Ideas, Insights &amp; Industry Pulse.

Audio branding: a practical guide to building your brand sound

How to plan, make, roll out and measure an audio identity, written from the music side of the table. Start here if you already know you need one and want to know how it's done.

Audio logos, explained with real sonic logo examples

An audio logo is a few seconds of sound that tells people who's speaking before they see a thing. Here's how the famous ones were made, why they work, and how to make your own.

How much does it cost to license a song?

The honest answer is “it depends,” but it depends on a short list of things you can know in advance. Here is what moves the number, and what public sources say about typical ranges.

Licensing music for commercials: a step-by-step guide for agencies and brands

How a song gets from the temp track into a finished, cleared spot, and where campaigns most often run into trouble.

Needle drop meaning: what it is, famous examples and how to license one

A needle drop is an existing recording placed into a film, show, ad or trailer. Where the term comes from, what makes one work, and what it takes to clear one.

The most memorable commercial jingles, and what they teach brands today

Eleven famous jingles from American advertising, the people behind them, and the craft lessons that still apply when you're writing a jingle or a sonic logo now.

What is music licensing? The types, who grants them, and when you need each

A plain guide to the licenses behind every song in an ad, film, show or video, written for the producers and brand teams who have to clear them.

What is sonic branding? A plain definition, with examples

Sonic branding is how a brand sounds, on purpose and everywhere. This guide covers what goes into a sonic identity, how it differs from a jingle, and what the well-known examples get right.

All Posts

From the Studio

June 12, 2023

AI Composers? The End is Not Near.

What can we learn from past musical innovations? A thoughtful take on why human creativity isn't going anywhere.

October 20, 2021

A Recipe For Success

Our latest project with Canteen Works brings the culinary and auditory worlds together in an unexpected collaboration.