IAS & Spotify roll out podcast brand safety tools for advertisers

Integral Ad Science (IAS) has collaborated with Spotify to introduce a set of brand safety and suitability tools for podcast advertisers in the United States. The features, now available on the Spotify Audience Network, aim to enhance targeting and measurement at the podcast episode level.

The move comes as podcast advertising in the US continues to grow, with revenue projected to surpass $3 billion by 2027. The tools are designed to address increasing concerns around content alignment in digital audio environments.

“This partnership between IAS and Spotify represents a step forward in giving podcast advertisers the control and confidence that their messages will reach suitable audiences,” said Lisa Utzschneider, CEO, IAS.

Key features available to advertisers on the Spotify Audience Network include:

  • Episode-level classification: IAS’s technology uses speech-to-text analysis to classify podcast content in over 90 languages, offering brand safety measurement at the episode level.

  • Customisable brand suitability settings: Advertisers can define their risk tolerance to help ensure that their ads appear alongside content aligned with their brand standards.

  • Pre-bid classification and reporting: The tools provide daily, campaign-level reporting for dynamically inserted podcast ads to confirm placement alongside suitable content.

  • Network-wide coverage: The solution applies to podcasts distributed via the Spotify Audience Network, regardless of the app used for playback. All inventory is limited to podcast content.

“Our goal is to raise the bar on digital audio brand safety, and by partnering with IAS, we’ve established a much requested brand safety solution for podcasts,” said Chloe Wix, Global Head - Product and Commercial Growth, Spotify.

This development extends IAS’s existing offerings, which include viewability and invalid traffic reporting across various formats and platforms. For now, the new brand safety and suitability features are available to podcast advertisers in the US.

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