who outlined AdsWizz’s evolution and its role in shaping the digital audio landscape. He highlighted the steady rise of digital audio adoption in the UK and emphasized the growing importance of programmatic audio, noting its ability to reach audiences more effectively and cost-efficiently compared to traditional media.

Panel 1: Innovation and Testing in Audio

Moderator: Rowan Hamill, UK & Ireland, AdsWizz

• Wayne Bishop, Global Client Lead, Unilever
• Ridhi Jogia, Director AV Implementation, Essence Mediacom
• Alice Baines, Media Planning Business Director, OMD

The first panel, led by Rowan Hamill, examined how innovation is driving digital audio forward. The panelists highlighted the underutilized potential of programmatic audio, noting that despite strong engagement, it still receives limited marketing investment due to budget constraints.

• An underserved market opportunity: Even with digital audio’s rapid growth, brands continue to allocate less investment to it compared to video or social media. This session underscored the opportunity to gain market share by positioning audio as a key medium.
• Barriers to experimentation: Panelists pointed out that rigid budget structures limit opportunities for audio testing. They stressed that greater agency support and education could empower brands to invest confidently in innovative audio strategies.

Panel 2: Beyond Branding for Campaigns

Moderator: Lindsay Lynch, Director of Business Development, International, AdsWizz

• Brandon Lutz, Head of Offline & New Media, Miro 
• Andy Goldsmith, CEO, Adelicious
• Kat Bean, Head of Media, Wake the Bear
• Howard Bareham, Co-Founder, Trisonic

In the second session, moderated by Lindsay Lynch, the focus shifted to how brands can expand podcast advertising beyond traditional branding efforts to drive direct response outcomes. Panelists shared insights on how audio ads can connect with niche audiences and deliver measurable results, making audio a valuable tool for performance-based campaigns.

• Case study – Miro’s success in brand awareness: Brandon Lutz from Miro shared their recent experience using audio ads to drive an increase in brand awareness among key decision-makers in UX, marketing, and engineering roles. This case study illustrated how podcasts effectively communicate brand stories to targeted, high-intent audiences without requiring host-read formats.
• Diverse use cases for audio: Panelists discussed how brands can utilize data-driven audio ads for various objectives, from lead generation to customer acquisition. They emphasized the flexibility of programmatic audio to adapt to specific campaign goals, including B2B and B2C contexts.

Panel 3: Digital Audio in the Wider Media Mix

Moderator: Ollie Chadwick, AdsWizz, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, AdsWizz

• Thomas Balaam, Audio Trading Director, Mindshare UK
• Michael Bayston, VP Adtech Solutions, Acast
• Isobel Langley, Head of Agency, GroupM Nexus
• Patrick Dolan, Head of Audio & Display, the7stars

The final session explored how digital audio enhances multi-channel campaigns, with Ollie Chadwick leading a discussion on its role in broader media strategies.

• Audio as an amplifier: Panelists emphasized audio’s role as an amplifier, especially when paired with visual media like connected TV (CTV). The conversation touched on how combining programmatic audio with digital video can result in higher engagement and brand recall.
• Audience-driven strategy: Audio allows brands to reach audiences throughout the day across various touchpoints—whether during a morning jog, while commuting, or as they wind down in the evening. This flexibility makes audio a powerful tool for reaching consumers at different points in their journey.
• A cost-effective channel: With a lower CPM than many visual formats, audio offers a cost-effective way to increase reach and frequency within broader campaigns. This point resonated strongly with attendees, showcasing audio as a valuable channel in an increasingly budget-conscious media landscape.
• Digital audio’s versatility: Digital audio’s adaptability makes it an ideal complement to traditional media, providing unique advantages for brands aiming to diversify their media spend while engaging audiences in more immersive and meaningful ways.

Skip Ahead with AdsWizz

Audio Days London brought together digital audio’s leading voices and highlighted AdsWizz’s role in driving the digital audio industry forward and empowering brands to reach new heights.

Stay tuned for updates on our next Audio Days event, or contact us today if you wish to advance your audio strategy!

by Aimi Knowling, Senior Manager, Sales Marketing

The post Audio Days London Recap appeared first on AdsWizz.

In addition to a strong presence at Programmatic I/O 2023 New York, with prominent branding and a booth in the Live Exchange Zone, AdsWizz received an AdExchanger Award for “Innovation In Audio Advertising” for our campaign, “Sea-Doo uses precise local targeting and increases website conversions by 43%.” This is the second consecutive year AdsWizz has won in this category. 

Redefining Measurement in Programmatic Audio (Presentation)

Maria Breza, Vice President of Ad Quality Measurement and Audience Data Operations at SiriusXM Media and AdsWizz, presented insights on redefining programmatic audio measurement and addressing industry challenges. She discussed the growing audio landscape and the gap between consumption and ad spend, introduced audibility standards, and highlighted strategies to combat invalid traffic. Maria also explored brand safety in podcasting, showcasing innovative solutions like transcription targeting as SiriusXM Media reshapes programmatic audio for advertisers.

For key insights from Maria’s presentation and access to her slides, click here.

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