Spotify changes Megaphone monetisation “price floor”
Spotify’s Megaphone podcast host, which is no longer IAB certified, has sent an email to publishers with the news that they will no longer be able to set minimum prices, or “price floors”, for ads sold by the Spotify Audience Network (SPAN). “The current ad ecosystem on Megaphone operates as a waterfall, with each ad request hitting direct-sold, then SPAN, then VAST/programmatic,” explains podcast ad-tech newsletter The Download: its publisher Bryan Barletta says the move may let SPAN take more inventory, and prevents a publisher from maximising their revenue.
In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority has released new guidance on making ads clear in podcasts. Use the phrase “This is sponsored by…” or “This is a paid-for advertisement for…”, the self-regulator says. It’s similar to FTC guidelines in the US.