Audio creatives

Display & Video 360 uses the Video Ad Serving Template (VAST) standard to serve audio ads. This is the same standard used for video and VPAID content. Audio VAST content is audio-only and doesn’t contain any video media files. Even though they both use VAST, you can’t add audio files to video creatives or video files to audio creatives.

Display & Video 360 is VAST 2.0, VAST 3.0, and VAST 4.0 compliant. Always check the IAB’s specifications (2.0, 3.0, 4.0) to see what features are available on each version of VAST.

The Digital Audio Ad Serving Template (DAAST) is not supported.

If your audio creatives are hosted on an ad server other than Display & Video 360 or Campaign Manager 360, you can add them to Display & Video 360 using third-party audio VAST tags.

The raw audio asset you upload to Display & Video 360 is known as your source file. Display & Video 360 will also transcode your asset. Transcodes are alternate versions of your source file that have different formats or properties, each designed for specific audio players or bandwidths.

Your source file plus any other versions are all serving files. These serving files each have the same audio content as your original asset, just in different formats or with different properties.

When there are multiple serving files, the publisher's system can choose the best version of your asset for each impression, based on factors such as device type, connection speed, and the audio player on the site.

Audio file specifications and best practices

You can assign image or HTML5 creatives to display around the publisher’s audio player. These are delivered in the same VAST tag as your serving files. Companions serve while the audio content is playing and remain after the content has completed.

When you assign a creative as a companion, it doesn't act the same as a regular creative. Only the image or rendered HTML is shown in the audio player. All landing page URLs in the companion will be overwritten with the landing page URL you provide for the audio creative.

1. Open an advertiser, then click Creatives in the left menu.

2. On the page that loads, click New.
3. Click Upload Audio file.
   Note: If you have a third-party VAST tag instead of an audio file, follow the audio VAST tag steps instead.
4. In the Assets panel on the right:
   • Drag the audio file you want to use for this creative from your computer and drop it over "Drop file here".
   • Or click Upload, then select the source file from your computer.
   • Audio creatives hosted by Display & Video 360 can be up to 1 GB, but some inventory sources may have lower file size limits. See Guidelines for audio creatives for more information.

5. Enter a landing page URL, beginning with http:// or https://. If you're using a click tracker URL that redirects to your final landing page URL, enter this here.

6. (Optional) Add a companion creative to show alongside your audio ad in supported audio players.

   When you assign a companion, take note of the following:

   • Landing page URLs set in companion creatives will be overwritten with the landing page URL you set for the audio creative.
   • Responsive creatives are not supported.
   • Companion creatives must be hosted by Display & Video 360 (you can't assign a creative synced from Campaign Manager 360 as a companion).
   • Campaign Manager 360 tracking ads are not supported for audio companions.

   • To assign a creative that's already been uploaded to your advertiser, click Assign, then select the creative you want to use and click Select.

   • If you haven't uploaded the companion to your advertiser yet, click Upload, then select the source file from your computer. After you save, this asset will be saved as a separate creative in your advertiser and assigned as a companion to your audio creative.

7. At the top, click Creative details. Enter a name for the creative in Display & Video 360.
8. After you add a source file, you’ll see information in the Serving files section as transcodes are generated. You can save and leave this page to work on other things while the transcodes are processing.
9. (Optional) To add third-party tracking URLs, click Serving properties, then click Add URL and select the type of URL you want to include. You can enter multiple versions of each type of URL. Don’t include any HTML tags in the third-party URL field.
10. (Optional) To add an integration code or notes, click Additional details.
11. Save. After saving is complete, you can preview your audio file in Ad Canvas.

When you upload a file, Display & Video 360 processes it in two ways:

• Display & Video 360 validates the asset to make sure it works, and may generate a more efficient version.
• Display & Video 360 transcodes the asset into a number of alternative versions that use different file formats or have different properties (resolution, audio bit rate), each designed for specific players or bandwidths. These transcodes give a publisher's system more options to choose from for each impression on your audio creative and ensures that the appropriate file serves based on the viewer’s connection and screen size.

You can find all of the transcodes in the Serving files section of your creative. You’ll see a status next to each transcode:

Transcode status	What it means
	The transcode is in progress. This should only take a few minutes. If it takes more than an hour, try uploading the source file again.
	The transcode is complete and ready to serve.
	There's an issue with the transcode that must be fixed before it can serve.

Display & Video 360 can host .mp3 and .ogg audio creatives.

Google Marketing Platform uses Video Ad Serving Template (VAST) specifications to format audio creatives.