Acast and Barometer Launch Episode-Level Podcast Ad Targeting
Industry-first integration gives advertisers granular control before campaigns run
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Podcast advertisers can now target individual episodes before placing bids, not just entire shows, through a new integration between Acast and brand safety platform Barometer that went live across Acast’s full inventory this week.
The partnership represents the podcast industry’s first pre-bid targeting at the episode level, addressing a major advertiser concern about brand safety by analyzing content before ads are placed. Initial campaigns using the integration achieved 100% alignment with advertiser brand standards at the episodic level, according to the companies.
“Barometer’s ad-tech brand safety innovation has revolutionized our approach to podcast advertising,” said Lauren Russo, EVP and managing partner for innovation and performance audio at Horizon Media. “Through strategic partnerships with leading podcast companies like Acast, brands have greater confidence in expanding their tactical mix to include RON environments.”
The integration marks an evolution from the companies’ previous collaboration, which enabled brand-suitable media buying through pre-planning. The new system pre-vets suitability on an episodic level for programmatic activation before episodes are even released, providing automated granular control for advertisers managing risk at scale.
How the Technology Works
The integration channels every Acast podcast episode through Barometer’s AI-driven brand safety, suitability and contextual targeting tools the moment creators upload content. The real-time process scores each episode against multiple metrics, including IAB categories and Barometer’s proprietary long-form audio definitions.
Brands can set their own risk and contextual parameters directly in the programmatic bidding process, giving them control over where ads appear before campaigns launch. The system analyzes both newly published episodes in real-time and Acast’s full back catalog, allowing advertisers to tap into archival content that meets their brand standards.
“It has been a privilege to work with the Acast team on the integration, expanding our partnership to empower advertisers all around the world,” said Tamara Nelson, cofounder and CEO of Barometer. “I’m over the moon about the wins the integration has already delivered for precision in both direct and programmatic campaigns.”
The technology uses Barometer’s patent-pending AI Brand Integrity Cloud, which employs natural language processing to analyze podcast content based on industry-standard taxonomies. This includes the IAB Content taxonomy 3.0 for contextual targeting and Barometer’s own Brand Standard Categories, which the company developed specifically for audio content.
Addressing Advertiser Pain Points
Podcast advertising has grown rapidly as brands chase engaged audiences, but concerns about brand safety have created friction in the buying process. Unlike traditional display advertising where visual context is immediately apparent, audio content requires listening to episodes or relying on show-level descriptions to assess suitability.
That challenge intensifies with programmatic podcast advertising, where automated buying systems make real-time decisions about ad placement across thousands of episodes. Brands risk their ads appearing in episodes containing content that conflicts with their values or messaging, even when the show itself seems appropriate.
The Acast-Barometer integration solves this by providing episode-level analysis before bids are placed. Advertisers can set parameters around topics, language, themes or other criteria, and the system automatically filters out unsuitable episodes while identifying those that align with brand standards.
“Advertisers want authenticity without risk,” said Valerie Reimer, VP of adtech and product partnerships at Acast. “With Barometer’s episodic integration live across Acast, brands can align their standards at the episode level before a campaign even runs—pre-bid, third-party verified, and measurable. It’s fast, flexible, and built for the realities of today’s buying.”
The third-party verification aspect provides additional credibility, as brands don’t need to rely solely on publisher assurances about content suitability. Barometer’s independent analysis gives advertisers confidence that their standards are being consistently applied across all inventory.
Impact on Campaign Reach and Scale
Russo noted that the episode-level targeting and back-catalog processing capabilities are “truly game-changing” for agencies and brands. The technology empowers them to curate content from publishers at scale, significantly extending campaign reach beyond what’s possible with manual vetting or show-level targeting alone.
Previously, conservative brand safety approaches might exclude entire shows based on occasional episodes that covered sensitive topics, even when most episodes aligned perfectly with advertiser goals. The new integration allows brands to include those shows while automatically skipping problematic episodes, increasing available inventory for campaigns.
The back-catalog analysis particularly expands opportunities. Podcast advertising traditionally focused on new episodes as they released, but popular shows have extensive archives that continue attracting listeners. By analyzing historical episodes against current brand standards, advertisers can access this “long-tail” inventory that was previously difficult to evaluate at scale.
Russo emphasized that this “level of precision and control is unparalleled, allowing us to handpick content that aligns perfectly with brand values and campaign objectives.” The ability to operate in run-of-network environments with confidence removes barriers that previously limited podcast advertising investment.
Technical Implementation Details
The integration operates automatically without requiring manual intervention from advertisers or podcast creators. When a creator uploads a new episode to Acast’s platform, Barometer’s AI analyzes the audio content, transcripts and metadata to generate suitability scores across multiple dimensions.
These scores feed directly into Acast’s programmatic advertising infrastructure, where they’re available to demand-side platforms and advertisers setting up campaigns. Advertisers configure their brand safety parameters once, and the system continuously applies those standards as new episodes become available.
For back-catalog content, Barometer processed Acast’s existing inventory to ensure historical episodes received the same level of analysis as new uploads. This one-time historical analysis means advertisers can immediately access suitable archive episodes without waiting for future content publication.
The real-time processing happens quickly enough that episodes can be analyzed and made available for advertising within the same publishing cycle. This speed ensures advertisers aren’t locked out of early-release inventory while waiting for brand safety verification.
Industry Context and Competition
Acast operates a marketplace spanning over 140,000 podcasts, 3,300 advertisers and one billion quarterly listens. The company has been building technology connecting podcast creators, advertisers and listeners since 2014, with headquarters in Stockholm and trading on Nasdaq Stockholm.
Barometer positions itself as an omnichannel, AI-powered contextual engine focused on brand suitability and targeting solutions. The company works with major brands to activate responsibly at scale in channels including podcasts, where contextual understanding has historically lagged behind other digital media.
The partnership comes as podcast advertising matures beyond early-adopter brands toward mainstream marketers who bring established brand safety requirements from other digital channels. These advertisers expect the same level of control and transparency in podcasts that they have in display, video or social media advertising.
Other podcast platforms and ad-tech providers have developed brand safety tools, but the pre-bid episodic targeting represents an advancement beyond show-level categorization. The integration’s focus on automated, scalable analysis addresses practical buying needs rather than requiring manual episode review.
What This Means for Podcasters and Advertisers
For podcast creators on Acast, the integration potentially increases monetization opportunities by making their content more accessible to brand-conscious advertisers. Episodes that meet advertiser standards can attract premium advertising, while the automated system doesn’t require creators to manually certify content suitability.
For advertisers, the technology reduces friction in podcast buying by automating brand safety processes that previously required manual work or conservative exclusions. Brands can expand podcast investments with confidence that their standards are being consistently enforced at scale.
The partnership also signals broader industry movement toward standardized brand safety solutions. Barometer’s use of IAB taxonomies and development of audio-specific standards provides common language for buyers and sellers to discuss content suitability.
Whether episode-level targeting becomes industry standard depends partly on adoption by other platforms and whether advertisers find the granularity worth the added complexity versus simpler show-level approaches. The early results showing 100% brand standard alignment suggest strong initial performance that could drive broader adoption.
Brands interested in leveraging the new targeting capabilities in Acast campaigns can contact sales@acast.com, while information about Barometer’s technology is available at thebarometer.co.
Acast is a global podcasting marketplace connecting creators, advertisers and listeners across 140,000 shows and one billion quarterly listens. Barometer provides AI-powered brand suitability and contextual targeting solutions for audio advertising.
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