Monetization in mobile gaming is a lot like composing a hit song—it’s all about finding the perfect balance between melody (user experience) and rhythm (ad revenue). In this episode of Mobile Groove, powered by Verve, we jam with Andrew Seow, Director of Monetization at Tripledot Studios and music aficionado, to uncover how his studio fine-tunes its monetization strategy to hit all the right notes—without compromising the user experience. Andrew dives into the first-party data dilemma, the balancing act between ad frequency and CPMs, and the shift from waterfalls to bidding—and what it all means for publishers. Whether you’re a monetization maestro or just tuning into ad strategies, this episode will help you keep your 2025 game plan in perfect harmony, from ID-less solutions and new ad formats to evolving monetization models.

00:00 - Intro

02:10 - Why ad monetization feels like a broken record

06:00 - The music genres of mobile gaming: Groundhog Day vs. Firebird Suite

10:45 - Google’s bidding changes + a new rhythm for publishers

15:30 - How has Tripledot adapted its tune after IDFA

20:55 - Is first-party data a chart-topping hit or a one-hit wonder?

26:20 - Striking the right chord between ad quality and revenue

30:10 - Remixing ad formats

34:50 - Andrew’s wishlist for networks and the industry in 2025

39:20 - Ad monetization in music