Broadcasting
Are Audio Streaming Platforms in Your Marketing Mix? They Should be
By Mark Redguard, Audio & Mobile Partner Director, Ad Dynamo by Aleph
Walk down the streets of any major city around the world and take a look at all the people you pass along the way. Chances are you’ll see more people wearing earphones and headphones, in all of their shapes and sizes, than not. Most of those people, whether they’re consuming music or podcasts, will be listening through an audio streaming platform.
Mark Redguard, Audio & Mobile Partner Director, Ad Dynamo by Aleph
In fact, Spotify’s 500 million-plus users spent more than 132 billion hours streaming audio on the platform in 2022. And that’s just Spotify. Factor in other platforms, including the likes of Mdundo and Audiomack, and the numbers become truly astronomical. Africa isn’t immune to the embrace of music streaming either. According to Statista, music streaming revenue is set to grow more than nine percent a year over the next four years, aided by constantly improving levels of connectivity.
That growth in audio streaming across the continent doesn’t just represent an opportunity for artists and streaming platforms. It’s also a powerful opportunity for brands to market to their customers in new, innovative, and effective ways.
Reach, elevated engagement, and personalisation
Before looking at how brands can make use of those opportunities, it’s worth looking at some of the advantages that marketing on audio streaming platforms offers.
One of the biggest advantages that advertising on audio streaming platforms offers is that it allows advertisers to reach their customers wherever they are and whatever they’re doing. Unlike traditional radio, which is largely restricted to people’s homes and vehicles, people can listen to audio streaming when they’re commuting on public transport, working out, or even just going for a walk. Given the growing importance of meeting customers where they are, that’s a powerful incentive to embrace marketing through audio streaming all on its own.
But ads on audio streaming platforms can also be more engaging. There are fewer screen-related distractions (especially if the listener is doing something that doesn’t allow them to scroll on their device at the same time), and audio also feeds the listener’s imagination. In fact, research from shows found that “digital audio listeners have an elevated listening experience compared to broadcast radio, resulting in more memorability, engagement, and emotional intensity.”
Adding to this increased engagement is the fact that audio-streaming ads can be highly personalised according to the listener’s interests. That can then be further refined by age and location, ensuring that people only hear the adverts that are most relevant to them.
Sounding out the right partner
It should be clear then that audio streaming platforms have a lot to offer from an advertising perspective and can be a powerful addition to any company’s marketing mix. But if you’re going to get the most out of adding audio-streaming ads to your mix, it’s important to do so with the right partner.
Ideally, you should look to work with a partner who has extensive experience working with the streaming platforms most relevant to your target customers. Moreover, they should be able to help you produce the most effective marketing content tailored to those platforms.
For whichever platform you’re advertising on, that also means having an innate understanding of all the available ad formats. These include audio ads but may also extend to things like video takeovers, sponsored sessions, and display ads. Remember, while audio is the largest component of any streaming platform, people still have to open the app and scroll to get to the content they want. Implemented effectively, all of these formats can be brought together to ensure your marketing messaging is delivered to maximum effect.
For the love of listening
Right now, audio-streaming services play an incredibly important role in day-to-day media consumption around the world, including in Africa. And as connectivity becomes ever more ubiquitous and affordable, that role will only increase. As such, any business wanting to really meet its customers where they are should embrace the marketing opportunities that they present.
TikTok, social media giant, has reaffirmed its commitment to online safety by removing more than two million videos in Nigeria between July and September 2024 for violating its Community Guidelines.
According to its Q3 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, 99.1 percent of these videos were taken down within 24 hours of being posted.
With millions of videos uploaded daily by its over one billion users worldwide, TikTok has continued to improve its content moderation efforts through advanced technology.
The platform’s proactive detection rate has now reached 98.2 percent globally, allowing it to identify and remove harmful content before it reaches viewers.
Between July and September 2024, TikTok removed over 147 million videos worldwide, with 118 million taken down through automation.
In Nigeria, 92.1 percent of all removed videos were taken down before any user reported them, reflecting the platform’s proactive moderation strategy.
The report highlights the most common policy violations that led to content removal in Nigeria.
These include sensitive and mature themes, where 99.4 percent of flagged videos were removed before any user report.
Content related to regulated goods and commercial activities, including scams and the illegal sale of items such as firearms or explosives, accounted for 99.1 percent of removals before user reports.
Additionally, content categorized under mental and behavioral health, which could negatively impact users, particularly younger audiences, saw a 99.9 percent removal rate before any user reports.
TikTok maintains that its mission to inspire creativity and bring joy is built on a foundation of user safety and content integrity.
The platform continues to invest in Trust and Safety professionals who work alongside advanced technology to enforce its Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, and Advertising Policies.
By prioritising a positive and secure digital space, TikTok aims to ensure that users can create, connect, and be entertained without exposure to harmful content.
The highly anticipated finals of the Spellingbee in Nigeria (SpIN) will take place on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at the U.S. Consulate’s Residence in Lagos.
This milestone event will see 64 outstanding finalists from Abuja, Lagos, Osun, and Taraba States competing for the championship title, marking a historic moment as Nigeria makes its debut in the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee, USA.
The winner of SpIN ’25 National Finals receives an all-expense-paid trip to represent Nigeria at the 100th edition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States, a centennial celebration of academic excellence that has shaped young minds for generations.
Beyond crowning a champion, the National Finals underscores SpIN’s core mission: cultivating academic excellence, linguistic mastery, and a commitment to fostering educational and leadership opportunities for young learners.
Speaking on the upcoming event, Eugenia Tachie-Menson, Convener of Spelling Bee in Nigeria, an affiliate of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, USA, emphasized the competition’s transformative impact on young learners.
“This competition is more than just spelling—it builds confidence, public speaking skills, and critical thinking, preparing students for global opportunities.
“We are thrilled by the enthusiasm it has received and the doors it will open for Nigeria’s brightest young minds.”
The event, which is set to attract members of the diplomatic corps, C-Suite executives, high net worth parents and educational leaders, is made possible through the support of key partners: Indomie Noodles (Title Sponsor), Checkers Custard (Co-Sponsor), and partnerships with Lucid Education Initiative, the U.S. Consul-General Lagos, the American Business Council of Nigeria, the Rotary Club of VI East, and AT3 Resources – The Muvmnt Agency (PR Partner).
Spellingbee in Nigeria is a prestigious competition affiliated with the globally renowned Scripps National Spelling Bee, USA. It is dedicated to promoting literacy, vocabulary development, and critical thinking among Nigerian students, equipping them with skills to compete on a global stage.
Canal+ S.A., a French media and telecommunications conglomerate based in Paris, will restructure MultiChoice Group and carve out its broadcasting licence and South African DStv subscribers into “Licence Co” as a new separate entity while the remainder contains its video assets as the MultiChoice Group.
This is in its push for aggressive takeover of MultiChoice through successfully and circumvent the country’s regulations preventing a majority-owned share in local media.
According https://teeveetee.blogspot.com, Canal+ is progressing with its aggressive buyout of R32 billion for MultiChoice although various regulatory hurdles are supposed to prevent foreign ownership of a large South African media company like MultiChoice.
Canal+’s plan for a “post-transaction structure” for MultiChoice is to carve out MultiChoice’s broadcasting licence in South Africa, overseen by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) and MultiChoice South Africa’s DStv subscribers in South Africa into a new company called Licence Co.
Canal+’s Licence Co will be a new entity, while the remainder of MultiChoice’s video entertainment assets will then remain part of the MultiChoice Group.
The MultiChoice broadcast licence carve out is part of Canal+ plan to circumvent and get around South Africa’s broadcast and ownership regulations.
The dilemma Canal+ and MultiChoice have is that they can’t legally get around a foreign entity owning a South African broadcast licence, in this case for traditional pay-TV.
The plan is now for this “problem-part” preventing Canal+’s MultiChoice takeover from going through – MultiChoice South Africa and its South African broadcasting licence and South African set of DStv subscribers – to be siloed as Licence Co.
Licence Co. in South Africa will literally hold the pay-TV licence and manage the DStv subscribers, while MultiChoice Group will legally-technically no longer be a broadcaster but a video content supplier.
Like a family trust, Licence Co, although an “independent” company, will exist with the express aim to benefit the MultiChoice Group.
Also to note: MultiChoice Group, belonging to French owners and as the so-called “video content hub”, will now mean that Canal+ and MultiChoice’s French owners will now be paying to keep the South African public broadcaster’s SABC News, eMedia’s eNCA and Newzroom Africa’s as South African TV news channels on the air on DStv.
This is, in effect, a French private company paying for and in control of South African TV news, as well as news elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.
Canal+ and MultiChoice has to secure approvals for the mega-takeover deal from Icasa, the Takeover Regulation Panel, South Africa’s Competition Tribunal, shareholders, the Financial Surveillance Department and adhere to other requirements like black-economic empowerment (BEE) and with Canal+ not have voting rights of more than 20% as mandated by the Electronic Communications Act.
On paper Licence Co will be a new “independent company” but in real effect work in tandem with MultiChoice Group – as it exists currently containing MultiChoice’s operational structure, technology, staff and content assets.
Licence Co will become/remain the entity dealing with South African DStv subscribers.
Canal+ and MultiChoice plan to spin out Licence Co’s ownership as majority-owned by the current Phuthuma Nathi scheme (27%), as well as two black-owned companies – Identity Partners Itai Consortium with Sonja de Bruyn and Afrifund Investments from the former Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko – as well as a Workers’ Trust (ESOP).
With smart accounting and legal wrangling, Canal+ and MultiChoice are crafting it so that the MultiChoice’s Group’s shareholding in the new Licenco Co will be 49% and 20% on the dot in terms of voting rights – right what the regulators require.
“MultiChoice Group will retain its existing 75% direct interest in MultiChoice South Africa, which will exclude Licence Co. Phuthuma Nathi will similarly retain its existing 25% interest in MultiChoice South Africa,” Canal+ and MultiChoice announced in a takeover update statement on Tuesday.
“The transaction will not lead to any disruption for LicenceCo’’s South African viewers, who will continue to access its services as normal. Licence Co will enter into various commercial agreements with MultiChoice Group subsidiaries in relation to the services currently provided to Licence Co by other MultiChoice Group entities,” they stated.
“These relate to, among other things, the provision of content, technology, subscriber management and support and other functions.”
“Canal+ and MultiChoice are confident that the envisaged structure meets the requirements of all applicable laws, including the restrictions on foreign ownership and control of broadcasting licences contained in the Electronic Communications Act.”
Webber Wentzel and DLA Piper are the joint legal advisors to MultiChoice, while Herbert Smith Freehills and Werksmans are the advisors to MultiChoice on competition and broadcasting matters.
Citigroup Global Markets Limited and Morgan Stanley & Co International plc and the joint financial advisors to MultiChoice, while FTI Consulting are the so-called “strategic communications” advisors to MultiChoice.
Bowmans is the South African legal advisors to Canal+, with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP repping as the international legal advisors to Canal+, and BofA Securities and J.P. Morgan as Canal+’s joint legal advisors.
The Brunswick Group is the “strategic communications” advisors for Canal+.
In the joint statement, Maxime Saada, Canal+ CEO – and notably having his prepared quote placed first at the top – says “This transaction is an opportunity to create a unique global media company, with a strong presence across Africa, with the scale, expertise and creativity to compete and partner with the largest players within the media sector and beyond”.
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