Custom Channels will unveil an in-store media platform at InfoComm 2026 aimed at helping retailers build and manage large-scale retail media networks without being locked into a single technology ecosystem.

The platform is designed to give enterprise retailers and technology partners direct access to in-store audio infrastructure, including music scheduling, ad insertion, zone control, proof-of-play reporting and device management.

The system can integrate with existing content management systems, demand-side platforms and digital signage platforms through API connections, allowing retailers to extend audio capabilities across their existing technology environments.

The platform also supports integration with control systems and on-site AV infrastructure for localised management.

“At Custom Channels, our focus has always been delivering music without limits across every platform and for every business we serve,” Customer Channels chief executive Joe Comer says.

“The platform brings that promise into the retail media space, giving retailers the ability to integrate in-store audio into their existing technology environments without being forced into a single system or vendor.”

Custom Channels says many retailers currently face a choice between fully managed vendor-controlled platforms or attempting to combine multiple systems that were not designed to work together.

“Retailers don’t want to be locked into a single ecosystem, especially as their media strategies evolve,” Custom Channels senior director of partnerships René Arnold says.

“With our In-Store Open Media Platform, they can choose their own DSP, their own CMS, and their own measurement partners, while we handle the complexity of delivering licensed audio across their entire environment from cloud-based systems to on-site control infrastructure.”

The platform is designed as a hardware-agnostic and vendor-neutral system, allowing retailers to retain ownership of ad inventory, data and revenue models while integrating with existing AV and retail technology infrastructure.