Custom Channels Launches In-Store Audio API for Retail Media Networks at InfoComm 2026
May 28th, 2026
At InfoComm 2026 this month (Booth C9700, June 17–19, Las Vegas), we introduced a new API that enables programmatic access to licensed audio, ad insertion, and in-store control – without vendor lock-in or required hardware. This update is especially important for the rapidly growing retail media network (RMN) market, giving enterprise retailers a new way to build and control in-store media at scale.
The Custom Channels In-Store Open Media Platform provides enterprise retailers and their technology partners with direct, programmatic access to in-store audio infrastructure – including music scheduling, zone control, ad insertion, proof-of-play reporting, and device management. By connecting existing CMS, DSP, or digital signage platforms via API, retailers can extend audio across any platform within their environment, using Custom Channels as the underlying engine for licensed content delivery and control. The In-Store Open Media Platform framework also supports integration at both the platform and device level, enabling compatibility with control systems and on-site AV environments where localized management is required.
Can the In-Store Open Media Platform Integrate?
The In-Store Open Media Platform is designed to integrate seamlessly with a wide range of third-party systems, including digital signage platforms, retail media technologies, and enterprise content management environments. In addition to supporting direct retailer deployments, the platform can also be embedded or white-labeled by technology partners, enabling them to incorporate licensed audio and in-store media capabilities into their own branded solutions.
“At Custom Channels, our focus has always been delivering music without limits—across every platform and for every business we serve,” said Joe Comer, CEO, Custom Channels. “The new platform brings that promise into the retail media space, giving retailers the ability to integrate in-store audio into their existing technology environments without being forced into a single system or vendor.”
For years, in-store audio has been delivered through closed, one-size-fits-all systems designed for a simpler, more centralized world. Those models struggle in today’s environment, where retailers operate across multiple platforms, technology stacks, and customer touchpoints. As a result, organizations are often forced to choose between control, customization, and integration, trade-offs that limit their ability to scale retail media strategies into the physical store.
Why Should Integrators Adopt the In-Store Open Media Platform?
As retail media networks expand from digital channels into physical store environments, many organizations are finding that existing in-store audio options force a difficult choice: adopt a fully managed, vendor-controlled platform and share revenue, or attempt to integrate multiple point solutions that were never designed to work together. For retailers with established AV infrastructure, digital signage networks, or loyalty platforms, adding programmatic in-store audio has often required starting over – or giving up control.
The Custom Channels In-Store Open Media Platform offers a third path: an open, vendor-neutral infrastructure that allows retailers to build and own their own media networks while integrating seamlessly with the systems they already have in place.
“Retailers don’t want to be locked into a single ecosystem, especially as their media strategies evolve,” said René Arnold, Senior Director of Partnerships, Custom Channels. “With our In-Store Open Media Platform, they can choose their own DSP, their own CMS, and their own measurement partners, while we handle the complexity of delivering licensed audio across their entire environment—from cloud-based systems to on-site control infrastructure.”
Unlike closed, end-to-end platforms that bundle hardware, software, and monetization into a single offering, the Custom Channels In-Store Open Media Platform is designed as a hardware-agnostic, vendor-neutral foundation. Retailers retain full control of their ad inventory, data, and revenue models, while integrators and technology partners can build tailored solutions that align with each customer’s existing infrastructure.
The result is a flexible, scalable approach to in-store media that supports everything from single-location deployments to global retail networks – giving organizations the ability to build audio and media strategies that reflect the unique needs of their business, rather than conforming to a predefined platform. At InfoComm 2026, we demonstrated the In-Store Open Media Platform for partners at Booth C9700, showing how in-store audio can be integrated into existing technology stacks to create fully customized retail media environments using an open, API-driven architecture.
Learn More
If you’d like to explore how Custom Channels can help connect in-store audio, we’d love to connect.
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