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Podtrac Announces TrueTrack^SM the First Automatically Distributed Platform-Independent Play Measurement System for Audio & Video Podcasts on PCs and Portable Devices

Podtrac's Intra-File Play Measurement Technology Fulfills Advertising Industry's Play Data Requirement to Fully Embrace Podcast & Serial Video Clip Advertising

PODCAST AND NEW MEDIA EXPO, ONTARIO, CA, September 28, 2007 -

Podtrac, the leader in connecting podcasters and advertisers, today announced TrueTrack^SM, the first automatically distributed platform-independent play measurement system for audio and video podcasts and serial video clips on PCs and portable devices. Podtrac's TrueTrack features Intra-Play Measurement Technology that measures full and partial plays per podcast or serial video clip including the consumption time per episode. TrueTrack's analysis is designed to give the advertising industry the play measurement data it needs to fully embrace podcasting as an ongoing part of advertising campaigns. For content producers, TrueTrack provides the data they need to improve their podcasts and build their audience.

Apple Computer's iTunes enables third parties to track downloads of audio and video podcasts, but until TrueTrack, there has been no way to determine actual plays of the content. YouTube reports plays of the video clips they host but does not enable third-party tracking or provide intra-file play data about where and when viewers start and stop viewing the content. Some video clip services provide ad opportunities in post-roll ads only, eliminating the opportunity for advertising in partial played files. Also important to the advertising industry, U.S. versus international plays are also delineated. Podtrac's new TrueTrack system is the first to independently track plays, partial plays, and consumption behavior of audio and video podcasts and serial video clips across iTunes, podcatcher software and thousands of viral video and clip aggregator websites on PCs and portable devices.

TrueTrack addresses podcast and serial video clips consumed on PCs and portable devices including iTunes (currently 75% of podcast listeners and viewers come through iTunes), Apple's new iPhone, mobile phones, PSPs (PlayStation Portables), and other popular listening and viewing environments. TrueTrack's automated proprietary encoding and processing of podcast files alleviates the need for any additional software for podcasters, advertisers, listeners, or viewers.

"TrueTrack solves the advertising industry's need to track ad exposures in podcasts and serial video clips. Inadequate consumption data has been a major hurdle to the adoption and growth of podcast advertising," said Mark McCrery, Podtrac's CEO and Co-Founder. "Podcast audiences reach appealing demographics and can be aggregated to meet campaign exposure requirements. Now advertisers have the impression data they need to move from test marketing to embracing podcast advertising into their ad campaigns," said McCrery.

"TrueTrack represents a significant leap in podcast measurement technology," said Robert Freeland, CTO and Co-Founder of Podtrac. "TrueTrack employs a variety of technologies to address different consumption environments while requiring no user-installed software. TrueTrack gives advertisers and podcasters the play data they need," said Freeland.

Podtrac's TrueTrack enables podcasters and media companies to better understand viewer and listener consumption through Podtrac's intra-episode play retention analysis by giving them information to test and adjust various content and programming strategies. TrueTrack is an easy-to-implement, free service and is an extension to Podtrac's Measurement System which provides the most sophisticated analysis of podcasts and serial video clips. Since 2005, Podtrac's Measurement System has been in use by thousands of independent content producers and established media companies.

TrueTrack provides advertisers, for the first time, a system for tracking actual ad exposures by using a play metric versus a download metric for both connected and disconnected PC and portable device environments. TrueTrack enhances Podtrac's Measurement System for advertisers by fulfilling their request for a more detailed view of ad exposures in order to build podcast advertising into their advertising campaigns.

Podtrac Expands its Measurement and Profiling Infrastructure

With TrueTrack, Podtrac expands its free infrastructure for podcasters and advertisers including podcast demographic profiles and third party podcast measurement services.

Podtrac Measurement Service. Podtrac provides free third-party measurement of podcasts and serial video clips including: downloads by episode, downloads by month, unique downloads by month, unique downloads by episode and downloads by country. The Podtrac Measurement Service works with every hosting provider, podcast network, and with any download or playback software.

Podtrac Audience Survey. Podtrac provides every podcast with a web-survey designed to collect the demographic and behavioral profiles of individual podcast listeners or viewers. The Podtrac Audience Survey was developed with Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) and Mediamark Inc. (MRI). TNS is the largest custom research organization in the world. MRI is the country's leading provider of magazine audience and multimedia research data for publishers, agencies and advertisers. Podcasters receive a unique link to track and analyze the specific responses to their podcasts. Analysis of satisfaction drivers and special "gap scores" help podcasters to improve their podcasts.

Podtrac Demographics. In conjunction with MRI, Podtrac brings the same demographic research advertisers have in traditional media to podcast media. From the demographic and behavioral profile data collected by the Podtrac Audience Survey, Podtrac calculates indices to MRI's Survey of the American Consumer and provides the results to both podcasters and advertisers. The Survey of the American Consumer is a national probability study of U.S. adult demographics, media and product usage, attitudes and lifestyle.

About Podtrac

Podtrac is the world's largest Podcast Advertising Network. Podtrac's services for podcasters and advertisers provide the first complete systems for podcast advertising insertion and podcast measurement. Podtrac has developed the largest database of podcast demographics worldwide representing more than 22 million U.S. podcast listeners and viewers. Podtrac is privately held with headquarters in Washington D.C. and offices in New York. For more information contact Podtrac at: www.podtrac.com.