What an Open Retail Media Platform Means for In‑Store Control
An open retail media platform for in-store environments is an API-driven system that lets retailers connect their existing technology stack to in-store audio systems and digital signage control, so they can manage content, ads, and data without being tied to a single hardware or software vendor. Custom Channels’ new In-Store Open Media Platform fits this definition, moving beyond closed in-store audio systems toward open media networks that span music, messaging, and advertising. Instead of forcing retailers to adopt a proprietary player or content management system, the platform sits as a licensed audio and control layer that plugs into current CMS, DSP, and retail media tools. This model matters because it shifts ownership of inventory, targeting logic, and reporting back to the retailer, while letting technology partners embed or white-label audio services on their own terms.
Breaking Free from Single-Vendor Lock-In
For years, many in-store audio systems have been sold as closed ecosystems, with one vendor dictating player hardware, content tools, and reporting. Custom Channels is positioning its In-Store Open Media Platform as the opposite: a vendor-neutral infrastructure where the retailer owns the media network design. According to Custom Channels, the platform gives enterprise retailers programmatic access to music scheduling, zone control, ad insertion, proof-of-play reporting, and device management through APIs instead of proprietary consoles. That means a retailer can choose its preferred DSP, CMS, and measurement partners and still run unified in-store audio systems. As René Arnold, senior director of partnerships at Custom Channels, puts it, “Retailers don’t want to be locked into a single ecosystem, especially as their media strategies evolve.” The result is more freedom to adjust partners or strategies without ripping out in-store infrastructure every time.
Connecting In-Store Audio Systems to Existing Retail Media Stacks
The platform’s main disruption lies in how it connects in-store audio systems with the broader retail media platform stack. Through API-based access, retailers can link current CMS, DSP, digital signage, and enterprise content platforms directly to the in-store network. Audio becomes another programmable channel alongside screens, apps, and web inventory instead of a disconnected background service. This architecture supports digital signage control and proof-of-play reporting, so creative and ad campaigns can be coordinated across screens and speakers with the same data spine. By using Custom Channels for licensed music and audio ad delivery, retailers avoid renegotiating content rights whenever they switch CMS or ad partners. Technology providers can embed or white-label the platform, extending their own solutions with licensed audio while still honoring each retailer’s existing IT, security, and AV standards on site.
Vendor-Neutral Architecture as an Alternative to Closed Ecosystems
Custom Channels is an enterprise music streaming service, but with this launch it is framing itself as an infrastructure provider for open media networks inside stores. The In-Store Open Media Platform adds a vendor-neutral control layer that focuses on reliable audio delivery, device management, and integration, rather than on owning the full retail media platform. Custom Channels says the framework supports integration with a wide range of third-party systems, including retail media technologies, digital signage platforms, and enterprise content management environments. Joe Comer, chief executive officer at Custom Channels, says the goal is “delivering music without limits—across every platform and for every business we serve,” extending that idea into retail media networks. This approach reduces reliance on proprietary, single-vendor ecosystems while helping retailers centralize music, ads, and announcements under one controllable, API-driven in-store media layer.
InfoComm Launch Highlights Demand for Retailer Autonomy
Custom Channels chose InfoComm 2026 for the public debut of its In-Store Open Media Platform, underlining the growing interest in open, interoperable AV systems. At booth C9700, the company plans to demonstrate how in-store audio can be integrated into existing technology stacks to create tailored retail media environments. The timing also reflects how retail media networks are expanding from digital-only channels into physical stores, where digital signage control and in-store audio now need to work together. By offering an open, API-driven architecture, Custom Channels is betting that independent retailers and large enterprises alike want to build and own their in-store media networks, rather than outsource control to single vendors. As retailers look for ways to scale media operations without constant re-platforming, open in-store audio systems may become a core requirement of future retail media strategies.
