5 ways that audio will be transformed by technology

The future of audio will suggest music based on biometrics. Artificial intelligence will help podcasters better understand their listeners. And it will mean a more enjoyable (and peaceful) road trip with personalized content for the driver and each passenger. The future of audio is innovation that delivers content and brand messages in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago, expanding audio’s frontiers in the process. While audio harnesses new technology, there are significant ad dollars at stake. Across key categories, many brands need to be more invested in audio, and there’s $6 billion in potential sales revenue up for grabs.¹ Audio is well positioned to leverage tech advances. Inspired by CES 2024, here are five audio trends to watch: 1. Audio revs up in vehicles. The auto industry is a hotbed of innovation, and audio is riding shotgun. New vehicles will be loaded with advanced tech like facial recognition, voice controls and enhanced infotainment. Audio publishers and marketers can harness that intel to deliver personalized content and the most impactful ads. Think of a travel podcast served up based on a destination, or an ad for wellness products for a harried driver stuck in a traffic jam. The next stage of mood marketing will even pull in a car’s facial recognition to customize content and ads based on how we’re feeling. Carmakers also understand that not everyone wants to listen to mom’s podcast or dad’s classic rock station, and compartmental audio is on its way to help. Tech in the works will divide the car into listening zones, allowing drivers and passengers to select their favorite audio. That segmenting will enable brands to serve up hyper-targeted messages based on listeners and locations. 2. AI with a human touch. Artificial intelligence is transforming all media. While AI will enhance our lives, humans will still play a central role, and the community connection will become a premium touchpoint that stands out. Listeners tune into their favorite podcasters or radio stations for the community; Tech advances won’t replace those connections but enhance them. AI will help audio creators and influencers learn more about their audiences and curate compelling content, including podcasts, playlists and custom brand integrations. And brands are jumping onboard. The demand for creator marketing is surging as 44% of marketers plan to increase creator content investment this year.² Advertisers want to strengthen bonds with creators and authentically weave their brands into their audio, including custom integrations and influencer endorsements. There’s just nothing that beats the authentic connection with communities built around host trust. 3. The healing power of audio. From smart watches, earbuds or rings, the newest wearables communicate the user’s physical and emotional state to their phone. Based on biometrics, we’ll soon be able to automatically serve up content that matches a mood or improves our physical state. Your wearable will pick up on your stress—rising heart rate, blood pressure and even a change in your vocal patterns. You won’t even realize it, but these sensors will activate a change in what you’re listening to. Suddenly the music gets calmer, and soothing sounds blend in. Maybe a favorite podcast is queued up, all in an effort to improve your wellness and physical health. Publishers can use that info to deliver contextually relevant ads, such as fitness products or comforting foods, potentially influencing a listener’s emotions and prompting brand engagement. Audio has the healing power to bring up a mood, inspire, or relax, and the newest wearables will soon enable more precise and personal delivery. 4. Winning the attention war. Consumers are bombarded with thousands of brand messages daily, making it harder for brands to get noticed and grab attention. The best campaigns don’t just deliver impressions; they make an impact and produce results. Next-gen audio measurement is shifting to measuring attention and emotion. How do listeners feel? What captures their interest? How does context affect their attention? What motivates them to visit a website or a brick-and-mortar location? Higher attention rates and emotional connections drive conversion, and forward-thinking agencies and brand marketers are embracing new attention-based metrics. As an added bonus, we’ll start to see shifts in media planning: By shifting money to audio, brands can optimize their media spend and grab more attention as well. According to a recent Dentsu study,³ audio is eight times more impactful than visual media, providing more bang for the buck. 5. A tribe for every vibe. Tomorrow’s audio is all about emerging listener groups (hello Gen Alpha) and building communities around interests, moods and activities. With the help of AI, brands will hypertarget content and brand messages for niche groups and audiences. By identifying listener groups, marketers can reach tribes of audio fans who share similar attributes and deliver messages customized to their mood. Of course, AI plays a big role here. Brands are already investing hefty budgets to harness AI-enriched audiences to identify and reach customers in completely new ways. More than half (55%) of the largest brands and agencies are investing in AI for audience formation, targeting and strategic opportunities to maximize engagement.⁴ While some tech products will invariably flop, many will succeed and transform how audiences interact with audio content and marketing. From DJs to podcasters, humans will always play a critical role in curating the best audio, but tech will make it easier for audiences to find them. Sources ¹ Neustar, Meta-Analysis on Audio Performance, 2023. Industry revenue figures are sourced from Statista.com. ² Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB’s) 2023 Creator Economy Opportunity: Where Authenticity Meets Impact. ³ Dentsu Attention Economy Podcast and Radio Studies, conducted by Lumen Research, 2023. ⁴ AdExchanger, The Impact of AI on Advertising, 2023. About Audacy At Audacy, we are unapologetic champions of audio everywhere, on every device. We are a multiplatform audio powerhouse, home to the country’s most compelling personalities and the most influential collection of broadcast and digital content, podcasts and premium live experiences. What makes us special is our deep connection with the communities we serve. They are diverse, mass and niche, bound together by shared geography and through shared experiences and passions across distances. Wherever they are and wherever they go, we are with them, In moments big and small. In the ones that matter most.

5 ways that audio will be transformed by technology

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