What Open Retail Media Platforms Change for In-Store Networks
An open retail media platform is a technology framework that lets retailers control in-store audio, video, and digital signage through interoperable APIs, instead of relying on one proprietary system, so they can mix different hardware, software, and content partners while still running a unified, measurable retail media network at scale. This shift matters because in-store digital signage and audio have become core channels in retail media strategies, yet many legacy systems lock retailers into one vendor’s devices and content tools. Open approaches promise media network control that aligns with how retailers already manage ecommerce, ad tech, and CRM stacks: mix-and-match, data-driven, and centrally governed. The result is a move away from closed, single-purpose solutions toward platforms that connect CMS, DSP, and device management solution layers, while still providing the reliability and security enterprise environments require.
Custom Channels’ In-Store Open Media Platform: Audio Without Lock-In
Custom Channels’ new In-Store Open Media Platform gives retailers API-based access to their commercial audio systems, turning background music into part of a wider open retail media platform strategy. It supports music scheduling, zone control, ad insertion, proof-of-play reporting, and device management, and connects to existing CMS, DSP, in-store digital signage, and enterprise content platforms rather than forcing a new stack. According to Custom Channels, the platform includes an open, vendor-neutral infrastructure that lets retailers build and own their own media networks while integrating with systems they already use. Technology partners can embed or white-label the platform, adding licensed audio to their branded solutions without replacing existing tools. This breaks the traditional single-vendor model for in-store audio: retailers keep control of ad inventory, data, and revenue models, while Custom Channels handles licensed audio delivery and the control layer needed for large-scale execution.
BrightSign Control Plus and the Rise of Centralized Device Management
On the visual side of in-store digital signage, BrightSign is expanding retail media network control with BrightSign Control Plus, a premium tier within its device management solution. Control Plus is a cloud-based platform that lets IT managers, multi-site operators, and system integrators configure, monitor, update, and schedule actions for fleets of BrightSign OS-powered players from a single dashboard. Key benefits include grouping devices by geography, maintaining version consistency, bulk reboots and reconfiguration, and AI-assisted diagnostics and navigation. The standard BrightSign Control remains free with each player, but the Plus tier targets retailers operating large, distributed signage networks who need real-time oversight and predictable uptime. BrightSign has also unified its software naming—bsn.Control is now BrightSign Control, brightAuthor:connected becomes BrightSign Author, and bsn.Content becomes BrightSign Author Plus—signaling tighter integration between player hardware, content tools, and remote device management.
Building Independent, Enterprise-Grade In-Store Media at Scale
Together, Custom Channels and BrightSign show how open and centralized tools are reshaping in-store digital signage and audio. Custom Channels’ In-Store Open Media Platform lets retailers inject licensed audio, ad breaks, and zone-specific programming into their environments via APIs, while still choosing their preferred DSP, CMS, and measurement partners. BrightSign Control Plus strengthens the device management solution layer, giving operators clearer visibility and control over distributed screens and players so they can support business-critical media. Platform consolidation is a clear trend: BrightSign’s unified software portfolio and the open, vendor-neutral framework from Custom Channels both point to a future where retailers expect unified control across audio, video, and signage networks. As retail media strategies expand inside physical stores, these open platforms aim to give retailers long-term independence, consistent enterprise-grade capabilities, and the flexibility to evolve technology stacks without starting over.
