What are the sounds that drive you nuts – the ones you hear and immediately think, “nope”? This is one of those topics that for those sensitive to sound (like us) presents a real challenge to research and write about. However, with grit and determination, we’ve forged through the shrieks, shrills, and scrapes to uncover not only the most annoying sounds in the world, but why they affect us so, and […]
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How Sound Is Shaping Immersive Experiences If you regularly follow SAM, then you know the effect sound has on our emotions and memory – watch The Science of Sound for a quick refresher. But what happens when you go beyond traditional mediums and introduce audio into real-world, immersive experiences? Attractions such as theme parks, museums, sports venues, and brand activations are dialing up visitor engagement like never before using a […]
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Stephen Arnold Music (SAM), The World Leader in Sonic Branding®, has been recognized for eight MUSE Creative Awards in the Audio and Experiential & Immersive categories. The MUSE Creative Awards is known worldwide for celebrating excellence and innovation in creative design, advertising, and digital media. The global competition draws creative entries from high-profile marketing agencies as well as leading brands. This year, SAM is honored to have received four Platinum […]
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Sound is to sport what spice is to food – it heightens the senses and elevates the experience. From stadium seats to the couch, audio is used throughout the sports world to strike an emotional chord that deeply engages fans. The same science of sound enables brands in every industry to generate meaningful recall among their audiences. What makes sound so effective in sports, and how can you use it […]
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Is this the year you go all-in with your sonic brand? From in-person experiences to augmented reality and AI-integration, brands are tuning into their audiences more than ever using music, leading to deep emotional connections. Personalization and authenticity are on the rise, as is brand music incorporating human touch. 2025 isn’t just about making your brand sound good – it’s about creating audio that speaks uniquely to audience segments with […]
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Inspired by immersive audio work we’ve done with museums and attractions, and discussions we’ve had with the National Federation of the Blind, we were curious to explore music as a means of interpreting visual art for the sight impaired. We chose a painting entitled ‘PH-432, 1964’ by Clyfford Still, an American abstract expressionist similar to Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, whose color field paintings are expressed through dramatic strokes of […]
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Earlier this year we put generative AI to the test to see if it could out-create a human composer when given specific musical briefs. The results (featured in Forbes) showed that while our human composer proved superior, AI’s creations rated highly for musical appeal. Its primary weakness, however, was emotional accuracy — inconsistently conveying specific emotional attributes in its creations. With rapid advancements in generative AI music platforms, we decided […]
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It’s December 2, 1983. You finish dinner early, throw the dishes into the sink, and race to secure your spot on the couch, perhaps fending off a sibling or two in the process. Shortly, MTV will air the world premiere of Michael Jackson’s highly anticipated music video, Thriller. The music world will never be the same. This was a fairly common occurrence in the early days of MTV. The build […]
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Blooloop, a leading authority on museums, theme parks, and immersive attractions, recently published its list of the worlds’ 21 best observation experiences. Ranked among iconic attractions like the Eiffel Tower and Burj Khalifa was none other than 360 Chicago and TILT, the heart-pounding thrill ride with original music from SAM that ‘tilts’ visitors out over the city of Chicago from the 94th floor observation deck. SAM created three custom pieces […]
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We’ve all felt that awkwardness when a friend tells a joke and rushes the punchline, or places it in the wrong order. You do your best to feign a laugh, but the joke falls flat — the moment is gone. Music, like comedy, is all about timing. When it comes to audio branding, the right music at the right moment means the difference between making a deep connection and just […]
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