Saavn outlines future roadmap, to focus on audio ads & new content properties
Audio streaming company Saavn feels the medium can be a huge asset to advertisers even as it expects its revenue from paid subscriptions to overtake ad revenues in the long run

Digital audio streaming service Saavn is ready to expand to the next level. Recently, the company raised $100 million in investments and it is not letting the grass grow under its feet. For example, Vinod Bhat, Co-founder and President of Saavn, informed us that the company will be building on its existing partnership with Facebook forward by collaborating with the social network on developing a next version of personalization, music sharing and discovery capabilities set to be launched some time in 2016.
With a fresh round of investment behind it, we asked Bhat and VP (Product) Gavin Byrne where the money would be put to use. "We are working on new targeting parameters and solutions that we can bring to brands. The ability to target groups of people within our network through our proprietary tool is a big area for us," said Byrne.
Bhat also said that investments would be made in licensing new content as well as creating content in-house as well as creating branded content in partnership with brands.
The company has already branched out into sports with a new partnership with Mumbai City Football Club for the current season of the ISL, which will see Saavn provide audio commentary and match news through its platform, though exact details about the partnership were not revealed.
Speaking about Saavn's plans for improving its advertising offering, which contributes 80 per cent to overall revenue, Bhat said though the company was looking at video as a medium with full length movies and other video content, there were no immediate plans to introduce this. "If you take audio as a category, the work is not yet down. We do have music video rights and movie rights. It would be very easy to become like a Netflix but the market is saturated with video products so we have to be very thoughtful about what we bring to the market," he said.
On the related issue of allowing advertisers to pay for subscriptions for audiences, something Bhat has alluded to in earlier interviews, he said, "It is on the cards but it is also a very complex issue. We do not want to have, just because an advertiser is sponsoring subscription, to see ads from the brand everywhere. We have done a couple of sponsored paid subscriptions with AT&T, Western Union, etc. where they have either paid for it or bundled it with some other service. That's the extent we have gone to today."
Saavn currently sees 18 million MAU (Monthly Active Users) globally with around 14.4 million MAUs in India. The platform also boasts, says Bhat, an average session time of 44 minutes per user. Though currently majority of revenues stem from the ad platform, Bhat told us that he expects paid subscription to be the top revenue contributor in the long term.
Saavn has also initiated an on-ground event called Audio On to educate the Indian ecosystem about the various opportunities available on the audio platform for brand building and advertising; a property that it promises to make an annual event.
However, there is still a lot of work to be done as Byrne points out. He gave the example of the concept of audio ad networks, similar to digital ad networks but for audio ads. He said that globally there are only 2-3 such networks with none present in India. On the positive side, he pointed out that the IAB released the first ever standard for digital audio ads last year in the form of the Digital Audio Ad Serving Template 1.0 (DAAST), which would make it easier for brands, digital agencies and platforms to use this medium.
"There is a huge opportunity for audio ad networks to come into India though there are none now. Because we have adopted the DAAST standards we are able to work with these networks in the US," he informed us.
As this option is not available in India, Saavn is working on a direct selling model with advertisers in India.
Saavn has also recently tied up with PayTM to make payments easier for users wanting to upgrade to the paid subscription service, viz., Saavn Pro. Bhat told us that another partnership with Ola Money has also gone live with more in the pipeline. “We are right now concentrating on PayTM since it is the largest with 110 million users. As we see more traction we will start working with more wallets. The problem it is solving for us is that of the millions of people we have with us on trials, 80 per cent don’t move to the paid version due to problems they have while paying via cards,” he said.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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