An Open In-Store Media Platform Defined
An open in-store media platform is an API-driven infrastructure that lets retailers plug licensed music, messaging, and ads into their existing technology stack, manage zones and content centrally, and swap supporting vendors without rebuilding the whole system, so they stay in control of both customer experience and media revenue. Custom Channels is turning that concept into a concrete product with its In-Store Open Media Platform, launched at InfoComm 2026. Instead of forcing retailers into proprietary hardware or a single closed software system, the company offers a retail media platform that connects to current CMS, DSP, digital signage, and enterprise content systems. The goal is not to replace those tools, but to add in-store audio solutions on top of them, so in-store media can grow alongside digital channels while remaining vendor-independent.
APIs Put Retailers in Charge of In-Store Audio
Custom Channels’ new platform exposes core in-store audio capabilities—music scheduling, zone control, ad insertion, proof-of-play reporting, and device management—through APIs that technology teams can plug into their own stacks. That means retailers can treat the sound system like any other programmable channel, aligning playlists and promos with digital signage, apps, and online campaigns. According to Custom Channels, the platform gives enterprise retailers and their partners “direct, programmatic access to in-store audio infrastructure,” turning what used to be a black box into something that can be automated and measured. Crucially, Custom Channels provides licensed audio delivery and the control layer, while retailers retain ownership of ad inventory, data, and revenue models. This separation of responsibilities is key to a vendor-independent media strategy, where audio is a controllable medium rather than a turnkey bundle tied to one supplier.
Breaking Vendor Lock-In with an Open Retail Technology Stack
Traditional in-store audio systems tend to be closed: one vendor supplies hardware, software, content, and often the ad model. Custom Channels is positioning its In-Store Open Media Platform as the opposite. The system is designed to integrate with a wide range of third-party platforms, including CMS, DSP, digital signage, retail media technologies, and enterprise content environments, instead of replacing them. “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,” said René Arnold, senior director of partnerships at Custom Channels. The platform can also be embedded or white-labeled inside partner solutions, so integrators and media companies can offer in-store audio solutions under their own brands while staying on an open, vendor-neutral foundation.
From Closed Networks to Vendor-Independent Media
Launching at InfoComm 2026, Custom Channels’ move highlights a broader shift in retail media: as networks expand from digital-only channels into physical stores, retailers expect the same autonomy and data control in the aisle that they have online. The In-Store Open Media Platform framework supports integration with control systems and on-site AV, which is vital for large estates where local teams still manage some day-to-day operations. Retailers can build and own their media networks on top of this infrastructure, rather than renting access to a closed system. Joe Comer, Custom Channels’ CEO, said the company’s aim has been “delivering music without limits—across every platform,” and the new platform carries that idea into retail media. The result is a retail media platform model where in-store audio becomes a flexible, vendor-independent media channel, not a locked, add-on service.