Understanding Audio Support in Prebid Server: What Publishers Need to Know

Audio advertising continues to rise, from podcasts to streaming music. For publishers managing multiple channels, integrating audio into header bidding is now a practical consideration—yet it remains a niche with technical nuances many overlook.

Prebid Server now offers support for the audio format, presenting new opportunities for inventory monetization. But the technical ins and outs, including how audio demand is handled and its current limitations, can impact how successfully publishers deploy it. Let’s clarify how Prebid Server manages audio and what that means for your team.

How Prebid Server Handles Audio Formats

Prebid Server recognizes and passes through audio ad requests using the OpenRTB specification. When a bid adapter supports audio, it processes incoming impressions containing ‘imp.audio’ objects. This structure allows the bid adapter to hand off the request to its endpoint without needing additional logic within Prebid Server itself.

For operational teams, this means your Prebid Server instance isn’t making assumptions about the audio media type. Instead, it’s up to adapters and downstream bidders to handle details like the audio creative format, duration, and playback methods. Prebid Server’s approach maintains flexibility and minimizes processing overhead, but also shifts some implementation attention to the adapters and your integration.

Example: A streaming radio publisher sends out an OpenRTB bid request via Prebid Server. If a demand partner’s adapter supports audio, it will pick up the ‘imp.audio’ object and forward the relevant audio bid to the demand partner’s endpoint, just as with display or video ads.

Real-World Workflow for Ad Ops

Imagine you’re running a music streaming app with Prebid Server as your central hub. Your team adds an adapter for a major DSP known for strong audio demand. When a listener triggers an ad break, your server sends an OpenRTB request with the ‘imp.audio’ field. The DSP’s adapter identifies the audio object, processes it per its requirements, and returns bids for eligible audio creatives. No custom work is needed in Prebid Server itself—your focus is on adapter compatibility and correct request structure.

Validation and Limitations of Audio Support in Prebid Server

Unlike video or native, Prebid Server takes a lightweight approach to audio validation. The only check enforced is that the audio object in the OpenRTB request is structurally valid. No further business logic or media-type specifics are verified.

This means there’s a lower barrier to entry—you don’t have to manage additional server-side logic for audio and can move faster when onboarding demand partners. However, this also introduces risk: if your bid requests contain poorly structured or incorrectly specified audio objects, Prebid Server won’t catch it.

Moreover, there’s no current support for advanced audio use cases like podding (serving sequential audio ads in a break), which is common among podcast platforms.

Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting

A publisher might accidentally pass an incomplete or improperly formed ‘imp.audio’ object. Because Prebid Server only checks for basic validity, these errors may only surface when bids aren’t returned or creatives fail downstream, not at the ingestion point. Proactive testing and strict template management on your ad ops side are crucial.

Implementation Considerations for Publishers and Ad Ops Teams

Deploying audio support via Prebid Server is operationally straightforward but requires precise configuration on your part. You must ensure demand partners’ adapters are updated to support audio. The configuration in your Prebid Server YAML or JavaScript setup must accurately declare the audio media type and populate all required fields as defined by the OpenRTB spec.

Publishers should maintain close coordination with both DSP partners and Prebid community releases to monitor for future enhancements, especially if features like audio podding become available.

Integrating with GAM or Other Ad Servers

When working with Google Ad Manager (GAM) or similar servers, you’ll need to map audio response types accurately. While some GAM setups handle audio natively, others require extra work—such as dedicated ad units, creatives, or custom targeting to distinguish audio inventory from your display or video slots.

What this means for publishers

Audio support in Prebid Server broadens the monetization toolkit for publishers, but puts the onus of correct implementation and troubleshooting on ad ops and technical teams. There’s opportunity for new revenue streams with minimal changes if your adapters support OTBR-compliant audio, yet you’ll need to invest in quality assurance and carefully manage demand-side integrations to avoid breakage or unsold inventory.

Practical takeaway

If you’re running Prebid Server today and considering audio as part of your revenue strategy, start by auditing your current adapters for audio support. Make sure your OpenRTB requests structure the ‘imp.audio’ object according to spec. Partner closely with your DSPs to validate end-to-end delivery and response formats.

Monitor Prebid Server updates for any new audio capabilities, particularly if you need complex scenarios like audio podding in the future. Prioritize operational checks in your workflow, as Prebid Server won’t flag most audio data issues for you. With careful setup and ongoing testing, publishers can unlock valuable audio demand without major technology upgrades.