Streaming Audio Specs

• File Format: .MP3, .M4A, .WAV

• Bitrate: 320 kbps (recommended); 160 kbps minimum

  • Note: we cannot encode third-party files lower than the rate at which they are set

• Sample Rate: 44.1 KHz

• Max. File Size: 2MB

• Preferred Third-Party File Type:  Include both .MP3 and .OGG file types in your tag. While an .OGG file type should not be used for first-party hosted audio, it should be included in your VAST/DAAST tag.

• Available Spot Length: 15 seconds or 30 seconds (60 seconds also available, but not recommended)

• Companion Banner File Types:

  • .JPEG, .PNG

  • 300x250 ad size

  • 150 kb maximum file size

Optimal Specifications

Scale across multiple inventory sources using these creative specifications. While the following requirements will enable you to serve across most inventory sources, specifications may still vary by publisher and SSP. 

• File Types: .MP3, .M4A, .WAV

• Bitrate: 160 kbps

• Spot Length: 15 seconds or 30 seconds

Prohibited Audio Characteristics

Audio ads may NOT have the following:

• Promote online gambling (paid, free, or gateway to paid gambling; brick-and-mortar gambling is acceptable)

• Depict or delivering libelous, violent, tasteless, hate, defamatory, or illegal content

• Portray partial or complete nudity, pornography, and/or adult themes and obscene content

• Spawn pops, simulate clicks, contain malicious code, viruses, or executable files of any kind

• No explicit language, spelling mistakes, or simulated expletives (e.g., #$%!)

Tracking Pixels

We can add third-party tracking pixels to track various events that occur when an impression is served.  You should not place more than eight pixels on a single creative to decrease the likelihood of errors.

The following event types are available:

• Start

• Midpoint

• First Quartile

• Third Quartile

• Complete

• Impression

• Click

Publisher Specifications for 3rd party tags

a2x by Triton Digital:

• Suggested Bitrate: 128 kbps

• Preferred Third-Party File Type:  .MP3, .WAV, .WMA, or .OGG

• Available Spot Length: 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 60 seconds

• Companion Banner File Types: .JPEG, .PNG, .GIF

• Companion Banner Tracking:  While tracking on the audio ad should only be done using a 1x1 pixel, tracking on the companion banner can be done using either an image pixel or a JavaScript tag

Adswizz (AudioMax)

For Pandora inventory delivered through AdsWizz, AdsWizz specifications do not apply.

• Suggested Bitrate: 196 kbps

• Preferred Third-Party File Type: .MP3, .WAV, .OGG, or .ACC

• Available Spot Length: 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 60 seconds

• Companion Banner File Types: .JPEG, .GIF, .HTML

• Companion Banner Tracking:

  • Adswizz (AudioMax), supports JavaScript or rich media (such as Flash) in addition to HTML

  • Companion banners must be hosted on The Trade Desk, have a maximum file size of 2 MB, and tracking can be done using an impression pixel

Pandora

• Suggested Bitrate: 128 kbps

• Preferred Third-Party File Type: .MP3, .WAV, or .WMA

  • Only MP3 is supported if you have a third-party file for the web

• Available Spot Length: 15 seconds (non-skippable) or 30 seconds (non-skippable)

• Companion Banner File Types: .JPEG, .GIF (500x500 only)

• Companion Banner Tracking: Third-party audio creatives must use third-party companion banners, which can be placed via a third-party VAST tag

Spotify (via Rubicon)

• Suggested Bitrate: 160 kbps

• Preferred Third-Party File Type: .OGG is the only third-party file type that will be accepted

• Available Spot Length: 15 seconds or 30 seconds

• Companion Banner File Types: .JPEG, .PNG

• Companion Banner Tracking:

  • Third-party audio creatives must use third-party companion banners, which can be placed via a third-party VAST tag

  • The companion banner must be a static resource (must link to the image using an HTML URL instead of a script tag) to render on Spotify

TargetSpot

• Suggested Bitrate: 160 kbps

• Preferred Third-Party File Type: .MP3, .WAV, .WMA, or .OGG

• Available Spot Length: 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 60 seconds

• Companion Banner File Types: .JPEG

• Companion Banner Tracking: N/A

SoundCloud

• Suggested Bitrate: 160 kbps

• Preferred Third-Party File Type: .MP3, .WAV, .WMA, or .OGG

• Available Spot Length: 15 seconds or 30 seconds

• Companion Banner File Types: .JPEG, .PNG

• Companion Banner Tracking: N/A

Companion Banner Sizes

For Spotify and Pandora, third-party audio creatives must use third-party companion banners, which can be placed via a third-party VAST tag. Supported sizes for audio companion creatives (when offered by a publisher). The delivery of companion banners is not guaranteed but will be supplied to the SSP and publisher when bidding.

Most of TTD's audio publishers accept bitrates between 128-196kbps. There may be a few outliers, but the DSP guides setting the bitrate to at least 160kbps for maximum scale. When audio creatives are TTD hosted, they can encode the bitrate down to the publisher’s specifications. For example, if a publisher’s required bitrate is 160kbps and the creative is 320kpbs, they’ll encode down to that requirement. The DSP cannot do this for third-party hosted creatives.

If you are interested in running on different publishers (like iHeart and Spotify) simultaneously, as long as the creative is hosted, you can supply a 320kbps creative, and the DSP can encode it down to Spotify’s specs.