Pandora rolls out muted ad service after beta testing
Oakland-based music streaming service Pandora is rolling out its muted video and expandable display ads service after six months of successful beta testing. The average time spent with responsive mobile display ads rose by 50% when the new format was tested by third-party measurement firm Millward Brown. Google and Lexus were among the brands taking part in beta testing, which saw completion rates for muted ads grow by 30%, and "double-digit lifts" for awareness and brand favourability. Some 75% of 50,000 listeners surveyed favoured the new format, according to research by SoundBoard. 

 

Pandora is expanding its muted video and expandable display ads after six months of beta tests for brands such as Google, Express and Lexus.

The ad formats, first announced by the Oakland-based music streaming service back in June, allow marketers to replace the album art with video and display ads within users feeds. The news comes less than a month after the company announced plans for a $9.99 ads free subscription model to rival on-demand services like Spotify and Apple Music.