Audio’s big moment is now. Are you listening?

Consider audio a superpower.

That was the prevailing sentiment at a recent Trade Desk event on the future of digital audio. Leaders from Spotify, iHeartMedia, SiriusXM and top agencies gathered to make a compelling case: Audio isn’t just an emerging format — it can be a performance multiplier. Moreover, the gathering was a show of solidarity between competitors, all with a shared stake in elevating the channel.

Audio currently captures just 8% of ad investment, yet it commands about 25% of consumer attention, according to WARC. Panelists asserted that audio is uniquely positioned to help marketers enhance the effectiveness of nearly every other media channel.

“When you deploy audio, your CTV campaigns work better. Your display campaigns work better. Almost any other part of your media plan will be positively impacted when you combine it with audio,” said Will Doherty, the SVP of inventory partnerships at The Trade Desk. “It’s one of those channels that becomes a superpower for almost every other investment.”

Here are three key takeaways from the event.

1. Audio deserves a place on every media plan

Programmatic innovation, improved identity solutions and more accessible inventory have brought streaming audio firmly into the mainstream. Even in the last 18 months, panelists noted a surge in innovation, providing advertisers with more tools than ever to plan, activate and measure audio with the same sophistication they use for search and social.

“The wind seems to be at our back,” said Jeremy Randol, the VP of programmatic sales at SiriusXM Media, speaking on a panel. “The programmatic platforms are paying attention, and they see the disparity between time spent and investment … it’s poised for the growth that we’ve seen in CTV over the last five years.”

Panelists highlighted the power of audio to reach consumers during screenless moments — like commuting or cooking — when other channels can’t. When paired with video or display, they argued, audio has the potential to boost overall campaign performance.

2. Creative matters more than ever — and it’s getting easier

One of the biggest shifts in audio advertising is how accessible and flexible creative production has become. AI tools now allow marketers to adjust tone, pacing and messaging in near real time.

“What used to take probably 100 hours of man power … we can do over a couple of emails now,” said Emily Silvera, the VP of global media at EssilorLuxottica. “You can provide feedback to say, maybe the tone was a little off here, or can you enunciate an accent here?”

Platforms like Bunny Studio are helping brands cut through the noise with audio ads that are emotional, concise and well-produced. According to Clara Pusarelli, the senior partnerships manager at Bunny Studio, the best audio ads focus on “talking rather than selling” — blending into the listener’s world rather than interrupting it. Still, she noted, many brands make rookie mistakes like cramming too much into a 30-second slot or failing to guide voice actors with clear direction.

3. The industry is moving from brand safety to brand suitability

The rise of podcasting has pushed advertisers to rethink blunt tools like keyword blocking. Instead, advertisers are shifting to more nuanced, contextual strategies. AI-driven partners like Barometer are enabling brands to align with the right content without sacrificing scale.

“It’s not just brand safety. It’s brand suitability — which goes much deeper in the contextual space,” Jarrod Klawinsky, the director of digital media at Oxford Road, said onstage.

As Barometer co-founder Tamara Zubatiy explained, “Brand safety is a property of the content. Suitability is a relationship between the advertiser and the content.” That shift can help advertisers to avoid over blocking, reach more audiences — and show up in environments that reflect their values.

The Current is owned and operated by The Trade Desk Inc. This information is provided solely for background and is not a representation or guarantee of any future performance.