Santa Clara – July 14, 2022–Adori Labs, Inc., today announced it has entered into a Master Services Agreement with iHeartMedia, Inc. America’s #1 audio company and the #1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, the leading consolidated marketplace for podcasts and the best-in-class provider of podcast analytics, enterprise publishing tools, programmatic integration, and targeted ad serving. With the integration of Adori’sSDK, iHeartMedia will now be able to provide interactive visualizations of its podcasts to audiences and open up new avenues for monetization.
With a growing preference for social media and videos as the first stop for younger users', iHeartRadio debuted the first visual podcast with their holiday special "Twas the Night Before Christmas" playlist. Featuring exclusive readings from artists including Elton John, Bon Jovi, and Carrie Underwood, the visual podcast doubled engagement with listeners.
Adori's ground-breaking patented technology brings audio to life. The screen embeds contextual visuals, AR experiences, buy buttons, polls, and other "call to action" features in the audio creating a more enhanced and richer listener experience. In a case study that was conducted by iHeart using A/B test, it was found that the listening time doubled with visuals. iHeart conducted an enhanced podcast experiment by adding children's storybook-like illustrations to enhance its podcast and make storytelling more immersive. The result was an unprecedented doubling of engagement time with visuals vs. audio-only episodes.
Adori co-founder and CEO, Nathan Iyer, said, “We are pleased to integrate our technology into the iHeartPlatform and bring out the visual component to drive engagement. Better engagement will lead to better monetization. Adori's technology combined with the iHeart's scale puts us in a much faster growth trajectory”
“Adori allows us to define the next generation of podcasting, beyond audio only. Together, we are making the experience more compelling, participatory and unlocking new monetization opportunities. The early results have shown longer listening durations (2X) and richer revenue opportunities” said Chris Williams, General Manager & Chief Product Officer, iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia is the first major podcast platform to integrate Adori’s SDK, joining Adori’s global customers including leading content creators, publishers, and networks.
With over 243 million downloads each month, iHeartRadio is the No.1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac. The company’s iHeartPodcast Network is home to more than 750 original podcasts spanning every category from business, sports, spirituality, and technology to entertainment, family, comedy, and true crime, This includes the most successful podcast of all time, “Stuff You Should Know,” and hits like “The Ron Burgundy Podcast” and the “Atlanta Monster” series as well as over a hundred shows from its on-air talent like the popular “Bobbycast” and “The Breakfast Club” on-demand podcasts. In addition, iHeartRadio has partnered with some of the biggest names in entertainment to launch podcast slates including long-term podcast ventures with Shondaland Audio and Shonda Rhimes, Grim & Mild and Aaron Mahnke, the Big Money Players Network, and Will Ferrell, and most recently The Black Effect, in partnership with Charlamagne Tha God, to extend the reach of established podcasts and create a vast array of iHeartRadio Original Podcasts for millions of fans. iHeartPodcasts are distributed on all major podcast platforms, including the iHeartRadio app.
About Adori Labs
With demand for more "visually rich forms" of content and users looking to discover content in new, more immersive ways, Adori's ground-breaking patented technology brings audio to life taking full advantage of the screen by embedding contextual visuals, AR experiences, buy buttons, polls, and other "call to action" features in the audio creating a more enhanced and richer listener experience. Adori’s patented technology helps increase monetization and engagement allowing content creators to modernize traditional audio by adding relevant visual and interactive elements such as links, social feeds, polls, and e-commerce without changing the format or sacrificing audio quality. For publishers and advertisers, Adori provides attribution, click-through, purchases, and deep measurement and new monetization possibilities for audio. Adori’s end-to-end podcasting platform has global customers including leading content creators, publishers, and networks.
Adori's new video product, a consumer-facing audio to video technology application, allows creators to publish visually enhanced podcasts to YouTube. Adori Labs is based in Santa Clara, CA with a globally distributed team, and is supported by early-stage angel investors, VCs, and experienced advisors. For sales and demo enquiries, please contact hello@adorilabs.com.
About iHeartMedia, Inc.
iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. It consists of three business groups.
With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. Its leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; its National Sales organization; and the company’s live and virtual events business. It also includes Premiere Networks, the industry’s largest Networks business, with its Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN); and BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service for the Black community. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio suite of data targeting and attribution products using data from its massive consumer base.
The iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group includes the company’s fast-growing podcasting business -- iHeartMedia is the number one podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue and earnings -- as well as its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service, available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices; the company’s digital sites, newsletters, digital services and programs; its digital advertising technology companies; and its audio industry-leading social media footprint. The company’s Audio & Media Services reportable segment includes Katz Media Group, the nation’s largest media representation company, and RCS, the world's leading provider of broadcast and webcast software.
Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.