Spotify launches self-serve platform for audio ad campaigns

The new ads platform is aimed at bringing more SMB advertisers to the streaming audio service.

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Spotify has launched what it says is the first self-serve platform for marketers to set up and manage audio ad campaigns.

Advertisers can choose to upload preproduced ads or upload a script and have Spotify create ads with background music and voiceover in the new Spotify Ad Studio platform. Advertisers also provide an image to display while their ads play on the streaming music service. The platform supports 15- or 30-second audio ads that play during programmed breaks between songs.2 Audio Creation Filled Ox5qit

Streaming audio, which IAB broke out for the first time in its 2016 annual survey of the US internet advertising market, topped $1.1 billion in ad revenue in last year, according to the report. Spotify’s self-serve advertising platform is designed to bring more small-to-midsize businesses onto Spotify, which claims an audience of more than 70 million users.

Unlike traditional radio, advertisers can target audience segments meeting various criteria. In addition to demographic, location and device segmentation, advertisers can select audiences based on music genre, as well as by keywords used in user-generated playlists.

Music labels, artists and promoters can also target their fan lists on Spotify through the platform for the first time using Ad Studio.

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Instead of reach estimates, Spotify provides an estimated number of ads that will run when an advertiser selects targeting rather than reach. There is no ability, at this early stage at least, to see or control ad frequency, but reach data is available in the reporting dashboard.

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Spotify launched programmatic advertising with AppNexus, Rubicon Project and The Trade Desk last year. The self-serve platform is now in open beta in the US.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Ginny Marvin
Contributor
Ginny Marvin was formerly Third Door Media’s Editor-in-Chief, running the day-to-day editorial operations across all publications and overseeing paid media coverage. Ginny Marvin wrote about paid digital advertising and analytics news and trends for Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, Ginny has held both in-house and agency management positions. She can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.

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