If you’re not planning to run audio ads in 2025, you should start now 👇
Young Americans spend over half of their daily listening time with ad-supported digital audio, whether it's podcasts or music streaming. I guess similar picture in Europe.
Spotify reigns supreme.
With 32% of the global streaming market and rapidly growing monthly active users, it’s the king of audio.
In 2024, ad-supported users grew faster than premium ones, now making up 62% of its total user base (vs 56% in 2020).
Advertising revenue are up 7% year-on-year.
Until recently, Spotify relied heavily on direct ad sales. But now, they’re expanding their programmatic solutions in partnership with The Trade Desk.
And this is where the opportunity for brands arises!
Advertisers can now reach 425 million ad-supported users in a programmatic and efficient way.
And here’s the best part:
recording audio ads is cheaper than ever with tools like ElevenLabs and its AI-generated voices.
And if this wasn't enough,
there's a massive gap in the market 💡.
Audio consumption is growing, but it’s still under-monetised.
WARC estimates that while audio accounts for 24.5% of all ad-supported media consumption in the US, it represents only 8.4% of ad spend. 🤯
This means less competition, lower costs and more opportunities "to be heard".
Audio-only social media (like Clubhouse) tried and failed.
Spotify took it all. It now owns everything audio, user-generated music, podcasts, even audiobooks.
In this landscape, music becomes "content" and musicians become "creators", just like YouTubers and podcasters.
While this might not be good news for musicians, it is great news for advertisers!
Do you have experience with audio ads?
