Streaming Audio Offers an Unbeatable Ad Environment
Feb 14, 2025When it comes to allocating your advertising dollars, a strong media strategy is vital. And at the heart of this strategy is choosing an ad environment that ensures your message is effective, targets the right audience, and keeps your brand's reputation safe.
Streaming audio ticks off all of the above boxes and more, offering a unique and powerful advertising opportunity in today's media landscape. Its combination of brand safety, diverse ad formats, and deeply engaged, logged-in listeners make it a must-have in any advertiser’s toolkit.
Let’s break down the key benefits of the streaming audio ad environment and why it should be a part of your next campaign.
Brand-Safe Advertising for the Win
One of the biggest concerns for advertisers today is brand safety. The news cycle and social media landscape are increasingly volatile and placing ads alongside negative, inappropriate, or misaligned content is every brand’s nightmare.
What makes streaming audio unique is its controlled, curated environment. The SiriusXM Podcast Network carefully vets content, ensuring your ads are never placed alongside material that could harm your brand’s reputation.
As industry standards continue to evolve, we evolve along with them. We’re IAB Podcast Measurement certified, so our clients can rest assured that we’re:
Helping you align with content that best supports your brand
Counting the delivery of podcast ads properly
Measuring podcast ad effectiveness
Unlike other digital environments that are prone to user- or AI-generated, unpredictable content (think social media), streaming audio provides a stable, reliable space to share your message.
Logged-In Listeners Drive Impact
Streaming audio platforms like Pandora and Soundcloud are built on logged-in audiences, providing advertisers with detailed insights into their listeners. Our listeners are logged in 100% of the time so there’s no questions or doubt as to who’s being targeted and the ads they’re receiving. Pandora is proud to have the richest dataset in audio, with over two decades of logged-in user data on millions of listeners.
Why does this matter? Because logged-in listeners mean verified data. These users create accounts, providing valuable information like demographics, location, and listening habits—all of which help supercharge ad targeting and ensure your ads reach active, engaged, users.
Logged-in audiences also tend to be more loyal. Half of Pandora’s listeners are on the app over 10 days a month while 44% of the loyal listeners have been on the app for over a decade. When you advertise on streaming audio, you’re accessing not just a broad audience, but a loyal, data-rich group that ensures your messaging reaches those who matter most.
Precision Targeting Meets Engaged Audiences
Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all campaigns—for brands that want to have an impact and create real connections. Adding custom messaging for specific audiences is a great way to bolster more general messaging formats. And when it comes to streaming audio, a targeted approach wins every time. From demographics and lifestyle, to behavior and listening habits, precise targeting ensures your ads are heard by the right ears. Targeting is particularly valuable for brands looking to connect with niche audiences or deliver hyper-personalized messages.
Want to reach Gen Z music lovers in urban areas? No problem. Looking to connect with podcast superfans? Easy. By partnering with SiriusXM Media, you get access to 160M listeners and an audience dataset that doesn’t skimp on quality or stability. Take your pick from our targeting menu below:
Audience: Target by demo, geo, audience segments, or database matching
Contextual: Filter by language, activities, mood, and mindsets
Inventory: Reach the right listeners by searching by inventory sources, show level, or ad break options
Advanced: Take things up a notch with lookalike modeling and retargeting
Even better? Listeners engage more deeply with audio content. In a study, audio ads commanded 50% more audience attention than benchmarks across video, TV, and social media.
Pair targeting capabilities with a high rate of engagement and you have a winning combination—ads that not only reach your audience but make a lasting impression.
Audio Goes Where Other Media Can’t
Thanks to the rise of smart speakers, smart TVs, and mobile devices (hello connected home) and the ubiquity of headphones, streaming audio reaches people nearly everywhere. Whether listeners are at home, commuting, cooking, or at the gym, they’re engaging with audio during hands-free moments where visual media can’t be seen. In fact, 79% of all audio consumption happens when visual media isn’t available, and the average listener spends nearly five hours a day with digital audio.
When ads come with fewer distractions, reaching listeners during everyday moments, your message has a better chance of driving action and staying top of mind.
Diverse Ad Formats Keep Listeners Engaged
Now that we know the where (SiriusXM Media) and why (high impact and ROI) of streaming audio advertising, let’s get into the how. Streaming audio platforms offer a variety of ad formats that make it easy to engage with listeners in a way that sticks.
Audio Ads
Capture attention using creative voiceovers, compelling scripts, and memorable sounds while listeners enjoy music and podcasts.
Display Ads
Pair visuals with your message through eye-catching creative, from display banners to web skins, that users see while interacting with the app.
Reward Ads
It’s a win-win; gain extra engagement by offering ad-free listening and premium features in exchange for ad interactions (perfect for promotions or app downloads).
Video Ads
Run attention-grabbing video ads during moments of active interaction, such as when users log in or skip a song. We offer 100% share of voice (SOV) so your ad is sure to stand out.
Custom Solutions
Want something unique? Align your brand with curated playlists, artist sponsorships, or even create a branded station that embodies your brand’s vibe.
The versatility of our ad format offerings ensures your ads are distinguished—and deliver tangible, measurable results based on your campaign goals.
Take the First Step with SiriusXM Media
Streaming audio offers unmatched opportunities for advertisers to engage audiences where they’re most connected. Whether your goal is to increase brand awareness, drive action, or deepen customer loyalty, the diverse capabilities of our streaming platforms help you achieve the above and more.
The question isn’t whether you should integrate streaming audio into your media strategy—it’s how soon you can get started. Let’s chat.
