A system to allocate content sources in a voice activated packet-based computer network environment, comprising: a natural language processor component executed by a data processing system , to receive, at an interface of the data processing system, data packets comprising an input audio signal detected by a sensor of a client computing device ; the natural language processor component to parse the input audio signal to identify a request and a trigger keyword corresponding to the request; a content selector component to select a digital component based on at least one of the request and the trigger keyword; a source allocation component to identify, subsequent to the selection of the digital component, a plurality of candidate content sources, each of the plurality of candidate content sources comprising a respective instance of the digital component; the source allocation component to determine a characteristic for each of the plurality of candidate content sources and a characteristic of each of the respective instances of the digital component; the source allocation component to select a content source from the plurality of candidate content sources based on the characteristic for each of the plurality of candidate content sources and the characteristic of each of the respective instances of the digital component; the source allocation component to generate a request for the digital component from the content source; and either the source allocation component to receive the digital component from the content source, and the source allocation component to transmit the digital component to the client computing device; or wherein the request is a request to initiate a session between the client computing device and the content source. a natural language processor component executed by a data processing system , to receive, at an interface of the data processing system, data packets comprising an input audio signal detected by a sensor of a client computing device ; the natural language processor component to parse the input audio signal to identify a request and a trigger keyword corresponding to the request; a content selector component to select a digital component based on at least one of the request and the trigger keyword; a source allocation component to identify, subsequent to the selection of the digital component, a plurality of candidate content sources, each of the plurality of candidate content sources comprising a respective instance of the digital component; the source allocation component to determine a characteristic for each of the plurality of candidate content sources and a characteristic of each of the respective instances of the digital component; the source allocation component to select a content source from the plurality of candidate content sources based on the characteristic for each of the plurality of candidate content sources and the characteristic of each of the respective instances of the digital component; the source allocation component to generate a request for the digital component from the content source; and either the source allocation component to receive the digital component from the content source, and the source allocation component to transmit the digital component to the client computing device; or wherein the request is a request to initiate a session between the client computing device and the content source. the source allocation component to receive the digital component from the content source, and the source allocation component to transmit the digital component to the client computing device; or wherein the request is a request to initiate a session between the client computing device and the content source. <EOS>