Q & A: How to Advertise on SiriusXM—and Why You’ll Want To

SiriusXM holds a special place in the audio space. Where AM/FM radio stops, SiriusXM takes off. We offer our 33M subscribers access to premium listening experiences, with all the modern conveniences and quality of digital formats—and without fading and degrading signals. For advertisers, that means your messages go further and sound better. So, whether our listeners are tuned in to Howard Stern, Rachel Maddow, Kevin Hart, or Tinx (to name just a few SiriusXM personalities), your ads come through loud and clear.

Want to know how to get started with advertising on SiriusXM? We have a playbook for that.

We also have answers to common questions from an expert. David Gorin, Director, Satellite Brand Sales sat down with us to provide responses for some SiriusXM FAQs.

Unlike AM/FM Listeners, SiriusXM Subscribers Are Invested

Question: I already advertise on the radio. Why should I add SiriusXM to my media mix? How is it different from AM/FM radio?

Answer Highlight: “First and foremost, our listeners are actively subscribing and paying annually for the service. They understand the value proposition of SiriusXM and know they cannot get the exclusive content found on the platform anywhere else… Our listeners are more engaged than those of AM/FM and are more likely to stay tuned when an ad airs, and our subscribers are more likely to purchase or use a product that's advertised. This is likely so because we have fewer ad breaks than AM/FM, and our breaks are shorter.”

Audiences Are Listening at More and Different Moments

Question: I know that SiriusXM is heavy in the car; however, with people not commuting in a post-pandemic world, are people still listening to SiriusXM?

Answer Highlight: “People are actually driving more than they used to. Per the latest government vehicle miles driven report, driving in June 2024 was up 2% versus June of 2019. In terms of total miles driven, the difference is that with more people working from home, they're driving patterns are more spread out throughout the day, requiring additional frequency to reach them most effectively. Additionally, with the relaunch of our app, SiriusXM is making a concerted effort to allow subscribers to listen to SiriusXM wherever they are, whether that's in the car, at home, or on the go.”

SiriusXM Offers 72 Ad-Supported Talk Channels

Question: What about music? Can I advertise on your music stations?

Answer Highlight: “Music channels are commercial free… However, clients can advertise on 72 ad-supported channels including sports, news, entertainment, comedy, and more.”

Advertising on SiriusXM Reaches a Distinct Audience

Question: I currently advertise on streaming audio and podcasts. What will adding SiriusXM do for my campaigns?

Answer Highlight: “Adding SiriusXM to your current streaming and podcasting campaigns could be advantageous for advertisers in two main ways. First, SiriusXM subscribers are an additive audience to your audio strategy, as our listeners have very low duplication with other digital audio formats… Additionally, by adding SiriusXM to your SiriusXM Media buy, you have the potential to unlock further added value benefits.

SiriusXM Listeners Are Educated and Affluent

Question: What can you tell me about the SiriusXM audiences? Who are they? And what keeps them subscribing?

Answer Highlight: “It's a dual audience: 49% male, 51% female. Additionally, our listenership is quite educated and affluent, as 41% of SiriusXM subscribers have graduated from college or have an advanced degree, with an average household income of just over $139K. They have a disposable income that they're able to spend on SiriusXM, as well as advertiser products. What keeps them subscribing is the multitude of content, the diverse content, and the premium content that they get on SiriusXM that they cannot get anywhere else. From Howard Stern, to sports, to entertainment, to comedy, and more, SiriusXM has something for everyone.”

SiriusXM Offers Exclusive Reach with Sports Fans

Question: My clients are already big in the sports space. Why should we consider SiriusXM sports as an alternative?

Answer Highlight: “Even if you're already big in the sports space… We are the official partner of six sports leagues, including NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, PGA, and NHL. In addition to those channels, we have owned-and-operated sports channels such as Mad Dog Sports Radio, Fantasy Sports Radio, College Sports Radio, and Fight Nation. Lastly, we have broadcast partners in the form of ESPN radio, Fox Sports, CBS Sports Radio, NBC Sports Radio, and Infinity Sports Radio…

We serve the super fan of every sport 24/7. SiriusXM is the only addressable subscription audio company service in America. There are no conflicts with local radio programing via affiliate agreements… SiriusXM reaches sports fans you cannot reach anywhere else.”

We Offer In-House Audio Ad Production

Question: If we don’t have the bandwidth for custom elements, can SiriusXM help create them? It seems like a lot of lifting on our end, which we don’t have time for.

Answer Highlight: “We have an in-house studio that can create and produce the spot for you… You can choose a male or female voice and whether or not to include background music, or you can leave it up to us for our own recommendation for live reads. We have an in-house copywriter who can take your brand brief or copy points and create a script for you. And lastly, for segment sponsorships, we only need a five-second tagline, which is usually approximately ten words and we can take it from there. So, in actuality, there's not much lifting on your end (if you don't want there to be)."

You Can Measure the Effectiveness of Your Campaigns

Question: As with all media, measurement is vital these days. Do you offer any measurement options for SiriusXM, and if so, what are they?

Answer Highlight: “The two main measurement vendors we work with are Veritonic for brand lift studies and ArtsAI for digital attribution. As it relates to Veritonic brand lift studies, they are traditional control and expose studies that allow clients to measure the effectiveness of their ad campaigns on SiriusXM. Metrics measured include aided brand awareness, brand favorability, likelihood to recommend, and purchase intent. It's a great way for clients to measure upper funnel awareness on SiriusXM.

Conversely, we use ArtsAI for digital attribution. ArtsAI is a leader in the attribution space by leveraging a strong identity matching solution and machine learning methodology. ArtsAI can measure the impact of ad exposure against KPIs. Reporting and metrics include total conversions, conversions attributed to the campaign, conversions attributed during and post, and conversions by channel.”

Ready to see what SiriusXM can do for your next campaign. Hit us up.