The shift toward screenless environments ceased to be predictable, and became a reality unfolding across mobile, smart speaker, and in-car interfaces. In this context, audio is emerging as one of the most valuable formats in programmatic advertising, unlocking new ways to reach users without requiring their visual attention. And this is what we want to talk about, sharing the opinion of our CEO, Emin Alpan.
The Rise of Screenless Environments
Today’s consumers are increasingly mobile and multitasking. They listen while commuting, cooking, exercising, or working. This behavioural shift has significant implications for advertisers: the visual real estate they once depended on is shrinking. Instead, brands must now find ways to engage audiences through sound.
Global growth in podcasting, smart speaker adoption, and audio streaming services has accelerated the transition. According to Statista, the number of digital audio listeners worldwide is expected to surpass 1.5 billion by next few years. Meanwhile, voice-activated devices are forecasted to exceed 8.4 billion units globally by 2024 (Canalys). This creates a massive opportunity for advertisers to tap into audio-first user moments.
Audio’s Programmatic Evolution
Programmatic audio has matured significantly. Platforms like Spotify, Acast, and Triton Digital offer programmatic inventory at scale. Demand-side platforms now include audio placements in media plans alongside video and display. Unlike traditional radio ads, programmatic audio leverages first-party data, contextual targeting, and dynamic creative optimization.
Yet despite its growing adoption, audio remains underutilized compared to other channels. According to eMarketer, audio ad spend still accounts for less than 5% of total digital spend, highlighting its untapped potential.
Benefits of Programmatic Audio but Not Only
High Attention Environments: Audio ads often reach users in moments of low distraction. Unlike banners or interstitials, they aren’t competing with other visuals on the screen.
Brand Safety and Contextual Relevance: Audio environments are inherently safer, especially within curated content like podcasts or premium music streams. Contextual targeting ensures alignment between ad content and user preferences.
Personalization: With dynamic audio creative, brands can tailor messages by time of day, location, weather, or user behaviour — a level of relevance rarely achieved with traditional formats.
Lower CPMs + Incremental Reach: Audio often offers more cost-efficient reach than display or video and expands media plans to moments previously unreachable.
Seamless Integration into App Experiences: For app developers and publishers, audio ads integrate without disrupting UX, particularly in casual and hyper-casual gaming environments.
Despite its promise, programmatic audio faces several hurdles:
Fragmentation of inventory sources and lack of standardization across platforms.
Measurement inconsistencies between publishers and DSPs.
Creative limitations (e.g., shorter attention span, no visuals).
Buy-side education gaps, particularly among brands used to video/visual-led campaigns.
These are challenges the industry is actively solving by working toward standardized audio measurement and interoperability across ecosystems.
Aceex in today’s Audio-First Ecosystem: CEO’s thoughts
As a company operating at the intersection of AdTech innovation and responsible monetization, Aceex is closely involved in shaping the next wave of audio advertising. Our programmatic-ready Audio SDK empowers publishers to deploy rewarded and native audio ads within mobile apps without compromising user experience.
We’re making audio a transparent, scalable, and privacy-safe channel for partners across EMEA, MENA, and beyond.
Our CEO’s opinion on audio advertising and its prospects is unequivocal:
As our lives get very dynamic, more consumers are stepping into the post-visual era. Caught between work, daily routines, and constant motion, they spend less time looking — and more time listening, moving, and absorbing content on the go.
I believe we’re reaching a moment where audio is no longer just a format, but a way of life — where screen time takes less, and rich, immersive sound becomes the primary channel for connection and communication.
Final Thoughts: Not Just a Trend
Audio isn’t just a new placement of today, but a paradigm shift. As consumers increasingly engage in screenless contexts, advertisers and publishers must reimagine their strategies.
At the core of this evolution lies a format that is personal, flexible, and built for the moment: audio. To continue the conversation, check out our recent post on this topic on Aceex’s LinkedIn page.
