CRA launches Audio ID, simplifying how brands buy radio and podcasts

As digital audio accelerates, CRA is betting on a simpler, unified buying model with the launch of its new Audio ID, a cross-network identifier that lets marketers plan and buy streaming radio and podcasts across all major commercial networks through a single DV360 workflow.

The identifier brings ARN, Nine Audio, Nova and SCA together for the first time inside Google’s Display & Video 360 platform, allowing brands to manage reach and frequency across the full 14.7 million-listener market in one place rather than stitching together separate network buys.

Speaking to Marketing-Interactive, CRA CEO Lizzie Young said the scale and consistency of addressability is the breakthrough that marketers have been asking for.

"The big change is that the CRA Audio ID makes this audience addressable across all networks which enables clients to manage reach and frequency across the whole universe. It is an important milestone that clients have been wanting and which the industry has worked hard to bring together over the past year or so,” Young said.

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The identifier unifies premium live-streaming and podcast inventory from each network. Young confirmed all major network podcasts are included at launch.

“All podcasts from ARN, Nine, Nova, SCA are included and the AudioID has been built in such a way that other audio networks are able to join in if they would like to participate,” she said.

Young said Audio ID’s unified workflow is intended to streamline planning and buying, while still supporting the granular targeting approaches marketers already execute within each network.

“Audio ID is enabling marketers and their agencies to achieve better reach and frequency management whilst at the same simplifying the buying experience. This is an important step forward and advertisers are still able to execute their existing hyper-targeted strategies in parallel,” she said.

The integration means digital audio can now be planned alongside other channels in DV360, with Google signalling more audience and measurement tools to come in 2026. Google’s AUNZ head of programmatic media Christopher Eden said the move brings scale, signals and efficiency to the programmatic audio workflow.

“Audio is ingrained in all of our daily lives and is a critical and rapidly transforming part of the Australian advertising mix,” he said. “Unified alongside other major channels, the integration in Display & Video 360 will enable our customers to take full advantage of the programmatic audio opportunity with enhanced signals, addressability and a seamless workflow."

Asked whether CRA Audio ID should be viewed as a counter to Spotify’s ad-supported product or iHeart’s existing programmatic capabilities, Young positioned the solution as both complementary and competitively scaled.

“CRA AudioID is complementary to each network’s own programmatic strategies. Through the new AudioID brands can access 14.7 million Australians which makes it highly competitive to Spotify’s ad supported product and the smaller addressable audience that can be reached there,” she said.

Young said the product was built with industry collaboration and future technical expansion in mind.

“Audio ID has been built by the industry for the industry. It solves a number of challenges that buyers experience today and there’s certainly potential for it to evolve to include a data clean room capability. For launch, we’ve focused on solving a fundamental challenges – how to execute a single buy across networks with effective reach and frequency management,” she said.

“Audio is a ubiquitous medium, the consumption landscape has always had various degrees of fragmentation across the wide range of environments where listeners access audio content. Any associated challenges with big forces like Apple and Google will be applicable to everyone operating in the digital advertising ecosystem. The Audio ID is the best fit for the current landscape and will continue to evolve overtime.”

Young said the goal is to make audio easier to buy, simpler to optimise and more accountable.

“With broadcast audiences remaining strong and digital listening accelerating, our focus remains on building an audio ecosystem that’s easier to access and puts marketers and agencies in control. It’s a practical and powerful example of how we’re embracing digital transformation to make audio work harder.”