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Spotify Podcast Ads, which debuted at CES 2020 last January for the streaming platform’s original and exclusive podcasts, were extended to Germany and the U.K. Thursday.
The ad offering is powered by Spotify’s proprietary Streaming Ad Insertion technology, which delivers and reports on confirmed ad impressions, rather than downloads, and provides advertisers with insights on reach and frequency, enabling them to make more data-driven decisions on their campaigns.
Spotify has more than 70 million podcast listeners on its platform, with consumption growing at triple-digit rates year-over-year.
The company said podcast listeners overall (not just on its platform) doubled globally in 2020, with nearly one-half of younger Germans listening to them. The U.K saw an 11.4% increase in podcast listeners on all platforms in 2020 compared with 2019, and that number is forecast to go up another 10% this year.
The expansion of the offering enables brands to reach listeners of German titles including Dick & Doof and Herrengedeck; popular U.K. podcasts JaackMate’s Happy Hour, Sorted With the Dyers and The Recepits; and global hits including The Joe Rogan Experience.
Spotify Podcast Ads can be purchased on a title-by-title basis, and creative can run across pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll placements within episodes.
Select podcast hosts and professional voice talent are also available to team up with advertisers and help sharpen their creative.
LinkedIn and MediaCom were the first advertising partners for Spotify Podcast Ads in Germany, while BT Sports kicked things off in the U.K., starting up a campaign across The Joe Rogan Experience Monday.
Spotify head of sales, U.K. and pan-Europe, Middle East and Africa Rak Patel said in a statement, “The popularity of podcasts is rising exponentially in the U.K. and, as a relatively untapped medium for advertisers, they offer so much potential for brands to reach diverse audiences in new and engaging ways. Unlike some digital media channels, podcasts are intimate, they are trusted and they reach people in a very direct and personal way. With Spotify Podcast Ads, we aim to take podcast advertising to the next level, offering brands unique insights into their audiences and creative solutions that can truly capture consumer attention. We’re really excited about what’s to come.”
