Digital audio has been bubbling away quietly for a while in Britain. The earlier adopters will have been talking about Napster and Last.fm as long ago as 1999 and 2002, but it was arguably the launch of Spotify in 2008, coupled with a few big developments in the smartphone world, which really brought online audio into the mainstream. In 2013 RadioWorks were proud to be founding members of the IAB Audio Council and since then the industry has been pulling together to educate the market about the possibilities the medium offers.Digital audio has been defined, by the IAB’s Audio Council, as “Audio Content Steamed on a Connected Device”. The market consists of an array of providers from radio broadcasters to music streaming and on demand services, and, with the likes of Amazon and Apple entering the market it’s not just radio stations and start-ups that have spotted the Digital Audio opportunity.

America has very much led the way in terms of building the marketplace with more than half the population tuning in last month according to Edison Research and it’s fair to say that the US has blazed a path for a bright digital audio future here in the United Kingdom. Great Britain currently boasts a total of 17 million* people listening to digital audio services and that number is continually growing. Does Digital Audio Work? It seems it does for the consumer.

Digital audio also works for the advertiser. High listen through rates, reporting, targeting and the ability to create something truly distinct all contribute to ensuring advertisers get a sizable bang for their buck. However, buying a great media campaign is only the start to making Digital Audio Work. RadioWorks’ in house production company, Maple Street Studios, have been creating and producing bespoke digital audio content and adverts for over seven years. Their experience has shown just how many new creative possibilities can be drawn from the technology.

The increasingly sophisticated targeting means that by applying subtle changes in language, direction, or voice over choice, advertisers can speak to different types of listeners in increasingly personalised ways. Creative can be tweaked according to music taste, playlist choice, location and third party listener data, and sequential advertising means that listeners can be served a series of ads that take them on a bespoke personal storytelling journey. These creative options are expanding and becoming more exciting on a monthly basis.

Does digital audio work? The short answer is, yes. It works for consumers and, executed in the right way, works well for advertisers.