Trade Association To Form For Downloadable Media

Hey, if the widget makers can get together and form a new trade group, so can the digital downloaders. Welcome to ADM, which is not the supermarket to the world -- that's Archer Daniels Midland -- but in this context is the Association for Downloadable Media. The goal is for producers, publishers and advertisers to learn how best to make money from audio and video podcasting.

PR Newswire: July 15, 2007

Association for Downloadable Media Announces Formation

Providing standards for advertising and audience measurement for episodic and downloadable media.

Industry leaders from the podcasting community announced today the formation of the Association for Downloadable Media (ADM). The goal of the ADM is to develop standardization of audience measurement and advertising for downloadable media. The ADM will focus primarily on the world of podcasting, downloadable media and portable content monetized by advertising and sponsorship. The ADM will create a landscape that facilitates the commercialization of this growing audience.

The purview of the ADM includes revenue generation from advertising and sponsorships of podcasts, vodcasts (aka vidcasts, video podcasts, or vlogs), and other audio/video digital content distributed via RSS, ATOM, peer-to-peer, mobile devices, downloads from Web sites and other platforms to come.

The organization has been formed to focus specifically on any content downloaded by consumers, and will work in collaboration with related industry organizations, publishers and agencies such as the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA).

The ADM will support the needs of publishers, producers, advertisers, agencies, vendors, research/measurement companies, as well as hardware and software manufacturers who are involved with the production or distribution of downloadable media. Monetization of podcasts is a growing opportunity for these parties, and the ADM supports the momentum of this channel through the collective mindshare of its members.

There has been a need for industry standards in the podosphere, and the ADM will help accelerate its growth into a commercially viable medium. Podcast advertising is a burgeoning medium for marketers. Spending on podcasting advertising will quintuple over the next five years, from an $80 million market in 2006 to $400 million in 2011 according to eMarketer, Inc. Apple, Inc. has sold more than 100 million iPods, and more than 300 million copies of iTunes have been installed. According to an Arbitron/Edison Internet and Multimedia 2007 study, the number of people in the U.S. who have listened to a podcast has grown to 13% in 2007.

The ADM will comprise an interim board of representatives from the following fifteen companies who met initially to establish the organization: Apple Inc., BlogTalkRadio, Kiptronic, LibSyn, IndieFeed, NPR, Nielsen//NetRatings, Personal Life Media, Inc., Podbridge, PodTech, PodShow, Podtrac, Porter Novelli, Rev3 and Vogele Law.

Five initial committees will be formed immediately to address: advertising standards, measurement, outreach/education, terminology and membership. Membership application is now open on the ADM Web site at http://www.downloadablemedia.org/. Nominations for the executive seats, advisory board and committee chairs will take place this summer.

Website: http://www.downloadablemedia.org/