San Francisco Firm Unveils MP3 Ads

DigaCast has released two new technologies the company hopes will have consumers singing, or at least listening in.

The San Francisco-based media technology company recently released two new technologies that enable clients to broadcast audio Web advertisements in the MP3 format, potentially facilitating either considerably higher response rates or widespread demand for a “mute” button on your keyboard.

The two new applications, Ad Mint and Ad Mint Mail, let online broadcasters (and broadcaster wannabes) insert and manage MP3 audio ads either directly from a site or through a consumer’s inbox. MP3 broadcasters, for example, can insert ads for merchandise related to a particular artist so that listeners will hear the ad after downloading one of the artist’s songs, and would subsequently be presented with a pop-up box to instantly buy the product.

By licensing the technology from DigaCast and/or agreeing to split revenues, president Michael Addicott says broadcasters can easily run up to 12 audio ads per hour.

“Through Ad Mint, consumers listening to a series of songs or a play list would hear audio ads interspersed,” he says. “With Ad Mint Mail, content publishers can even email short broadcasts or play lists consisting of a single track while inserting a gateway or promotional ad.”

Ad Mint is available either as a stand-alone insertion technology for MP3 broadcasters or in conjunction with the company’s Big Radio player, which synchronizes traditional visual banner ads with audio advertising. The player is one of several audio services found through the company’s BigRadio property, an independent digital radio network that streams nearly one million listen hours each month.

Jayson Matthews is an associate editor at SiliconValley.internet.com.