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Is anyone dynamically stitching in ads yet? Seems like a business waiting to happen, content creators follow some guidelines and use a specific tool to put t

Is anyone dynamically stitching in ads yet? Seems like a business waiting to happen, content creators follow some guidelines and use a specific tool to put their show together and then an ad distribution company distributes the podcast and pastes in targeted ads based upon the downloader's profile at download time. As things are currently done, it seems like you have just incrementally more information than radio does, probably smaller body of listeners, and it's run very similar to radio. It's radio with downsides and fairly limited upside. A lot of the content doesn't have an age, there are 2 year old comedy podcasts that are still funny, splice in new ads and it's like syndicated TV instead of radio; plus that potentially lets them monetize their body of work and not just the newest stuff which might lead to better sustainability, their affiliate code doesn't work 16months later and then the marketer doesn't know how they got the lead and the podcasts doesn't get paid.. The pod catchers and players can provide a ton of analytical data too, no reason to not know if your ad was skipped or not. Just seems like a bit more technology is needed and it could really boom. Likewise, if you have this targeted ad stitching stuff working, you could easily have ad-free subscriptions and pay the content creator directly. I cut our cord and basically stopped listening to radio because of the ads, tons of ads and ads that have little or no value to me. Lately, it kind of pains me to say it, but some of the targeted ads on Facebook and some other places are shockingly well targeted. Like they're hitting me up with things I'm actually interested in. I dislike being marketed to all the time but I hate these ads a lot less and I've actually bought some stuff because of it. It's pretty advanced, whereas podcasts still seem to be mostly doing it the old radio way with different distribution.

JansjoFromIkea 8y ago
I'm not 100% on how it was done as I tend to use a range of ways to get podcasts, but I've had location specific ads on some podcasts and I'm pretty sure I've had ones referencing something that hadn't happened at the time the podcast went out too
skymt 8y ago
Yes, there are programmatic ad networks for podcasts. For example: https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/08/acast-programmatic-ads/ https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/08/acast-programmatic-ads/
- prdjr 8y ago
  Programmatic refers to the automated bidding and placement of ads in real time auctions done over a DSP. It can be done for audio but would take the listener out of the experience as the ad is built prior to the recording. Native advertising is when the creative is in the same manner of the content. On a website, the ad would have the same formatting as the other articles on the page. In audio, it's currently being done by having the host read a loose script with keywords/phrases and tie in their personal experience with the product--making it seem like its part of the program.
sonnyblarney 8y ago
The ads currently narrated by the podcasters are gold. If I was an advertiser I would want that more than anything. The ads are generally very well suited/targeted to the audience, and they are strongly legitimized by the podcaster. When Joe Rogan hustles 'monthly razors' he makes it very personal, talks about his own use, emotionally slams the 'dumb alternatives'. It's 10x better than a pre-recorded spot. It's much closer to sponsorship than ads, and it's worth it. The issue is really one of scale ... but given the advertiser doesn't have to do anything but write a few sentences of copy and then pick some podcasts and negotiate a price ... I think the scale issue is not so bad.
- pfranz 8y ago
  I think it's a business evolution thing. You can see live reads from TV shows in the 50s (and radio). Later on you see "presenting sponsors," which I'm now seeing more and more in podcasts. As it becomes more of a commodity I can see it moving to pluggable ads. I like the podcasts are niche. I heard someone point out the other day that companies investing big in podcasts are putting their money in talent and content and usually have poorer encoding, metadata, and shownotes compared to the smaller podcasts.
- nil_pointer 8y ago
  These type of ads aren't anything new, popular talk-radio hosts have done personalized ad spots for decades.
- sleavey 8y ago
  Ads where the presenter speaks them and says how they have personally enjoyed the product make me suspicious. Is it really true that you enjoyed the razors or the meal kits more than any of the competition? Or are you giving it false legitimy for the sake of money? Unfortunately I feel it detracts from the professionalism and journalistic independence of the shows.
  - sonnyblarney 8y ago
    "make me suspicious. " That's fine but they don't make most other people suspicious. Is the point.
pfranz 8y ago
I heard Marco Arment say the mp3 file format is simple enough you can splice in ads without having to re-encode and he was seeing companies doing this. This was in the context of him implementing file seek and play percentage in his podcast player--both get gnarly with VBR and ads that vary in length.
Maxious 8y ago
Gimlet says: "We resell old ad spots. Our ads are recorded separately and are modular, so we can take out old ads and put in new ads whenever we want." in a thread about how country specific ads have been noticed https://www.reddit.com/r/gimlet/comments/71abgp/anyone_else_getting_reigon_specific_ads_i_dont/ https://www.reddit.com/r/gimlet/comments/71abgp/anyone_else_...
sdwisely 8y ago
there certainly are, I re-listened to an episode of a podcast last night with an ad targeted at my state. My partner fell asleep the night before during and I wanted to point out the ad that hilariously missed its target audience and it was a different ad the second time we streamed it.

JansjoFromIkea 8y ago

I'm not 100% on how it was done as I tend to use a range of ways to get podcasts, but I've had location specific ads on some podcasts and I'm pretty sure I've had ones referencing something that hadn't happened at the time the podcast went out too

skymt 8y ago

Yes, there are programmatic ad networks for podcasts. For example: https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/08/acast-programmatic-ads/ https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/08/acast-programmatic-ads/

prdjr 8y ago
Programmatic refers to the automated bidding and placement of ads in real time auctions done over a DSP. It can be done for audio but would take the listener out of the experience as the ad is built prior to the recording. Native advertising is when the creative is in the same manner of the content. On a website, the ad would have the same formatting as the other articles on the page. In audio, it's currently being done by having the host read a loose script with keywords/phrases and tie in their personal experience with the product--making it seem like its part of the program.

sonnyblarney 8y ago

The ads currently narrated by the podcasters are gold. If I was an advertiser I would want that more than anything. The ads are generally very well suited/targeted to the audience, and they are strongly legitimized by the podcaster. When Joe Rogan hustles 'monthly razors' he makes it very personal, talks about his own use, emotionally slams the 'dumb alternatives'. It's 10x better than a pre-recorded spot. It's much closer to sponsorship than ads, and it's worth it. The issue is really one of scale ... but given the advertiser doesn't have to do anything but write a few sentences of copy and then pick some podcasts and negotiate a price ... I think the scale issue is not so bad.

pfranz 8y ago
I think it's a business evolution thing. You can see live reads from TV shows in the 50s (and radio). Later on you see "presenting sponsors," which I'm now seeing more and more in podcasts. As it becomes more of a commodity I can see it moving to pluggable ads. I like the podcasts are niche. I heard someone point out the other day that companies investing big in podcasts are putting their money in talent and content and usually have poorer encoding, metadata, and shownotes compared to the smaller podcasts.
nil_pointer 8y ago
These type of ads aren't anything new, popular talk-radio hosts have done personalized ad spots for decades.
sleavey 8y ago
Ads where the presenter speaks them and says how they have personally enjoyed the product make me suspicious. Is it really true that you enjoyed the razors or the meal kits more than any of the competition? Or are you giving it false legitimy for the sake of money? Unfortunately I feel it detracts from the professionalism and journalistic independence of the shows.
- sonnyblarney 8y ago
  "make me suspicious. " That's fine but they don't make most other people suspicious. Is the point.

pfranz 8y ago

I heard Marco Arment say the mp3 file format is simple enough you can splice in ads without having to re-encode and he was seeing companies doing this. This was in the context of him implementing file seek and play percentage in his podcast player--both get gnarly with VBR and ads that vary in length.

Maxious 8y ago

Gimlet says: "We resell old ad spots. Our ads are recorded separately and are modular, so we can take out old ads and put in new ads whenever we want." in a thread about how country specific ads have been noticed https://www.reddit.com/r/gimlet/comments/71abgp/anyone_else_getting_reigon_specific_ads_i_dont/ https://www.reddit.com/r/gimlet/comments/71abgp/anyone_else_...

sdwisely 8y ago

there certainly are, I re-listened to an episode of a podcast last night with an ad targeted at my state. My partner fell asleep the night before during and I wanted to point out the ad that hilariously missed its target audience and it was a different ad the second time we streamed it.