Audible creates original content that captures the ears of the many. Audible’s Words + Music is a groundbreaking series that chronicles the creative process, passions and careers of musicians in their own words. The 35 volume series solidifies Audible’s rightful place within music storytelling.

To capture fan and creator attention, our campaign couldn’t just talk about the cultural relevance of the series – it had to contribute to music culture in the same way the series does. Music fans want to discover the unknown of these acclaimed artists and garner a different context for them on their own, rather than it be forced upon them.

To ensure Audible succeeded with making Words + Music a destination for music fans, the marketing strategy we activated needed to stealthily insert itself amongst existing cultural connoisseurs. This campaign was inspired by the insight that musicians are fans too and lead Audible to success.

The average American spends four hours a day listening to music. To increase market segment share, Audible had to reach and engage with music fans at scale to promote Words + Music.

With music fans being 37% more likely to listen to other audio content like Audible, tapping into this audience would allow for maximum impact. Audible infiltrated the lives of music fans, piquing interest, underscoring the uniqueness and unparalleled intimacy the series allows for as well as the incredible range of artists involved.

We deployed a cross-channel media strategy that included custom content, experiential, influencers, digital, social, and audio tactics to cast a wide net. Reeling music fans in, we tapped music heavyweights and emerging artists whose own fandom for music would help engage on a more personal level.

Throughout Q4’22, Words + Music exploded across the media landscape. It kicked off on the iconic cover of Rolling Stone’s Musicians on Musicians issue with Common and John Legend. A perfect showcase – two legends who are fans too, sharing the friendship, artistry and activism behind their hits.

The campaign caught fire in every digital channel from TikTok to Twitch, even in podcasts on rival platforms. Audible also created branded videos with Suki Waterhouse and Finneas who spoke about their own Words + Music inspirations.

A trio of Twitch livestreams on Rolling Stone’s channel built deeper fandom. And bringing Words + Music into the real world, Audible created a Surf Shack experience at the Sea.Hear.Now music festival and celebrated the release of John Legends’ volume, the 31st Words + Music, with a launch party hosted at Lincoln Center. Scaling their on-the-ground footprint, influencers were leveraged to create content.

Audible reached 245MM music lovers and experienced a 12% increase in brand familiarity, 13% increase in affinity, and 10% increases in both recommendation and purchase intent, conducted through a brand lift study with Nielsen.

Rolling Stone saw massive editorial scale with over 8.1MM print issues circulated, and collaboration efforts with Audible helped Rolling Stone’s Twitch see their strongest viewership numbers, amounting to 675K live viewers.

While awareness and consideration were a primary goal, engagement drove significant visitation to the Words + Music landing page on Audible - attracting over 667K incremental visits during the campaign flight. Influencer efforts drove an 84% lift in positive sentiment for Audible’s Words + Music, and engagement, shares, and comments led to $5.4MM in earned media value for the campaign.

By acting like a fan, Audible took their place as a leader in storytelling for music artists and lovers alike.