Some 28% of US online adults and 17% of EU online adults stream music on their PCs or mobile phones, according to new Forrester data that is based on a survey of 58,000 respondents. And with only 6% of US online adults willing to pay to access streaming online radio services and just 5% willing to pay to access streaming on-demand radio services, the lion’s share of consumers are using freemium and ad-supported models — a ripe audience, primed for marketers to address with in-stream audio advertising, notes Senior Analyst Anthony Mullen in his new research.

“Advertisers and marketers are largely stuck on preconceptions of over-the-air (OTA) and haven’t understood the unique opportunity for marketing within streaming services,” writes Mullen in a new blog post. “It is data-rich and, unlike visual advertising, doesn’t fight for consumers’ attention, with a single stream active at one time.” In his research, Mullen explores why in-stream audio advertising offers a unique marketing opportunity, particularly on mobile devices — for instance, consider that in France 15% of those surveyed stream on a computer but a whopping 27% use mobile. Additionally, he explores why in-stream audio has the power to become an integral part of the digital advertising ecosystem, noting that ad exchanges and real-time bidding (RTB) platforms are already integrating audio into their offerings, and agencies are incorporating audio into their buying strategies.

To learn more about in-stream audio advertising and the opportunity it brings marketers, visit the Marketing Leadership blog.