MEDIA*OR: Spotify Partners With NS2 For Self-Service Ad Platform Test

Spotify recently launched a new self-service ad platform allowing promoters to upload and market their shows to specific fans. Currently in its beta in the US, the service has prompted Nashville-based promoters NS2 to hop on board and take the platform for a spin in advance of its official launch.

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By Taylor Mims from touring industry journal Amplify

Last week Spotify officially launched its Ad Studio program in the United States. Ad Studio is a self-service ad platform that allows promoters to upload and market their shows for targeted fans. The service is currently in beta in the United States.

Nashville-based promoters NS2 were one of the first companies to jump on board, helping to beta test the program before its official launch.

“We have some great Spotify reps that reached out to us and offered that we try this out,” Olivia Christian, Marketing for NS2 told Amplify. “They know that NS2 is constantly looking for new ways to reach fans and new ways to market to people who are interested in buying tickets and people who are maybe on the fence about buying tickets. We really do enjoy being beta testers because it’s a great way to see what is out there and how we can utilize it.”

So far NS2 has tried out the various ways promoters can create content including uploading their own audio spots or providing music and a script to Ad Studio to create a spot for them. When users provide the pieces to create content, Spotify will send back a draft of the ad for approval where event marketers can choose to adjust the voiceover and other aspects. Both options are available for users and are covered by the ad purchase.

“We’ve had Spotify create the spot for us and there is a lot of creativity that you can choose when you’re going in to select how you want your ad to sound,” Christian said.

Event marketers also have the benefit of choosing the audience based on age, gender, location, activity and even music taste. Users can also chose whether to only target people using desktop or mobile if they believe one is a stronger tool for their desired audience.

“You can go in and target a DMA (designated market area) or a genre or multiple genres,” Christian said. “Or you can target fans of the artists that are actually on the bill. I can either get ads targeted down to those select few artists or broader into say rock or country and it is nice to run those two ads next to each other and seeing how each performs.”

The new tool allows users to set a budget and the amount of time for campaigns and offers ways to track the results to continue improving promotions. Ad Studio can be used as a main marketing tool or be supplemental in reaching additional fans.

“For younger artists where we have smaller budgets and they are not on traditional radio or it’s just such a new artist that’s on Spotify and is trending really well on Spotify, we might put a decent amount of the budget towards Spotify,” said Christian. “We’ll do it if we think it is going to end up selling more tickets for that particular show. As of right now, the amount we use it is very much artist driven.”

To join a waitlist to use Spotify’s Ad Studio, head to their website and check out the video below for more information on how the program works.