Audio Branding

“But you don’t know how that user is going to do it. Are they going to somersault through the entire level? Are they going to climb up a wall and jump down? And are they going to just sit in a corner for a while and then walk three steps and then sit in a corner for a while? You don’t know if somebody is going to, how somebody is going to play. And that’s the beauty. And that’s the draw of video games and the interactivity of it.” -- Chris Hegstrom

This episode’s the second half of my conversation with sound designer, creative director, and Insomniac Games audio manager Chris Hegstrom as we talk about how far video game sound designs have come since Space Invaders, how the pioneering soundscape of Burnout Paradise helped reshape everyday UX design, and what the next breakthrough in gaming audio might bring.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. You can also join regular Clubhouse chats in The Power of Sound House every Wednesday (check the schedule for times). Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, when new audio rooms are scheduled and what they'll be about, and it'll give you access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests. If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

(0:00:01) - Game Design and Sound Integration Complexity

Our discussion continues as we talk about the advantages of video gaming’s early one-man operations, and how the industry’s grown to rival Hollywood post-production fidelity. “In video games,” he says, “we essentially have that fidelity now, and it’s interactive, which means you set up the parameters so that the user can mix it while they’re playing.“ He also talks about the trends going forward when it comes to video-game sound, and what he thinks might prove a bigger hit than 3D sound. “I think the next trend is going to be a lot more maybe CPU based,” he explains, “or a lot more based on really kind of amping up the interactivity to the point where you as the audio designer are actually really impacting the interactivity of the user or what the user’s experience might be within a game.”

(0:20:16) - Audio Design and UX in Gaming

Chris also tells us about his sound work on the classic PS3 game Burnout Paradise, and the science behind the heart-pounding, and groundbreaking, ambient effects. “The response that I got from a user,” he recalls, “was, you know, like, ‘I don’t know what you guys did to the music, but man, like every time I was chaining a burnout, my palms were sweaty!’ And I said, ‘That’s it.’” We also talk about how such dynamic audio techniques are showing up in everyday apps and UX designs, and the pressure for video game consoles to keep pushing the envelope when it comes to sound. “You know,” Chris explains, “every generation of console that you release and every title that you release has to utilize these, you know, these crazy features even more and more vigorously and more efficiently.”

(0:28:51) - Future of AI and Immersive Technology

“That becomes ubiquitous,” he adds about video game’s breakthrough features, “because all of a sudden it’s in your car, it’s on your refrigerator or you know it’s in your home, and then you have screens or you have digital assistants or you have you know, smart devices.” We also talk about the role AI might play in future sound design, and how to get in touch with Chris: “I guess LinkedIn’s probably a good way to do that. Yeah, that’s my kind of only social media of choice at the moment.”

Episode Summary

• How video game development went from garages to sound studios.
• What audio feedback in gaming means for sound design in everyday life.
• Future trends in sound design, from games to kitchens to AI.

Connect with the Guest

Website: https://symmetry-audio.com/

Connect with Chris Hegstrom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hegstrom-15029814/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com

Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/

Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO

Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/

Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)

Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/

Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was my first introduction into user experience, right? Like a UX or user experience. It’s exactly that. It’s like I could put a microphone out in a storm and then all I get is like, you know, wind distortion and then the gain dipping every time there’s a thunderclap or something, you know, and it just sounds completely, you know, just different levels of noise and it’s not exciting. It’s not interesting at all.” -- Chris Hegstrom

This episode’s guest has had a rewarding and winding journey through the UX sound industry. After a ten-year break to work in product sound, he’s returned to video-game audio. Or was the decade of video game audio before that the exception? Only time will tell. Either way, he’s been creating and presenting audio communication for brands, experiences, products, intellectual properties, and other forms of media for over twenty-five years. A music synthesis major at Berklee College of Music, he got his start doing live sound for Blue Man Group, transitioned to audio for interactive media during the dot-com bubble, and eventually found his way into Triple-A video games by 2001.

For the next eleven years, he designed sound and audio systems for games such as Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Star Wars: Episode 3, Burnout Paradise, God of War 3, and Kinect Adventures. In 2012, he found himself at Microsoft on the incubation team for HoloLens, where he worked on audio experiences and systems that would solve perceptual issues as well as immerse and entertain users. He then transitioned onto the UX team and worked on the sound palate for the HoloLens OS.

In 2015, he left Microsoft to start his own company, Symmetry Audio, delivering product and experience audio for Google, Unity, HBO, and Technicolor as well as a number of smaller, local Seattle clients.   Amazon offered him a job as Senior UX Sound Designer in 2017, and he worked there for the Devices and Services group, creating sounds for Fire TV, Alexa, and numerous product endeavors across the company. In 2020, he worked exclusively on Amazon Glow, creating the sound palate and overall audio vision for the product before it was eventually shelved at the end of 2022.

He’s currently the Audio Manager at Insomniac Games, overseeing a team of internal and external sound designers on Wolverine. He hopes to inject some of his UX audio knowledge and process into the games industry by helping his team build connections and solve problems with audio.

His name is Chris Hegstrom, and he has plenty to share when it comes to solving problems with audio.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. You can also join regular Clubhouse chats in The Power of Sound House every Wednesday (check the schedule for times). Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, when new audio rooms are scheduled and what they'll be about, and it'll give you access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests. If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

(0:00:01) - Early Memories and the Power of Sound

As we start things off, Chris tells us how a lights-out rule and a Walkman that could pick up television signals helped him appreciate the power of sound as a child. “11 o’clock would come,” he says, “I would put my headphones in and you know, in bed, with the lights off and everything like that, close my eyes and listen to the rest of the movie, and basically that was the first time that I had the idea of telling stories with sound.” We also talk about a key difference between working at Blue Man Group shows and designing video-game soundscapes. “With video games,” Chris explains, “you’re almost creating friction for the user, right, because it’s this experience and this past time.”

(0:14:34) - Sound Design in Video Games

Chris talks about his early transition to the gaming industry, and some of the different titles he’s worked on over the years. “Lots of different genres,” he says, “between what they call hack and slash, fantasy, role-playing, sort of Dungeons and Dragons, Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, to James Bond to racing games.” We also talk about his work in UI design and the trick of living up to everyone’s expectations of what something as simple as a menu wheel should actually sound like. “Is it going to be like a ratchety mechanical sound,” Chris asks. “Is it going to be sort of this kind of tonal soft sound? Everyone has a different kind of audio image of what that experience will sound like.”

(0:27:00) - Friction Between Teams in Sound Design

Our conversation turns to some of the myths and challenges of sound design, and, as one example, how much work went on behind the scenes for Windows 10. “It had to be a digital sound,” Chris observes. “It had to be something that, you know, matched with the, the color palette. It had to be something that matched with the flow of the interactions, and so kind of working on that would take, like, the first eleven months, right of those 12 months.” He also tells us what video games taught him about UX audio, and all about the different languages of sound design. “If game audio is like writing a novel,” he explains, “UX sound is like calligraphy. It’s something that stands on its own and really has to communicate everything that it needs to communicate in the most pure form”

(0:33:44) - Designing Mobile Notifications for User Experience

We continue to discuss the intricacies of interface sounds, what they have in common with video games, and how they differ. “The emotional endgame,” he says, “might be the same of what you’re trying to get the user to experience, but the methodology of it is much different.” Chris also tells us about the mistakes UX designs sometimes make, particularly when it comes to fusing it with audio branding. “You don’t want to take up more space,” he adds, “in the user’s head than they want you to.”

Episode Summary

• How sound is used to tell stories and guide our emotions in film and daily life.
• Designing video games, understanding your audience, and technology’s impact.
• What video game audio and UX sound design have in common.
• Creating audio branding opportunities without taking up too much space.

Tune in next week as we discuss the sonic evolution of video games from 8-bit chipsets to orchestral productions, how the high-intensity audio effects in racing games helped create some of today’s most recognizable UX designs, and what the future, from 3D audio to AI assistants, might bring.

Connect with the Guest

Website: https://symmetry-audio.com/

Connect with Chris Hegstrom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hegstrom-15029814/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com

Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/

Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO

Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/

Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)

Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/

Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/

“We had an up and coming musician here last week who, he’s being followed around by a Netflix documentary team, but, like, he knows that, like, every day he has to post something, you know, and he was talking about starting a podcast, because it’s another form of content. And I think it's just like one of the easier ways to, like, look into your daily life and make those things interesting.” -- Rob Puzzitiello

This episode is the second half of my discussion with podcaster, filmmaker, and Mackie marketing director Rob Puzzitiello, as we talk about how streaming content has virtually done away with albums as we know them, and what it takes to make a name for yourself in the age of TikTok.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

(0:00:01) - Impact of Podcasting in Post-Pandemic Era

The second half of our conversation begins with a look at the changes the audio industry’s seen since the pandemic, and how it’s led to more podcasting, more streaming, and a bigger focus on building your own media empire than ever before. Rob tells us about an up-and-coming musician he worked with just recently: “He knows that, like, every day he has to post something, you know, and he was talking about starting a podcast, because it’s another form of content.” We also talk about how Spotify, TikTok, and the new focus on singles over albums have completely changed how bands release music in the 21st century. “There’s, like, a whole structure,” Rob says, “to how you make a single go the furthest now, and, like, it’s just completely changed. And yeah, it’s changed our industry, fortunately.”

(0:16:37) - Passion for Content Creation on Twitch

As our conversation comes to a close, Rob tells us what he’s working on next, from updates to Mackie’s digital mixer to his return to audio content creation. “There’s a significant period of time where I stopped for a while,” he says, “and how I missed, you know, developed enough of a, you know, taste of missing it that I wanted to get back into it.” He also tells how we can find him online, and about his hands-on approach to testing new equipment on such platforms as YouTube and TikTok: “Periodically, you’ll see me on there, just, you know, attempting to destroy gear.”

 Episode Summary

• How the post-pandemic social media landscape has transformed the music industry.
• Rob’s return to content creation and where you can find him online.

Connect with the Guest

Website: https://mackie.com/

Introducing the DLZ Creator Mixer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjpkxNst28w

Connect with Rob Puzzitiello on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-puzzitiello-45553476/

Follow Rob Puzzitiello on Twitter: https://twitter.com/robbiepuzz/

Follow Rob Puzzitiello on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robbiepuzz/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com

Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/

Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO

Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/

Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)

Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/

Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/

“What we did with this product was, we’re trying to give people the benefit of using a mixer without necessarily having to be like the audio professional who went to school. Like, I hear all the time, anytime I meet someone they’re like, ‘Oh, the first board I ever used was a Mackie,’ and, like, we all learned on it. I, you know, we have them in my classrooms.” -- Rob Puzzitiello

This episode’s guest is a creative self-starter who’s worked across podcasting, independent filmmaking, and the music industry. He began his career in 2009 as a livestream radio host, and today he’s the marketing director for the pro audio brand Mackie. He’s also leveraged his background in content to help launch the DLZ Creator, a digital mixer that adapts to a user’s level of experience to produce professional results faster than ever. His name is Rob Puzzitiello and you’ll definitely want to hear his thoughts on the trends and future of podcasting, audio tech, and about sound in general.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

(0:00:01) - Sound’s Influence in the Audio Industry

As the episode starts, we talk about Rob’s earliest experiences with sound, which, in his case, involve his very first iPod and the seemingly endless musical possibilities it opened up for him. “My iPod,” he tells us, “you know, I filled it with music, and that was definitely... the catalyst for me becoming interested in music.” Rob also tells us about his journey from pioneering podcaster to Mackie’s marketing director, and how he’s adapting to new streaming audio markets like Twitch. “I overthought about, like, how should I market myself,” he says, “like should I do this, and I was like, ‘I’m just going to do what I want that day because that’s what I did ten years ago and it worked.’"

(0:13:09) - Mackie DLZ Creator Digital Mixer

Rob talks about the early challenges of audio mixing back when it was mostly hardware, and how the digital age revolutionized professional studios. “Now we have this board that does everything our $50,000 plus studio had,” he says, “and it’s something that is sitting on my desk.” He tells us about Mackie’s DLZ Creator Digital Mixer, and how, as the podcasting and audio enthusiast market’s grown, the demand for simpler, more intuitive audio technology’s grown alongside it. “What we did with this product,” Rob explains, “was, we’re trying to give people the benefit of using a mixer without necessarily having to be like the audio professional who went to school.”

(0:18:49) - Creating the Best Podcasting Mixer

“We weren’t the first ones to make a dedicated podcasting mixer,” Rob continues, “but we were going to make them as the mixer brand, and we were, like, we are going to make the best possible one that we can make.” We discuss the benefits of handling your own sound editing versus an outside editor and how he’s working to make do-it-yourself editing easier than ever. “Whatever we can do to help alleviate that is pretty nice,” he explains, “because not everyone wants to learn about all of that stuff. They just want to sit down and sound professional and have some peace of mind.”

Episode Summary

• Rob’s first experiences with the iPod and early days as a radio host and podcaster.
• How the digital age has transformed audio production and editing.
• The rise of self-produced audio and the need for ever-more intuitive mixers.

Tune in next week as we talk about how the pandemic changed what it means to be in a band, what’s in store for both Rob and the DLZ Digital Mixer, and whether he still sees room for long-form audio content in a world that’s becoming more and more about making an instant impression.

Connect with the Guest

Website: https://mackie.com/

Introducing the DLZ Creator Mixer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjpkxNst28w

Connect with Rob Puzzitiello on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-puzzitiello-45553476/

Follow Rob Puzzitiello on Twitter: https://twitter.com/robbiepuzz/

Follow Rob Puzzitiello on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robbiepuzz/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com

Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/

Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO

Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/

Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)

Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/

Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/

“Yeah, there’s a real opportunity here. I mean there’s a trend here in the conversation that we talk about the nostalgia and these spots that keep coming back. There’s equity in that. There’s, I mean, the giant equity. Even in a seasonal piece of music. It really is the subjects that we talk about in for what it boils down to this consistency and persistency. And even if you’re you know, Colleen, you’re 100% right, you know they have to be ready for this, they have to be ready to roll this out to all their touch points and it also has to be their brand. But I mean, think of the immense power that it’s going to wield year after year when it’s implemented consistently.” -- Adam Pleiman

This episode is the second half of my Audio Branding for the Holidays discussion with sonic strategist and author Jeanna Isham, creative director and Grammy-nominated engineer Adam Pleiman, author and creative executive Colleen Fahey, and Soundwise sound strategist John Sanfilippo, as we discuss the changing habits of online consumers, the unique power of audio to tap into holiday nostalgia, and the value of authenticity as machine-generated content becomes the norm in marketing.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. You can also join regular Clubhouse chats in The Power of Sound House every Wednesday (check the schedule for times). Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, when new audio rooms are scheduled and what they'll be about, and it'll give you access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests.

If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

(0:00:01) - Music and Branding for Holidays

As the second half of our discussion starts, we talk about music in advertising, particularly during the holiday season. “I like Colleen’s idea of bringing being a little more worldly,” John says, “and bringing new compositions into the mix. I think we’re due for some new melodies just in the whole Christmas soundscape.” We discuss the impact of music on consumer behavior, referencing the well-known study of playing French music in a wine store to boost sales of French wine, and how the interactive nature of sound on such social media platforms like TikTok can help music marketing go viral. “I would love to see some of these really fun TikTokers that did these creative things with Home Depot,” Jeanna adds. “I’d love to see them come up with something more clever than Jingle Bells.”

(0:08:55) - Sonic Branding’s Power of Emotional Connection

We also examine the power of nostalgia and consistency in sonic branding and discuss the impact of using familiar songs and jingles in commercials. “I mean, there’s a trend here in the conversation that we talk about the nostalgia and these spots that keep coming back,” Adam notes. “There’s equity in that. There’s, I mean, there’s giant equity, even in a seasonal piece of music.” We also touch on the missed opportunity for brands to use their sonic identity to stand out and adapt to different situations, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It did show how little personality some of these brands had,” Jeanna says, “because they didn’t know how to portray themselves.” “I often liken it to personal relationships,” John observes, “like, the deeper you can connect with yourself, the deeper you can connect with other people. That’s true in personal relationships and it’s true in business.”

(0:15:13) - Exploring Audio Branding and Cultural Adaptation

We also consider the role of authenticity during the holiday season, and how AI content is becoming both more common and more controversial in the branding industry. Maima also joins the conversation with an intriguing question about striking the right balance between diversity and inclusion in sound, and how to reach the most people while retaining a distinctive voice. “If you’re forcing something,” Jeanna says, “it’s not working. The great thing about audio is that it’s a subtle thing, right, like if you do audio right, you’re not really noticing anything, it just feels right. You know, because it’s again. It’s about expression.” John agrees and, as our holiday discussion comes to a close, adds, “I think that there’s a cyclical thing that happens as well, because if you are authentic and you express yourself in an authentic way, you’re going to attract a certain type of person anyway to your brand.”

Episode Summary

• How music in advertising and online platforms impacts consumer behavior.
• The power of nostalgia and missed branding opportunities during the pandemic.
• Finding your ideal audience, and the value of authenticity in the age of AI.

Connect with the Guests

Dreamr Productions Website: https://www.dreamrproductions.com/

Follow Jeanna Isham on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamrProductions/

Connect with Jeanna Isham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannaisham/

Follow Jeanna Isham on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jeanna_Isham

Play Audio Website: https://playaudioagency.com/

Connect with Adam Pleiman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adampleiman/

Connect with Adam Pleiman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/adampleiman/

Sixième Son Website: https://www.sixiemeson.com/

Connect with Colleen Fahey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenfahey/

Follow Colleen Fahey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SixiemeSon/

Soundwise Website: https://soundwise.audio/

Connect with John Sanfilippo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsanfilippo/

Follow John Sanfilippo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoundWiseAudio/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com

Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/

Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO

Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/

Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)

Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/

Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/

“I was just thinking that humans generally like things that are new, but not that new, and you probably have the familiar tune. And then if you hear something clever, I think the biggest danger is cheesiness. But if you have something clever and, as Adam says, anchored in the brand, if it’s a tongue-in-cheek brand and it’s a tongue-in-cheek lyric, that’ll work and maybe it adds freshness rather than clutter.” -- Colleen Fahey

Recently, I had a conversation in a LinkedIn Audio Event with four very knowledgeable and talented audio branding experts about what companies can do to make the most of their audio brand over the holiday season. My panelists were Jeanna Isham, a sonic strategist, author, and audio branding thought leader with Dreamr Productions; Adam Pleiman, Creative Director and Grammy-nominated engineer with PLAY Audio Agency; Colleen Fahey, author and US Managing Director of Sixième Son; and John Sanfilippo, a veteran producer and sound strategist with his company, SoundWise.

All four had a lot to say about this subject, and we discussed what companies should have done before the holidays, what trends they were seeing in the area of audio branding, and what they thought companies could do with their audio branding to prepare for the new year. We exchanged ideas on moving beyond traditional holiday songs and instead harnessing a brand’s unique sound to make a distinct impression. It was a fascinating discussion and I think you’ll get a lot from it.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. You can also join regular Clubhouse chats in The Power of Sound House every Wednesday (check the schedule for times). Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, when new audio rooms are scheduled and what they'll be about, and it'll give you access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests.

If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

(0:00:00) - Audio Branding for the Holidays

We start off the topic of audio branding for the holidays with our panel of experts sharing their insights on striking the balance between familiar and novel holiday marketing. “They say that all the best ads happen at Christmas time,” Colleen notes, “but they run for the shortest amount of time because then they get cut down when Christmas is over.” We talk about some of the most memorable marketing twists on holiday advertising, from M&M ads to Frank Sinatra parodies, and what makes them stand out from the branding crowd. “I think that if you can find the heart of your actual brand persona and personify that into the holidays,” Jeanna says, “without going the cookie cutter, generic way, you will stand out and you’ll be a relief from what other people are listening to.”

(0:16:10) - Sound and Music in Advertising

The group continues to explore the power of sound and music during the holiday season, and how less can be more when it comes to making a holiday impression. “It’s very like positive, subliminal messaging, right,” Jeanna says about Hershey’s minimalist holiday bells ad, “you know, it puts a smile on your face because it’s kind of silly, but it’s not offensive at all and I think that that’s why you can watch it over and over again.” We also talk about whether rewriting the classic songs can work for holiday branding, and what makes the difference between clever and cringe when it comes to adding a personal touch. “I’m always a fan of having your own assets and adapting those,” John explains. “So I mean, if you had your own song, then you could adapt it to Christmas, as opposed to what you’re describing. Yeah, something you can take a little more ownership over.”

(0:25:10) - Inclusive Music and Store Zoning

We also talk about making holiday music and marketing more diverse and inclusive. “You could make a much bigger palette to choose from,” Jeanna notes, “if you chose songs that are from the Caribbean and songs from Spain, and songs from France.” The conversation touches on zoning as well, the idea of audio branding based on the customer’s purpose rather than just the setting and time of year. As Colleen explains, “Should we have the same music [up and] downstairs, where the makeup is and people are playing around and when people are contemplating expensive purchases?”

Episode Summary

• Audio branding during the holidays, from traditional songs to retail employees.
• Striking the balance between fresh and familiar during the holiday season.
• How inclusive music and strategic zoning can build a more memorable brand.

Tune in next episode as we discuss the impact of music platforms like TikTok on consumer habits, some of the missing branding opportunities of the pandemic and how major companies are catching up these days, and the power of human authenticity in a world of AI content creation.

Connect with the Guests

Dreamr Productions Website: https://www.dreamrproductions.com/

Follow Jeanna Isham on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamrProductions/

Connect with Jeanna Isham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannaisham/

Follow Jeanna Isham on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jeanna_Isham

Play Audio Website: https://playaudioagency.com/

Connect with Adam Pleiman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adampleiman/

Connect with Adam Pleiman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/adampleiman/

Sixième Son Website: https://www.sixiemeson.com/

Connect with Colleen Fahey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenfahey/

Follow Colleen Fahey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SixiemeSon/

Soundwise Website: https://soundwise.audio/

Connect with John Sanfilippo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsanfilippo/

Follow John Sanfilippo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoundWiseAudio/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com

Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/

Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO

Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/

Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)

Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/

Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/

“I do believe in independent voices getting heard and elevated throughout the world, and I don’t feel that there’s a lot of mediums anymore where we have that opportunity. But podcasting, to me, is the ultimate solution right now for getting a voice heard and elevated throughout the world, that it can really change somebody’s life. I’ve had stories from listeners. I have a lot of friends that have stories from listeners that are all around the world focused on something really specific, saying this is the one thing I’ve been searching for, couldn’t find it anywhere except for your podcast. That type of thing, I believe, is what makes the world a better place. And sure, pat on the back for Alex or whatever you want to say, but, like I, am devoted to serving the world in that way.” -- Alex Sanfilippo

This episode’s the second half of my conversation with veteran podcaster, PodPros founder, and entrepreneur Alex Sanfilippo as we talk about what to do and not to do when starting a podcast, the latest developments on PodPros and Alex’s series of podcasting apps, and both the risks and opportunities that podcasting’s explosion into the mainstream offers for creators.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

(0:00:01) - Podcasting Tips and Problem Solving

As the second half of our discussion begins, we talk about handling an overabundance of content, and how we both happened upon the solution of devoting two episodes to a guest.“But every word he said was gold,” he recalls about one early guest on his show, “like, what do I do? Right, broken into two episodes. So, Jodi, I love that you do it: that’s a pro-level hack right there.” We also talk about our early podcasting days and how tricky it can be finding the right topic and your most authentic voice as a podcaster. “I know all of us have to develop our voice,” Alex says. “I think you can really only discover it by using it often, or at least that’s probably the fastest way to discover where you’re at.”

(0:06:46) - Podcast Solutions and Industry Growth

Our conversation turns to Alex’s Podcasting Made Simple show and the reasoning behind his Podmatch and Podscore apps for podcasters. “The whole idea,” he explains, “is can we help them make the whole process less stressful and more organized through some project manager software that doesn’t take time to learn, something really easy, specifically for releasing episodes, and we help them get more reviews.” He talks about his belief in the power of podcasting to connect and help people all over the world, and about the mission that drives him as both a podcaster and app designer: “that’s really my whole mission behind it, it’s just: can we continue to make this thing possible for podcasters?”

(0:11:13) - Impact of Podcasting and Changing Trends

We also talk about how podcasting has broken into the mainstream and become a part of everyday life, with podcasts that rival television ratings and television shows like Only Murders in the Building revolving around podcasting. Alex talks about how the media and advertising industries have come around over the past ten years, and particularly since the pandemic: “Now we’re realizing we have a voice that can be heard through podcasting, and so all these companies are listening.”

(0:16:19) - Podcasting

Alex also gives us his tips on starting a podcast while avoiding podfade, the tendency of many podcasts to eventually fizzle out and disappear without warning. “If you just wanna start one,” he says  “I guess it doesn’t matter. But if you do want people to listen, listener experience is important.” We also talk about YouTube’s foray into the podcasting market, and what the involvement of such major companies and opaque algorithms could mean for both independent podcasters and RSS. “We have to protect how individually powerful it is,” he says, “without getting into what I call the vanity metrics.”

(0:28:00) - Discovering Your Unique Voice in Podcasting

As our conversation comes to a close Alex shares his thoughts on the value of podcasting, and the role he sees it playing as people around the world become ever more connected. “The more, like, you can get to just the core of who you are,” he explains, “why you’re doing this. I find that you can just really develop that voice in such an authentic, passionate way that it actually does change lives.”

Episode Summary

• The value of content and finding your authentic voice as a podcaster.
• Alex’s work with PodPros and the latest developments of their podcast apps.
• How podcasting’s gone from obscurity to a mainstream role in pop culture.
• Tips for avoiding podfade and how YouTube might change the podcast industry.
• The importance of independent podcasters and what the future may hold.

Connect with the Guest

Find Your Podmatch Here: https:/www.podmatch.com/

Organize Your Show Like a Pro: https://www.podcastSOP.com/

Podcasters’ Success Resource: https://podpros.com/

Podcasting Made Simple: https://podpros.com/episodes/

Resources for Podcasters: https://podpros.com/win

Connect with Alex Sanfilippo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsanfilippo/

Follow Alex Sanfilippo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexJSanfilippo/

Follow Alex Sanfilippo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJSanfi/

Follow Alex Sanfilippo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajsanfilippo/

Subscribe to Alex Sanfilippo on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podpros_com/

Subscribe to Alex Sanfilippo on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PodPros_com/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com

Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/

Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO

Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/

Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)

Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/

Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/

“Usually my podcast, I’d say, I probably say eight months of the year, it has no advertisement at all. But that way, when I do place it in, it’s on every single episode, and it’s there just for a short time to really pique someone’s interest, cause they’re like ‘This is different. What is this?’"

“Yeah, that’s a really good option. Yeah, I like the dynamic insertion at the very beginning too, because people are that’s when they’re you’ve got them hooked. They’re there to listen, so you may as well. Yeah, that’s a really good option.” -- Alex Sanfilippo

This episode’s guest is an entrepreneur as well as the CEO and founder of PodPros, a podcasting software company. He’s also the host of the top-rated podcast Podcasting Made Simple and is a leading educator when it comes to podcasting.  His name is Alex Sanfilippo, and his ground-breaking business ventures have shaped the world of podcasting in a big way. If you’re looking to make more out of your podcast while also retaining your sanity, Alex has a few tricks up his sleeve that’ll help.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

(0:00:01) - A Journey Into Podcasting

As the episode starts, we talk about how a sore throat forced Alex to postpone his first appearance on the show, and how Audio Branding just recently crossed its 200th episode milestone. “I can just tell you off the head,” he says, “because I just looked at these numbers. So, at the time of recording this, you have just under a 6% chance of making it to 200 episodes.” Alex also tells us about the hearing difficulties he suffered as a child and the surprising chiropractic treatment that helped him recover. We talk about children’s audio dramas like Adventures in Odyssey, and how they captured his imagination in a way that TV shows never quite managed. “But whenever it was audio only,” he says,” I would create the visions myself and I think that a lot of my creativity is owed to those moments.”

(0:05:15) - Podcasting and Software for Podcasters

Alex tells us about his first encounter with podcasting, and how skeptical he was that anyone would just listen to a voice recording on a computer. “That’ll never work,” he remembers saying. He quickly changed his mind, though, as he began to listen for himself: “From that moment on,” he tells us, “I was like, ‘I love this, I hope it never goes away.’" We talk about how he began researching software and equipment during his early days of podcasting straight from his car, and the importance of not only having the right message but using the right words to express that message. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” Alex says, “and I always say, ‘but the right words are priceless.’ It’s just a matter of discovering those right words, and when you discover them, man is that powerful.”

(0:14:08) - Podcasting and Advertising Strategies

We also talk about advertising and tips for monetizing podcasting, and Alex and I discuss the importance of unity in podcast branding.“If you do have a product or service of your own,” he explains, “I always say that’s what you should be promoting.” He tells us about a vertical gardening podcast that became a financial hit without selling a single ad, and how the best thing to sell on a podcast is yourself and your business rather than an assortment of industries.  “I’m not saying to avoid the advertisements,” he notes, “just find a true sponsor if you don’t have your own product or service. But if you do, you’re always gonna do better selling your own thing, and I think it’s better not to muddy the water.”

(0:24:24) - The Importance of Authenticity in Podcasting

Alex also tells us about dynamic insertion, a technique for digitally integrating separate audio into a podcast episode, and how he uses it sparingly, and in unexpected ways, to grab the listener’s attention. “That way,” he says, “when I do place it in, it’s on every single episode and it’s there just for a short time to really pique someone’s interest.” He offers his tips for presenting your authentic self through your podcast, and gives us a reminder of one easily overlooked but critical branding detail: “Say the name of the show and say who you are every time. There’s a lot of podcasts I listen to and some of them I really like. So I wanted to like reach out to the host, but they never say their name.”

(0:27:08) - Importance of Consistency in Podcasting

As the first half of our discussion comes to a close, Alex talks about how podcasting has helped build his confidence and reminds podcasters to be consistent and respectful to listeners, including letting them know what the show’s about and how long it’ll be. “They’re actually some of the smartest people on the planet that are listening,” he says about podcast listeners, “and so it’s kind of an interesting thing. But we’ve got to learn to develop our voice and really be ourselves through it.”

Episode Summary

• How chiropractic care helped treat Alex’s childhood hearing loss.
• The unique power of audio storytelling to spark our imaginations.
• Alex’s first encounter with podcasting and how it changed his career.
• The secret to successful branding and podcast monetization.
• How podcasting taught Alex the value of confidence and authenticity.

Tune in next week as we take a closer look at our early podcasting stints and missteps, some of the innovations and new developments in Alex’s podcasting apps, and how podcasting became a pop cultural mainstay, from Only Murders in the Building to their arrival on YouTube.

Connect with the Guest

Find Your Podmatch Here: https:/www.podmatch.com/

Organize Your Show Like a Pro: https://www.podcastSOP.com/

Podcasters’ Success Resource: https://podpros.com/

Podcasting Made Simple: https://podpros.com/episodes/

Resources for Podcasters: https://podpros.com/win

Connect with Alex Sanfilippo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsanfilippo/

Follow Alex Sanfilippo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexJSanfilippo/

Follow Alex Sanfilippo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJSanfi/

Follow Alex Sanfilippo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajsanfilippo/

Subscribe to Alex Sanfilippo on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podpros_com/

Subscribe to Alex Sanfilippo on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PodPros_com/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com

Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/

Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO

Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/

Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)

Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/

Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/

“Also, because nobody listened to these sounds, even the nurse that should be paying attention. They really, they got used to this kind of droning sensation."

"You have to tune it out."

"Yes, yes, and imagine the mental load to do that, to tune out these kinds of sounds, and, of course, imagine the poor people that are in the hospital as a patient as well." -- Andrea Cera

This episode’s the second half of my discussion with sound designer and composer Andrea Cera as we talk about his trial-and-error work on creating electric vehicle soundscapes, how the pandemic changed his work and his view of sound, and the perils of being his own audio guinea pig.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

(0:00:01) - From Intrusive to Non-Intrusive Sounds

As the second half starts, Andrea tells us about the challenge of building an electric vehicle's interior soundscape from scratch. "You start to think," he says, "'Oh, okay, I'm doing this sound, and some poor person will have to listen to this sound every time he jumps in the car.'" We discuss the trial-and-error process he used to decide which sounds work best, and how quickly he became his own worst enemy. "So I started to design some of these," he tells us, "and I make the experiment to each day listen to this at least once. And after one week I wanted to kill the sound designer, which is myself."

Andrea also delves deeper into how the brain processes sound and music, and why musical ringtones on phones might not be such a good idea after all. “If you,” he explains, “each time you have a call, you receive a melody, you have parts of your brain that have to recognize the melody, retrieve it from memory catalog. Okay, this is a melody, and this is all mental fatigue for nothing.”

(0:11:47) - Impact of Remote Work on Sound

Our discussion turns to the pandemic and how the shift to remote work impacted Andrea’s research. “The research on low-intrusiveness for me is from before,” he explains, “and the pandemic didn’t really create a particular interest in that. On the contrary, what I really discovered during the pandemic is the possibilities of remote work in audio.” We talk about how online tools have removed the need for most of the face-to-face work we both remember from our early career, and about how the increased stress and frustration after the pandemic stem in part from the sounds that we’re surrounded by. “I think that you know the phenomenon of road rage,” he says. “Probably a little bit of this could be really changed with a sonic atmosphere inside of the car [that’s] less aggressive, less stressing.”

(0:20:17) - Impact of Sound on Movement

Andrea goes on to tell us how he's working on larger, more ambitious programs to document sounds in hospitals and even city sounds. "Now we are on a project for studying how polluted urban soundscapes influence the quality of movement," he explains," so how your ability to be in balance, to be fluid in movement, can be disturbed by hearing sounds with a lot of roughness, for instance, or with a big spectral contrast from the background." We also talk about the ethics of experimenting with sound on human subjects, and how often Andrea himself is the test subject. "Yes, the problem is that normally it's me who has to be the real guinea pig," he says. "I mean with me, I can try the hard stuff."

(0:28:20) - Contact Information and Website Discussion

As our conversation comes to a close, Andrea tells our listeners how we can reach him online. “I have a horrible website,” he jokes. “It’s an incredibly horrendous website.” He also shares a YouTube link to the unobtrusive ringtones he designed for himself that you can download for yourself: you can find the same link just a little further down this page along with his social media links.

Episode Summary

• Andrea’s research into crafting the perfect synthetic soundscape for vehicles.
• How the human brain processes obtrusive and unobtrusive sounds in different ways.
• The impact of the pandemic and remote work on Andrea’s audio research.
• Andrea’s latest work on improving hospital and urban soundscapes.
• How to reach Andrea online or download his custom ringtones for free.

Connect with the Guest

Website: https://www.andreacera.info/

Low Intrusiveness Ringtones: https://youtu.be/NURXqMIrrpU/

Connect with Andrea Cera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-cera-b08264b4/

Follow Andrea Cera on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.cera.sound.design/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com

Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/

Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO

Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/

Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)

Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/

Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/

“I don't know if in Canada or in the States the sounds are different, but here, Toyota, for instance, is very abstract, high-pitched, it's a bike or like 'peeeeee,' like this, for instance. The Renault is more reassuring, more warm, it's welcoming, it's a little bit more, you know, it's less cold than other sounds."

"Sure, yeah. Well, I guess maybe if it doesn't focus specifically on the sound of the engine, but even the engine sounds have been changing over the years right, yes. They're getting, like you said, they're getting softer or they're getting electric."

“Yeah, absolutely” -- Andrea Cera

My next guest is an Italian sound designer and composer, classically trained in piano and composition, along with extensive learning in computer music. Since 1998 he's created over 40 soundtracks for contemporary dance and theatre works. He's collaborated with the prestigious Casa Paganini – InfoMus, a research center and university in Genova, on research projects about cross-modality and human movement sonification, and a few years ago he began a collaboration with IRCAM and Renault for the design of external electric car sounds, from Renault Zoé to the new E-Tech 2022.

His name is Andrea Cera and if you’d like to know more about designing sound for a purpose, he’s definitely the right person to ask. We’ll cover both sides of the coin, from subtle soundscapes and ambiance to aggressive music and even using noise as art. It’s a fascinating discussion, so stay tuned!

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

(0:00:01) - The Power of Sound

As the episode begins, we talk about sound's power to move its listeners, to spark powerful emotions like excitement and fear, and even, in one case that Andrea recalls, to stop a riot. "There is one moment," he says, recounting the infamous 1969 Altamont Free Concert, "where The Thirteenth Floor Elevators play, and the girl who sings, they see a riot, and she starts calming the people, and she has this, like, in, I don't know, ten seconds. She talks like with your tone, like this, and the riot stops."

He also tells us about how the power of sound first inspired him as a young man when, while working in the theater, he saw for himself the effect his music and sound design had on audiences. “And it was around that age,” Andrea explains, “that I really started to say, wow, I mean, what you learn studying composition really works in a kind of subconscious way” He also explains his philosophy when it comes to sound design, and how, when it comes to audio, less is often more: “For me, design is distillation, it’s taking away and just using the minimum necessary to convey a sensation.”

(0:12:25) - Car Sounds and Branding Evolution

Our conversation turns to Andrea's sound design work with electric and self-driving vehicles, and the challenge of holding a driver's attention in what might otherwise be a noiseless environment. "So the car is driving," he explains, "you are reading your paper, but there are some sounds that help you understand what the car is doing. For instance, if there is a sudden turn, you have a little beep-beep to be sure that you don't get surprised." He tells us how, in the absence of engine sounds, it's up to the manufacturer to decide how a car sounds, and the inspiration he took from science fiction while trying to decide what an electric vehicle should sound like. "We did some reviews of also the movies," Andrea tells us, "how in cinema some designers from the past imagined sound of non-combustion vehicles, to understand if the collective imagination is ready for certain types of sounds."

We also talk about how the automobile soundscape has evolved since the heyday of noisy muscle cars in the 1970s. As Andrea notes, that change hasn’t been entirely for the better. “Probably in the ‘70s the traffic noises were more homogeneous,” he explains, “because the cars were more or less the same. Now you can have like one minute of bliss, almost silence, an electric car passing, and after two minutes you have a super loud [sound] and that’s maybe that’s even worse than before.”

Episode Summary

• The power of sound to stir people, spark a panic, or calm a fearful crowd.
• Andrea’s firsthand experiences with seeing how sound can move an audience.
• Designing new automotive soundscapes in the age of electric vehicles.

Tune in next week as we take a closer look at Andrea’s process for designing vehicle soundscapes, what the pandemic taught him about both remote work and everyday stress, and how he’s working to transform the audio experience of everyone from urban commuters to hospital patients.

Connect with the Guest

Website: https://www.andreacera.info/

Low Intrusiveness Ringtones: https://youtu.be/NURXqMIrrpU/

Connect with Andrea Cera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-cera-b08264b4/

Follow Andrea Cera on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.cera.sound.design/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com

Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/

Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO

Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/

Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)

Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/

Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy

https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/