SoundStack, the audio-as-a-service (AaaS) company, today announces the appointment of John Morris as Chief Product Officer (CPO). Morris will lead the development of products and features, solidifying SoundStack’s leadership position in podcast/streaming delivery, programmatic advertising, measurement, and more.
“Alongside the incredible growth that SoundStack continues to experience, we never lose sight of the core values that got us here, and we look for people who exemplify them naturally,” said CEO Jon Stephenson. “With over 20 years of not only building world-class streaming/podcasting platforms, ad servers, and programmatic SSPs, but never thinking twice about rolling up his sleeves to get the job done for a partner, John Morris is accountability and hustle personified.”
Morris is widely-respected in digital audio as an innovator who has architected some of the most robust, cloud-based streaming and podcasting platforms in media. He held many roles at streaming audio and ad tech pioneer Abacast, culminating in the role of CTO and Co-President at the time of the company’s acquisition by WideOrbit in 2014. At WideOrbit, Morris expanded the company’s digital offerings to include podcasting and later took ownership of and expanded the company’s programmatic supply-side platform, tightly integrating it into his streaming, podcasting and ad serving products. His efforts and vision created new revenue channels for publishers and maximized the value of their inventory.
In 2021, Audacy acquired Morris’s WideOrbit business, rebranding it as AmperWave. He joined Audacy as SVP and GM of AmperWave. During his tenure, Morris consistently grew his business while leading significant technical developments, including the launch of a new programmatic SSP, holistic yield-optimization technologies, and a robust inventory forecasting platform.
“I’m a passionate builder,” Morris explains. “I need to be in a company where everyone is excited to innovate in a way that solves real problems for the digital audio industry. SoundStack is unrivaled in its passion to lift the entire audio market by providing independent solutions and services that put publishers first. I can’t wait to show the world some of the incredible tech we’ve got in the works.”