Podcast Episode 1
The Evolution of Streaming Technology
In the early days of AudioNet, we faced a significant challenge—other websites were deep-linking our streams and effectively stealing our content without proper attribution or permission. At the time, there was no way to prevent this from happening, and we were losing valuable traffic and control over our brand.
Frustrated by this situation, I decided to get creative. I went out to my car and used my pearlcorder to record a 7-second clip that simply said, “Thank you for listening to AudioNet. THE Broadcast Network on the Internet.” We began playing it before all of our streams. I still have the original “thanks.ra” audio file.
This brief message served a dual purpose: it shamed those who were stealing our content while also reminding users where the original stream was coming from. Little did we know, (as far as I know) this would be the first pre-roll ad ever to run in streaming media.
Interestingly, the response was immediate and overwhelming. The traffic to AudioNet surged as the message caught on, and our brand recognition grew. However, as our streaming audience continued to expand rapidly, we realized that those 7 seconds of airtime were costing more than we had anticipated, as that seven seconds used bandwidth every time it played. And bandwidth was very expensive.
Eventually, we moved from this “homemade” solution to running “real” ads, but that initial clip marked a milestone in advertising in the streaming era. It was the beginning of an entirely new way to think about monetizing content and creating a direct connection with the audience. By 1999, we were doing 4800+ spots per week on our radio station streams alone.
This moment was more than just about stopping theft—it marked the start of the advertising ecosystem that would eventually become a critical part of how streaming platforms like YouTube, Hulu, and Spotify would evolve. The idea of a pre-roll ad—a short, mandatory advertisement before content is played, became a standard that we see in nearly all streaming services today.