Southern Cross Austereo and Triton Digital have partnered to create what they claim is the world's first programmatic ad exchange for online and mobile audio.

The a2x platform's automated, exchange-driven method of buying and selling ad impressions will facilitates precise targeting and eliminate waste, the partners say.

Publishers - including firstcomers audioBoom, Guvera, Omny, Rdio and SCA - can leverage audience data to create more effective connections between brands and consumers.

SCA head of digital sales and operations James Bayes describes the move as a "significant step forward" for the Australian audio industry. "This is further evidence of our strong commitment to leverage technology and data to improve results for clients," he says.

Triton says SCA is "the perfect partner" for the launch, given its knowledge of the marketplace and "unique capability" to create value for advertisers and publishers in the exchange. The company's technology provided a technical backbone for the digital audio marketplace since 2006.