• by July 16, 2007

A new industry trade association has arisen to develop standards and best practices in ad content and audience measurement for podcasting and other portable audio/video content. The Association for Downloadable Media (ADM), launching today, was formed by 15 companies covering a diverse swath of this world--from producers and distributors to ad insertion companies and research firms.

While podcasts themselves have exploded in popularity--an estimated 85,000 of them are available via Apple's iTunes alone--their advertising potential has barely been tapped yet. eMarketer, for one, said podcast advertising will quintuple by 2011, from today's $80 million to $400 million. Tracking has also been a particular problem, due to the countless number of ways that portable media can be distributed and passed around once downloaded.

Representatives from the ADM's 15 founding firms--which include such heavyweights as Apple, Nielsen and National Public Radio--make up an interim ADM board.

The group is not intended to compete with such associations as the Interactive Advertising Bureau or the American Association of Advertising Agencies, noted Susan Bratton, a charter ADM member and CEO of Personal Life Media. Others just weren't covering this space yet, and the group of founding ADM companies, which first met May 8 in San Francisco and then solidified their plans June 6 in New York, wanted to move quickly. Indeed, both the IAB and 4As have been listed as ADM partners on the new group's Web site at www.downloadablemedia.org.

The ADM said its purview includes revenue generation from advertising and sponsorship of podcasts, vlogs, and other audio/video content distributed via RSS, ATOM, peer-to-peer, mobile devices and downloads from Web sites.

In addition to Apple, NPR, Nielsen and Personal Life Media, other ADM founding companies include BlogTalkRadio, Kiptronic, Wizzard Media/LibSyn, Podbridge, PodTech, PodShow, Podtrac, Porter Novelli, Rev3 and Vogele & Associates.

Individuals who have already signed up as members also represent Crayonville, Feedburner and French Maid TV.

Wanting the association to be more inclusive than other publisher-led groups, Bratton said companies and individuals from any aspect of the industry can apply for ADM membership at www.downloadablemedia.org. The cost is $1,000 for companies, or $150 for individual podcasters, video bloggers, producers or distributors. The Web site also solicits members to be nominated for the group's executive board (chairman, vice chairman, secretary, treasurer) and for chair of five committees: ad standards, measurement, outreach/education, terminology standardization, and membership. The group said a director will also be hired, once funds are available.

An initial membership meeting will take place by conference call in late August. The group's first in-person meeting and elections of the board members and committee chairs will occur during the Podcast & New Media Expo, Sept. 28-30 in Ontario, CA.