Audio Campaigns in Ads Manager

Emily Truong

September 02, 2026 01:41

Overview

Within GroundTruth Ads Manager, you can launch targeted campaigns to reach highly engaged listeners across digital streaming audio, podcasts, or both.

Step-by-Step Configuration

Select Media Channel: After choosing your campaign Objective, select Audio as your Media Channel.
Define Core Targeting: Input your desired location and audience parameters:
- Required: Target by Locations (Geotargets)
- Optional: Layer in Target by Audience
Configure Ad Placements: Choose whether your ad group will target streaming audio, podcasts, or both.
- Streaming Radio: The default channel selection.
- Podcasts: Check Play on podcasts to expand into podcast inventory. "GT Performance Podcasts" includes our curated collection of top-performing podcasts across all categories.
  Note: Thumbnail cover art displayed during selection represents general channel content and does not guarantee placement on specific individual shows.
Input Budget & Schedule: Minimum CPM pricing varies by placement:
- Streaming Audio Only: $19 Minimum CPM
- Podcast Only: $25 Minimum CPM
- Both Streaming & Podcast: $25 Minimum CPM
Set Up Tracking: Enable offline foot-traffic measurement, online site conversion tracking, or both:
- In-Store Visits: Select an existing brand in our system or build a custom Location Group. Need help building a Location Group? Read [Using Location Manager].
- Online Conversions: Toggle ON the GroundTruth Pixel. Need help creating or installing the pixel? Read [Install GroundTruth Pixel in GTM].
  
  Note: Online conversions are attributed when a user listens to an ad and subsequently visits your website from the same IP address.

Understanding Targeting Options

ℹ️ May 2026 Update: Our podcast targeting categories have been simplified into broader, higher-performing segments to maximize delivery scale and campaign performance. No advertiser action is required, as existing legacy selections automatically map to these consolidated categories. Scroll to the bottom of this page to view the full category mapping reference.

Once your audio channels are selected, refine your reach using the following targeting capabilities:

Targeting Option	Detail
Target by Location	Reach listeners by filtering by State, Designated Market Area (DMA), or Zip Code.
Target by Audience	Engage over 1,500+ real-world behavioral audiences. View our complete [Audience List]. *Note: Audio campaigns support GroundTruth 1st-party audiences only. Geographic targeting layered on audience ad groups is limited to State and DMA filters.
Target by Demographics	Filter listeners by Age and Gender. Enable Alcohol Age targeting for legal drinking age (21+) compliance.
Target by Daypart	Schedule ads using preset time blocks (Weekends, Weekdays, Early Morning, Evenings, Late Night, Working Hours, School Hours, Happy Hour) or define custom hourly schedules.
Target by Streaming Genre (Streaming Audio Only)	Available Genres: Adult Contemporary/Pop, Alternative, Children's Music, Classical, College Radio, Comedy, Country, Dance/EDM, Jazz, News & Politics, Oldies/Classic Hits, Religious/Gospel, R&B/Soul/Funk, Rock, Folk, Sports, Talk Radio, Urban & Hip-Hop, Variety, World, Games & Other.
Target by Podcast Topic (Podcasts Only)	Available Topics: Business, Technology & Education \| Entertainment \| Lifestyle & Health \| News & Politics \| Sports \| True Crime Note: Podcast taxonomy follows the IAB 2.0 framework. Because podcasts frequently span multiple themes, minor category overlap may occur naturally across publishers.
Target by Ad Position (Podcasts Only)	Select specific ad placement slots: Pre-roll (before show), Mid-roll (during show), or Post-roll (after show). Note: Custom position selection increases the minimum CPM to $29.
Target by Language	Target English, Spanish, or both language settings.

Ad Creative Specifications

Audio Asset Requirements

Duration: 5 to 60 seconds
Bit Rate & Sample Rate: 128 kbps minimum (512 kbps max) / 44.1 kHz sample rate
File Formats: AAC, MP3, OGG, WAV
File Size: 30 MB maximum

💡 Need creative production assistance? AI voiceover platforms like [Wondercraft.ai] can help generate professional audio assets quickly.

Creative Best Practices:

Streaming Audio: Keep copy upbeat, energetic, and focused on an immediate call-to-action to capture instant attention.
Podcasts: Use a conversational, authentic tone that seamlessly blends with conversational show environments.

Reporting & Analytics

When running audio media, a dedicated Audio reporting tab unlocks granular performance breakdowns across five dimensions:

Publisher Reporting: Track impression delivery across top audio publishers.
Streaming Genre: Measure performance across music and radio genres.
Podcast Series: Evaluate impressions by specific podcast show titles.
Podcast Category: View performance across broader podcast thematic groups.
Podcast Ad Position: Compare pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ad efficiency.

Viewing Listen-Through Rate (LTR) by Audience Segment:
For Target by Audience ad groups, analyze segment-level LTR using these steps:

In the campaign dashboard, select the Summary tab.
Click the Report Name drop-down menu and choose Audience Targeted (Table Only).
Click the expand arrow (>) to the left of your ad group name to reveal individual segment performance metrics.

Additional standard metric reporting is available under the Summary and Location tabs. Learn more in [Campaign Summary and Performance Reporting].

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Listen-Through Rate (LTR) metric?
LTR measures the percentage of served ads played to full completion. An ad is counted as fully completed once all technical progress beacons are fired: START, 25%, 50%, 75%, and END.
Are audio ads skippable?
Streaming Radio: Fully unskippable. Because live broadcasts stream continuously, users cannot skip ads unless they close the app completely.
Podcasts: On-demand media allowing manual scrub controls (fast-forward/rewind). However, high listener intimacy means most users listen to ads completely without scrubbing.
Can I build a retargeting audience of listeners who heard my audio ad?
Audio ad listener retargeting is currently in active development and unavailable at this time. Audience targeting for audio remains supported via standard GroundTruth 1st-party segments.
How long must an ad play to register an impression?
An impression is counted immediately when the audio player initiates playback (the START event beacon), regardless of total listen duration.
Is there a first-time audio test promotion?
Yes! Our Audio+ Offer is active through December 31, 2026:

Spend a minimum of $2,500 on audio media in a single campaign to unlock 50% added-value mobile display impressions (applied to the same campaign as a separate ad group). Added-value mobile impressions must run before December 31, 2026.
How were podcast categories updated in May 2026?
GroundTruth consolidated 29 legacy podcast categories into 6 broader core categories to maximize scale, delivery stability, and reporting clarity. Review the mapping table below or view the [Category Mapping Reference Sheet].

Need Help?

For additional assistance setting up your audio campaigns, contact your dedicated GroundTruth account representative or reach out to our Self-Serve Support team directly at selfservehelp@groundtruth.com.