A network system provides delivery of customized target content, such as
advertising, to individual users. There is transmission of a common spot
content stream to a large group of the users. Each home client user
communicates through a telecommunications network, such as the Internet,
for connection to a portal to receive continuing media, such as streaming
audio or video. The user installs receiver software at his home client
processor for receiving both the streaming media and a content stream.
The media stream includes spot markers placed at appropriate locations in
the media stream by the publisher to designate locations for insertion of
spot content and optionally to identify specific characteristics of the
media stream. The content stream includes content units, such as audio
advertising, together with spot content frames, which include parameters
having values designated by the spot content provider to be the target
audience. A profile is produced at the home client having parameters with
values associated with the home client user, such as geographic and
demographic information. The receiver software at the home client matches
the spot content frame for each spot content to the profile of the user
to select those spot content units which have a match. These selected
spot content units are stored at the home user and are blended into the
media stream at the locations of the spot markers to produce an
information data stream for the user that is customized for that user. A
spot auditor at the home client measures the type and quantity of play
back of the spot content received by the home user and this is reported
to the spot content provider for measurement of the effectiveness in the
distribution of the spot content.