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Integral Ad Science (IAS) has launched an episode-level pre-bid optimisation solution for programmatic podcast audio and video, building on its existing partnership with Spotify.
The tool allows advertisers to apply contextual brand suitability controls at the individual episode level before a bid is placed when buying podcast inventory through the Spotify Ad Exchange via The Trade Desk.
The launch is designed to bring podcast advertising closer to the level of control that advertisers are accustomed to in digital display and video, where pre-bid brand safety tools have been available for some time.
Podcast Ad Market Continues To Grow
The release comes as podcast advertising continues to expand. IAB data shows that in the US alone, podcast ad revenue grew 17.6 per cent year-over-year in 2025 to reach US$2.9 billion.
That growth has increased pressure on ad tech providers to offer programmatic tools for podcast inventory that match the precision available in other digital channels.
Until now, contextual controls for podcast advertising have typically been applied at the show or app level rather than at the level of individual episodes – a limitation that has made it harder for advertisers to manage brand suitability across large-scale programmatic buys.
How The Tool Works
IAS Context Control pre-bid optimisation segments for podcasts on Spotify apply contextual classification at the individual episode level, rather than just at the show or app level. The company argues this supports greater accuracy and helps advertisers identify suitable inventory opportunities they might otherwise miss with broader controls.
Advertisers can choose from 33 contextual avoidance segments across 11 industry-aligned categories at three risk levels: high, medium and low.
The segments are available to apply to Spotify Ad Exchange private marketplace (PMP) campaigns directly within The Trade Desk.
Lisa Utzschneider, CEO at IAS, framed the launch as closing a control gap in programmatic audio.
“Programmatic audio has always allowed brands to reach a large and growing audience, and now, with this launch, it also allows for greater control,” Utzschneider explained.
“By launching episode-level pre-bid optimisation for programmatic audio for Spotify, via The Trade Desk, we are enhancing brands’ ability to confidently drive their podcast ad spend, aligned to their own brand suitability profiles,” she added.
Expanding An Existing Spotify Partnership
The launch extends IAS’s existing relationship with Spotify. The two companies previously partnered on AI-driven brand safety and suitability solutions for the Spotify Audience Network in May 2025.
This latest integration moves the partnership further into programmatic podcast inventory, applying the same pre-bid approach that IAS offers across social, connected TV and the open web to audio content on the Spotify platform.
Broader DSP Rollout Planned
IAS Context Control segments for Spotify podcasts are available via The Trade Desk from launch, with rollout to other demand-side platform (DSP) providers planned for the coming months.
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The phased approach suggests IAS intends to make episode-level pre-bid optimisation available across a broader range of programmatic buying platforms, rather than limiting the capability to a single DSP.
Further information is available at integralads.com.
Last Updated on June 17, 2026 by Nick Ross
