Spotify has joined forces with the Omnicom Media Group on the “largest global, strategic podcast advertising partnership to-date”. The $20m deal will enable clients of Omnicom’s Hearts & Science, OMD, and PHD agencies to have ‘first-mover’ access to Spotify’s podcast content.

The partnership will also include the development of joint research and best practices across targeting, reporting, and measurement capabilities, and the development of custom audio solutions produced by Spotify’s creative solutions team.

“This partnership is a breakthrough moment for the podcast industry and audio advertising at large,” said Lee Brown, VP, Global Head of Advertising Business at Spotify. “We couldn’t be more ecstatic to have an agency of Omnicom Media Group’s global influence and imprint recognizing the value of podcasts for their clients in such a significant way. We look forward to partnering with OMG to unlock the creative possibilities of audio and building rich connections with listeners worldwide.”

The deal comes a few weeks after Spotify launched video advertising in the US, UK, and Canada via its Ad Studio. The product gives advertisers the option to run either horizontal video, across all available platforms, or vertical video, which is optimised for Android and iOS.