Google has expanded its Ad Manager tool for programmatic audio placements, along with new analytics abilities.
The move marks the first time Google is providing programmatic sales capabilities for audio publishers in Ad Manager.
These feature lets publishers offer audio ad inventory to authorized buyers, including marketers who use Google’s Display & Video 360 (DV360) platform to manage digital audio campaigns.
The company’s Google Ads online advertising platform will offer digital audio ads in the future, according to the blog.
Audio streaming services Spotify and TuneIn are already using Ad Manager to sell programmatic audio ad inventory.
Spotify is using Ad Manager’s “programmatic guaranteed” service to negotiate prices and terms for inventory that’s reserved for that buyer, while TuneIn is using Ad Manager to manage its audio, display and video ad inventory.
Google also launched dynamic ad insertion and forecasting capabilities for Ad Manager and a dedicated marketplace for audio ads in DV360, as well as an audio ad creation tool and brand lift measurement capabilities.
Google first launched programmatic audio buying in DV360 in 2018 (back when it was still called DoubleClick).
This move into programmatic audio sales and enhancements to Google’s audio buying stack indicate that demand for programmatic audio inventory is growing, and that more publishers and brands are getting into the game.