Pandora’s Premium Audio Marketplace for Programmatic Ad Buying Is Coming

By John Trimble, Chief Revenue Officer

There has been a major disruption in the audio advertising marketplace. Digital technology has pushed audio to the forefront and is making it accessible anywhere, anytime. Consumers are flocking to streaming platforms, which stand as shining examples of personalized digital media that couldn’t be offered in yesterday’s audio era. And, given the increasing ownership of smart speakers, connected cars, and voice-activated devices-- it’s clear the future of advertising is digital audio.

In fact, consumers spend nearly 4 hours a day listening to audio[1], and of that, music is the #1 content consumed. Today’s connected music fans have pushed streaming audio into the mainstream, and now the majority (53%) of Americans stream audio weekly[1]. When you look at where people are streaming audio today, the answer is simple-- it’s on Pandora.

The demand for programmatic audio is high. Brands are quickly leveraging programmatic as a key buying approach and we have seen automation flow into new areas, including audio. And with Pandora’s market leadership in digital audio, it’s our responsibility to create a scalable premium marketplace, supported with quality first-party data and advanced targeting capabilities to meet advertiser’s growing demands.

As a result, I am excited to officially announce that Pandora has created an audio marketplace that allows advertisers to purchase Pandora’s premium audio inventory programmatically at unmatched scale, all within a brand-safe environment.

Pandora’s entrance into the programmatic audio space demonstrates our commitment to investing significantly in our ad platform to drive innovation and meet advertisers’ needs for new ways to transact. Pandora’s premium audio marketplace offering provides advertisers with the simplicity of programmatic, plus the quality they need to deliver effective digital audio buys.

Programmatic buyers will have the opportunity to use Pandora’s robust first-party demographic and location listener data or our proprietary audience segments. Alternatively, advertisers can utilize their own data to reach the right user, at the right time, in the right environment.

We have always been committed to delivering best-in-class advertising products that are designed for attention to deliver an enhanced experience for listeners and advertisers alike. Through Pandora’s premium programmatic offering, advertisers can easily bid on our suite of core display, video and audio ad products. And with the acceleration of consumer tech adoption that is putting audio content at the center, I am excited for advertising’s future with Audio. Brands who have been experimenting with programmatic audio to-date, will now have the opportunity to tap into a scalable audio marketplace to reach the audiences that matter most, through the passion point of music.

To learn more, read Pandora’s latest 2018 Definitive Guide to Audio or to apply to our closed audio beta programmatic solution, visit us at pandoraforbrands.com.

John Trimble serves as the Chief Revenue Officer of Pandora, where he is responsible for all advertising revenue, strategic sales marketing and advertising operations. When he’s not on the road meeting with ad partners, John is evolving his station list to keep relevant with his family of four kids. Follow him on Twitter at @JTrimbleNY.

Sources ^{1 Edison Research Share of Ear Study, Q2 2017 2 comScore Multi Metrix January 2018 (mobile P13+)}