Many of these sites are attaching banner ads to every downloadable track, ads that follow the music even after the user has gone offline. EverAd , a New York-based technology firm, has devised a way to embed ads into songs that are downloaded free of charge. When a song is played through the company's PlayJ format, a series of ads appear on a user's computer screen. This takes place both during the original download and later, whenever listeners play the song again, whether they are online or not. EverAd's business plan calls for an even split of the ad revenues between EverAd and distributors.
Artists get a piece of the distributor's share.
Mody Livsky, executive director of advertising sales for EverAd, says the company's rotating banners are tailored to listeners' lifestyles in an effort to be less annoying. The company's key target demographic, he says, is the college student, so most ads are for job-hunting sites, textbook companies and sweepstakes offers. We tell them ahead of time that there are going to be advertisements.