Why Your Media Strategy Needs Music Ads

In today’s competitive landscape, brands and advertisers compete for consumer attention to communicate their message. The popularity of AM/FM radio and linear TV continues to decline, and social media controversy is causing user fatigue, which can negatively impact ad visibility and engagement. So, where can businesses turn to find an engaged, leaned-in audience?

Meet streaming music platforms.

By bringing together people of different demographics, locations, and interests, advertisers get the chance to meet their perfect audience and enhance their overall marketing efforts. Here are six reasons why you need to include music ads in your marketing mix.

Reason 1: Follow Your Audience Wherever They Go

Throughout the day, many of your potential customers spend a lot of time away from TV screens and social media, switching to another outlet—audio. Music is more accessible than ever before, accompanying listeners as they drive to work, do household chores, and exercise. Nearly seven in 10 listeners cite the ability to access and take audio content with them anywhere as the reason they listen to more audio content today. For advertisers and brands, this means opportunities to connect with your audience whenever they are, often when the other types of media (and their ads) are not in the picture.

Reason 2: Expand Your Marketing Efforts

The average consumer spends 31% of their media time with audio, however, media budgets allocate only 9% of ad spend to audio advertising. This discrepancy shows that there are plenty of opportunities to be heard and reach new audiences by using music ads. Also, incorporating music ads into your overall marketing strategy can help boost your existing efforts and create a comprehensive campaign. This will allow you not only to reach new listeners but also to reinforce your message with existing customers through a new channel. 

Reason 3: Connect With Young and Diverse Listeners

Streaming platforms provide advertisers with an excellent chance to reach a young, diverse audience. For example, 70% of SoundCloud listeners are under 35 years old, and 48% identify as multicultural. And what brand wouldn’t be into that? 

This cohort is also getting more difficult to reach through other advertising channels. More than half of Gen Z is actively seeking relief from social media. And, Gen Z spends 94% more time with audio than with streaming TV, while millennials spend 66% more time with audio than with streaming TV. This makes music ad campaigns a uniquely effective way for advertisers to approach their target audience through their preferred medium.

Reason 4: Reach a Highly Engaged Crowd 

Your customers are not just listening; they are actively engaged with streaming platform content. Music builds emotional connections with listeners—78% of listeners say that music improves their mood, and 75% admit that music helps them relax. When consumers are tuned in to their favorite musician or band, businesses benefit from a better attitude toward their brand and a more positive ad perception. Audio ads receive 50% more audience attention than benchmarks across TV, social media, video, and display ads.  

Reason 5: Use a Multi-Sensory Ad Experience

These days, music ads can be so much more than just sound. Streaming audio platforms such as Pandora allow advertisers to incorporate different varieties of audio and even enhance creatives with visual and interactive elements. And your brand can choose between highly effective ad formats and creative techniques like dynamic audio, sequential audio, and 3D audio. Or, you can engage your target listeners even further with display or video ads, custom solutions (such as a sponsored ad station), and even rewards for interacting with ads. Thanks to the endless experiential options this surround-sound approach can provide, you can be sure to create more memorable and impactful ads that will evoke emotional responses from your audience in a way that’s true and unique to your brand.

Reason 6: Take Advantage of Precise Targeting Power

Streaming music platforms offer brand advertisers incredible opportunities for targeting audiences with precision. Thanks to these capabilities, businesses can reach the right listeners at the right time, making a campaign more effective and bringing higher return on ad spend (ROAS).

Naturally, advertisers can target their audience based on demographics (age, gender, life stage), geolocation, or genres they listen to. But there are many more ways to reach your ideal listener. For example, you can target your ads based on the activities your consumers are engaged in at the moment (e.g., working out) or their mood, which allows for a highly personalized and relevant message.

Let SiriusXM Media Be Your Guide to Audio Advertising

Music advertising offers remarkable opportunities for businesses and advertisers. Adding streaming platforms to your marketing mix allows you to reach new audiences, reinforce your message across various channels, and build deep connections with potential customers.

If you need help with your music advertising strategy, SiriusXM Media can be your partner every step of the way. As experts in everything audio-related and home to the largest ad-supported audience in the US, we can lend a hand at any stage, from ideation to performance tracking. Let’s talk.

Learn More About Music Advertising