Could audio ads be the future of mobile gaming?

Wilfrid Obeng, co-founder of Audiomob, says his company's technology is less intrusive

Audiomob wants to substitute in-game video adverts with audio adverts on free mobile games for a less intrusive experience. Getty Images

Twenty years ago, mobile gaming meant playing Snake on a Nokia phone. Today, smartphones rival most hand-held consoles and, in some cases, can even play games designed for high-performance consoles.

Smartphone gaming capability continues to rise, but free games are the most popular. Puzzles to solve or lands to conquer, these come in many forms. The catch is putting up with advertisements every five minutes or 30 minutes.

But Wilfrid Obeng, a former Google employee, says he has figured out a better way to enjoy free games with less intrusive adverts. After a conversation with a fellow entrepreneur while on holiday in Dubai, Obeng decided to start a company offering audio adverts.

Audiomob, formed in 2020, set up in London before expanding to Abu Dhabi and New York. These days, most employees prefer the company’s Abu Dhabi office, with some staff in London wanting to move over. “The sun and low tax can definitely attract engineers over – and also how safe it is as well,” Obeng says.

Today, Audiomob operates as part of AD Gaming, fostering collaboration between the two. Thanks to AD Gaming's extensive portfolio of game developers, Audiomob is hoping to partner with more gaming companies.

Mobile gaming continues to grow. With so many smartphone users across the world, mobile games have become profitable. According to a study published by Udonis, of the $184 billion generated in 2023 by gaming, the mobile gaming market share was $90 billion.

A recent study published earlier this year by Earthweb estimated that there would be about three billion mobile gamers around the world by the summer of 2024

Obeng believes audio advertisements will encourage players to keep playing, without being deterred by long video adverts. His company has also experimented with a reward system, whereby players earn in-game coins or gems in exchange for listening to audio ads.

Retaining player attention is crucial for mobile game developers, and Obeng says his company's research shows audio ads help keep players engaged, leading to longer playtime and allowing developers to monetise their users.

He explains: “They're not churning through these users and having to do more user acquisition to get more users in.”

Obeng says the technology is branching out into other forms of gaming. “Virtual reality games are super interesting because on VR it's very difficult to just throw a video ad on, but having a geotargeted audio ad makes a lot of sense.”

As for console gaming, Obeng says it is something his team are looking into. He uses the example of EA Sports FC, saying that it would be easy to blend audio advertising into the football game's commentary.

Not satisfied using his company's technology for gaming only, Obeng is also aiming to use it in television and – even cars. His company is already using the technology in music and podcast apps, with targeted audio advertisements that differ from one place to another.

Obeng says his company is looking to become a one-stop shop for advertisers and developers, creating ads that are integrated into mobile games or other types of entertainment. His firm is also experimenting with AI to translate adverts into different languages.

Audio adverts are a staple in commercial radio, and Audiomob has received requests to make jingles for some clients in that sector. “In Iraq and a place like Lebanon, jingles are very popular. So, we usually do jingles in those countries and we have a partnership with Choueiri Group to represent us in the Mena region,” Obeng adds.