The holidays are one of the most inspirational times of the year – and if you’re a marketer, also one of the most stressful. Whether you’re creating ads, social content, immersive experiences, entertainment or broadcast themes, it’s a tough time to get the attention of your audience. As always, audio is a big part of the decision, but in a world where everything has been done, how do brands make […]
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AI is helping us reconnect with music, though not in the way you might think. It’s not the speed or pristine songwriting, composition, and production that’s redefining our relationship with it. It’s what AI can’t offer that’s reminding listeners of what they truly love about music – and perhaps what will ultimately keep the technology from replacing musicians altogether. AI & Artistry For the past few years, SAM has been […]
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From city traffic to airplanes to handheld devices, the world today makes a lot of noise, and it’s not all good. In urban environments, people often experience extended periods of excessive noise levels – above 90 dB – which can lead to serious health risks. Noise reduction efforts are underway in many of the world’s most populated cities, and as a sound creation agency, we at SAM felt it important […]
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What sounds take you back? Is it the whimsical music of an ice cream truck, a commercial jingle from Saturday morning cartoons, the ‘one-up’ chime from a video game, or maybe a hit song from a summer road trip? Our senses are really good at triggering past experiences, and sound is one of the most powerful. Examining how we process the audible world can shed light on why sound is […]
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Wow, this is really powerful! A recent post by our sonic research partners over at SoundOut has revealed that sonic branding is the most effective brand asset when it comes to maximizing brand awareness. The article references research completed by System1 and TikTok [Source: The Long & Short (Form) of It] which analyzed nearly 900 short-form ads and 92,000 consumers. Among the findings, sonic assets (e.g. sonic logos, brand mnemonics, […]
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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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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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The NFL championship game is officially in the books, and with it, another year’s worth of unbelievable advertisements from some of the world’s biggest brands. While we love sports here at Stephen Arnold Music, as a sonic branding agency, we naturally pay close attention to the sounds of every spot, knowing that no matter how funny or weird or dramatic your commercial, one of the most eloquent and memorable expressions […]
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How a peacock gave birth to the first sonic brand. A true story. Way more mellifluous than a squawk. More memorable than any chirp, hoot, cluck or quack could ever be. Over ninety years ago, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) — the network that years later would be canonized as the proud peacock — aired three distinctive chimes on radio for the very first time. Chimes that global marketing experts […]
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