“I think that the future of audio is one that's customized, personalized, interactive, intelligent and dynamic, you know, instead of always treating audio as on and off, we need to treat it in a way that's delivered to each person as a unique experience.” -- Sean Beeson

This episode features a rare two-for-one interview with a powerful sonic duo, Jon Brennan and Sean Beeson, formerly of Sonic Signatures. Jon Brennan's a music composer and sound designer with twenty years of experience creating sound for iconic brands and multimedia platforms. With the rise of voice, podcasts, and streaming, he founded Sonic Signatures to enable brands to effectively use branded audio across every campaign and platform. He's created audio logos, original music, and sound design for leading brands including Amazon Alexa, Tide, Southwest Airlines, IBM Security, Mercy Health, Union Home Mortgage, and KeepTruckin. His film scores include internationally distributed feature films and documentaries, and he has an MFA in Music Composition for the Screen from Columbia College Chicago. Very recently, he decided to work with Sixième Son in the US.

Sean Beeson is a composer and sound designer who's worked on hundreds of scores for video games, ads, trailers, and podcasts for clients like Google, Disney, McDonald's, Taco Bell, State Farm, Wizards of the Coast, Neoglyphic, and Sony. He helped develop the sonic identity of Google's Pixel phone, Pixel Buds 2, and Google's Home and Max speakers. He's contributed to three Emmy award-winning projects and has been nominated for multiple Game Audio Network Guild Awards. He's now doing independent music and sound design work.

If you want to understand why audio is so important to your brand, Jon and Sean have a thing or two to tell you about that.

As always, if you have any questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, just visit www.audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find all sorts of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter (on the www.audiobrandingpodcast.com webpage) will let you know when the new podcasts are available.

The Essence of a Project

We start off with a look at the early influences that shaped Jon and Sean's interest in sound. Jon tells us how his older brother's Depeche Mode album sparked a lifelong career in music, while Sean recalls his very first encounter with audio branding when he played Sega video games as a child.  The topic turns to the versatility of sonic branding in everything from mobile games to casino slot machines. The goal, as Sean explains it is, is "to boil down the essence of a project or product or brand to what really makes it unique and what really helps make it relate to the consumer or the user of that product."

Supporting the Brand

The interview continues with the story of how Sean and Jon met at a gaming conference, and how their combined experience in commercial music and interactive audio gave them a unique perspective when it comes to audio branding and marketing."We feel that we can best help a company through our one-on-one relationship," Jon says, "and it's through that personalization that we can come up with the most custom and creative results that are the most effective in the long run."

Everything is Interactive

Next, we talk about audio branding, what it means to them, and how video games in particular have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to dynamic audio and using sound to continually shape the listener's experience. Jon sees interactive audio, guided by machine learning, playing a more vital role in our everyday lives as smart devices become widespread: "Sonic branding," as he explains, "extends beyond just having a jingle or a piece of music, and it really needs to kind of aid the user to be able to identify, interact and interpret the audio so that it creates a better experience."

Delivering a Unique Experience

Jon and Sean tell us about the process of creating a sonic brand for a client, and how it can vary from one project to the next. “It's less about what you personally like and dislike,” Jon says, “as opposed to what has been shown to work the most in testing.” We look at how they communicate with and work to keep their clients engaged in the process, whether it’s creating a variety of audio logos for a new app or testing the sound interface for a new piece of hardware.  “Everybody is integrated into the process,” Sean tells us, “from the creative planning parts to the actual creation to the implementation.”

Episode Summary

• Jon and Sean’s first memorable experiences with sound
• Casino sounds and the importance of creating a positive impression
• What modern sound interfaces can learn from video games
• How machine learning and voice-first technology are changing sonic brands
• The importance of working with clients to create a unique audio package

Check back next week for the second half of our interview as we take a closer look at some of the clients that Jon and Sean have helped, and actually listen to the audio brands and interfaces that Sonic Signatures has created for such companies as Union Home Mortgage and KeepTrunkin.

Connect with the Guests

Website: www.sonicsignatures.io

Follow Sonic Signatures on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonicsignatures

Connect with Jon Brennan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonbrennan/

Connect with Sean Beeson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonbrennan/

Follow Sonic Signatures on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sonicsignatures

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/

“Yes, bring in new voices. Yes, you know, do it, go for it. But if it doesn't work with the first diverse voice – non-whites, I'm talking about non-whites now – that doesn't mean it's a failure. You know, keep going, keep working on it, these are systemic problems that have been in place almost since the beginning of audio, and so it's going to take time to what I call undo the bias.” -- LaTonya J. Pegues

This week is the second half of my interview with inclusion expert, executive coach, and unconscious bias trainer LaTonya J. Pegeus as we talk about the importance of positive representation, the effort of diversifying the workplace, and her firsthand struggles with bias as a business owner.

As always, if you have any questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, just visit www.audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find all sorts of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter (on the www.audiobrandingpodcast.com webpage) will let you know when the new podcasts are available.

What Makes You Uncomfortable

The second half begins with a look at ways to overcome unconscious biases, such as listening to the concerns of diverse speakers and identifying the real source of our discomfort, and we talk about how positive representation in such movies as Black Panther is helping to change longstanding assumptions in Hollywood. "They could have had British accents," she says, "but they chose to go with the authentic region of that continent, and boy did that resonate with the rest of the world."

Expected to Win

“Those things that are well-funded,” LaTonya notes as we talk about the challenge of fostering workplace diversity and supporting diversity directors and departments, "are those things that are expected to win” We discuss how many companies have tried, and too often failed, to challenge the longstanding biases within their corporate culture. “I think,” she observes, “that's because they weren't supportive. They were just a box to check and the company did not take it seriously.”

Recognizing Our Bias

We conclude the interview with a look at LaTonya’s upcoming book Unconscious Bias Revealed: How to Recognize and Undo Bias, and her work as a voiceover artist in commercials and on the radio. LaTonya also shares with us some of the personal challenges that she’s faced as an African-American woman in the business world. “There've been countless times that I have not had opportunities to provide services, even as a business owner, you know, for clients, for whatever reason.”

Episode Summary

• How to recognize and overcome our unconscious biases
• The way movies and media are challenging old assumptions
• Supporting diversity departments and a more inclusive workspace
• LaTonya’s upcoming projects and experience with bias

Connect with LaTonya:

Website: www.theUBtrainer.com

Follow LaTonya J. Pegues on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theUBtrainer

Connect with LaTonya J. Pegues on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latonya-j-pegues-unconscious-bias-trainer-2321622/

Follow LaTonya J. Pegues on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theUBtrainer

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

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

Tweet with me on Twitter - https://twitter.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 written review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding

or leave a spoken review at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/talktome/ (Thank you!)

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/

“The ability to share information and to help other people have opportunities to provide their voice, if you will, to a read can make such a huge difference in what happens and how the audience receives it and how even the customer or the client receives what's being read.” -- LaTonya J. Pegues

For years LaTonya J. Pegues has been known as a person who can provide simple explanations for complex concepts and ideas.  With a background in the performing arts, not to mention having worked as a low-temperature physicist and satellite engineer, LaTonya is a skillful trainer who applies her knowledge and experience in facilitating and guiding clientele towards realizing, meeting, and exceeding their goals and objectives. We're going to speak particularly about how to overcome unconscious bias in audio: where it's showing up for people and how it can be overcome.

As always, if you have any questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, just visit www.audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find all sorts of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter (on the www.audiobrandingpodcast.com webpage) will let you know when the new podcasts are available.

What We’re Picking Up

The episode begins as LaTonya recalls her first memories of sound: the voices of her parents and the joy their excitement brought her as a child. We talk about where our unconscious biases come from, and how pervasive a part of the world they can be, particularly when it comes to audio. "It's because of these social stereotypes that we get just from the air in some instances," she explains, "what's traveling through the air, what we are picking up, and what our brains keeping."

When Bias Gets in the Way

We take a look at the reasons we hold onto our biases, and how the thought process behind them isn't always a bad thing. It's when a bias is based on misinformation, LaTonya tells us, or a perspective that's too limited, or by our own relationships, that it can keep us from seeing the world as it truly is.  "Sometimes we have these tendencies to just want to hear from certain folks," she says, "for whatever reason, and not hear from others, and that also can cause unconscious bias."

Beyond the Comfort Zone

The conversation continues with LaTonya's thoughts about how unconscious biases are reflected in the world around us, and how they limit our opportunities as well as the authenticity of the movies and pop culture we take for granted. We discuss the lost art of brainstorming, and how helpful going outside your comfort zone to seek out new perspectives and experiences can be. "My experience has been that every time that there's a brainstorming session, we're better off at the end than we were at the beginning because we've all come together and we've shared our ideas."

Popping the Bias Bubble

LaTonya tells us about what she calls "bias bubbles," the news and social media filters that surround us and often just reinforce our own opinions. She recommends seeking out other points of view, even just spending five minutes apiece on each news network instead of just our favorites, and occasionally shaking up our comfortable habits. "Listen to different music," she tells us, "go to different venues and try different foods. My goodness, go across the railroad tracks and try a different part of town." As she puts it, "when you're in a position to actually do something to make a change, do it!"

Episode Summary

• LaTonya’s childhood memory of her parents and family
• How invisible biases surround us and influence our thinking
• The obstacles that keep us from recognizing bias
• Brainstorming and the importance of diverse voices
• Media bias bubbles and how to push beyond our comfort zones

Be sure to tune in next week for part two of our interview as we examine racial stereotypes and representation in the media, discuss the challenge of truly supporting diversity in the business world, and talk about LaTonya’s upcoming book as well as her career as a voiceover artist.

Connect with LaTonya:

Website: www.theUBtrainer.com

Follow LaTonya J. Pegues on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theUBtrainer

Connect with LaTonya J. Pegues on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latonya-j-pegues-unconscious-bias-trainer-2321622/

Follow LaTonya J. Pegues on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theUBtrainer

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

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

Tweet with me on Twitter - https://twitter.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 written review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding

or leave a spoken review at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/talktome/ (Thank you!)

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/

“You set the tone for your podcast by how you sound and how you interact with the audience. So there are a lot of elements to it, you know, obviously preparation and planning and practice, all those things." -- Dan Friedman

This week continues our Clubhouse discussion as voiceover artist and sound engineer Dan Friedman answers questions about voice training, keeping listeners engaged, and overcoming stage fright.

As always, if you have any questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, just visit www.audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find all sorts of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter (on the www.audiobrandingpodcast.com webpage) will let you know when the new podcasts are available.

An Audio-Driven World

We continue the Clubhouse chat by talking about how subtle changes to pitch and tone can change a listener’s impression of your voice, and the challenges and successes that artists coming from different audio industries, such as radio and lecturing, can find in voiceover work. “Because we are in such an audio-driven world now,” Dan says, “it is really important that if, especially if you're running a podcast and you want more listeners, or you want listeners to stick with you, you have to be compelling enough that they are going to want to continue to listen and to tune in every week.”

Getting Out of a Rut

Dan warns us about some of the traps of voice rehearsal, how easy it can be to get stuck in a loop of negative self-criticism when listening to your own voice, and some creative ways to break out of that vicious circle. "One of the most fun and extreme things to just really get out of your rut," he suggests, "if you realize you're in a rut, is to do your script as a cartoon character." He explains that once you've done so and then immediately switch back to your regular voice, you'll probably find that the performance feels fresh again and you can jump back into it with a different energy.

They Want to Hear You

“If you think about it,” Dan says, “communication is a connection between somebody making sound and somebody listening to sound, and if you're trying to make sound and spread that connection out to a hundred people, that connection's going to be pretty weak.” We wrap the Clubhouse chat up with a look at the challenges of public speaking and different strategies for overcoming stage fright, such as imagining an individual that you’re speaking to or even focusing on one person in the audience rather than trying to talk to everyone at once. “Most of the time when you are up there speaking to a roomful of people,” he assures us, “those people are there because they want to hear you.”

Episode Summary

• How inflection can change the impression you make
• Keeping your listeners engaged
• Tips for breaking out of a voice performance rut
• Public speaking and overcoming stage fright

Connect with Dan:

Website: https://sound4vo.com/

Connect with Dan Friedman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfriedmanvo

Follow Dan Friedman on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sound4VO/

Follow Dan Friedman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanFriedmanVO

The Power of Sound club on Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-power-of-sound/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

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

Tweet with me on Twitter - https://twitter.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 written review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding

or leave a spoken review at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/talktome/ (Thank you!)

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/

“When we're talking about audio-only formats, it's especially important that you capture your audience using your voice and it should be impactful so that they tune in and want to continue listening. It only takes seven seconds for somebody to decide they want to change the station, whether that be a song they like or don't like or something that they're hearing that they're not liking." - Dan Friedman

Using your voice to communicate isn't as easy as it sounds. So what do you do if you feel your voice is letting you down? Would you like some personal techniques to help you improve how you sound and your confidence in speaking? Then this is the right podcast for you. I recorded an excellent Clubhouse discussion with Dan Friedman, an expert in the field of public speaking who's certified in the Roger Love Voice Method. Those of us in the voice-over industry already know Dan as an accomplished audio engineer, but he's also a singer, voice actor, and voice coach, and I'll be having a more in-depth interview with him a little later on. So settle back and let yourself be a fly on the wall as we discuss the power of using your voice for more effective communication.

A few things to note. First, I was hearing and answering people a little ahead of when the audio was being recorded. That's why my occasional comments are slightly out of sync: it didn't sound that way at the time. And, just so you know, everyone in the room was aware that it was being recorded and would be released in a future podcast episode. To those who raised their hands to participate in the conversation: thank you. When you asked for advice, you helped everyone understand the issues better. So well done! I'll have more of these types of discussions in the future – they're on Wednesdays at 2 PM Eastern Time – so keep a lookout for the schedule of upcoming events in the Clubhouse club, The Power of Sound.

As always, if you have any questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, just visit www.audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find all sorts of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter (on the www.audiobrandingpodcast.com webpage) will let you know when the new podcasts are available.

The Sound of Your Voice

We begin the chat with a talk about ways to build confidence in our speaking, and how awkward just hearing our own voice can be at first. “The lack of confidence,” Dan explains, “usually comes from people hearing their recorded voice for the first time and not really realizing how they actually sound.” He suggests ways of breaking out of a monotone, such as singing just a little, and listening carefully to the natural rhythm of your voice so you’ll know how to change things up. “Everybody needs to be able to communicate effectively these days,” he says, “especially through audio only.”

Going Over the Top

“Voiceover,” Dan tells us, “is really kind of you at your very best in whatever emotion you're in.” We discuss the value of tone and pitch, and how well a monotone voice can work (or NOT work) without visual cues. Dan notes that in audio directing, emotions are often a little over the top, and he answers questions about improving your voice, becoming comfortable with it, and the trick to understanding how you’re being perceived by your listener. “Getting to like the sound of your voice really does take time.”

Imagine You’re a Balloon

Dan takes a question from Lisa about the importance of matching your listener’s tone, and tips on how to avoid the glottal stop that many of us have when it comes to vowel sounds. We also talk about how to overcome vocal fry by breathing and speaking through your diaphragm, as if you’re a balloon.  “When you breathe, you should be breathing in through your nose as often as possible and not through your mouth... one of the biggest reasons that we should be breathing in through our nose more than our mouth is because our nose is designed to moisturize the air coming through the vocal cords.”

Hitting the High Notes

Next, we talk about singing, and Joe asks about how men can learn to be more comfortable with the higher registers of the human voice. Dan offers his advice on improving your vocal range by practicing speaking with both a higher and lower pitch, and how developing a more flexible tone can lead to a more versatile voice performance. "Pitch is a huge tool for emphasis," he says, "and as a voice actor, we need to use pitch to emphasize words and phrases, and as humans, we need to do that too."

Episode Summary

• Becoming comfortable with your voice
• How to speak with more inflection
• Expressing emotion through pure audio
• Speaking and breathing through your diaphragm
• Using pitch for a more flexible performance

Connect with Dan:

Website: https://sound4vo.com/

Connect with Dan Friedman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfriedmanvo

Follow Dan Friedman on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sound4VO/

Follow Dan Friedman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanFriedmanVO

The Power of Sound club on Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-power-of-sound/

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

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

Tweet with me on Twitter - https://twitter.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 written review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding

or leave a spoken review at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/talktome/ (Thank you!)

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/

It's been over two years since the pandemic started, and for many of us, our daily lives have changed in ways we hardly imagined when this decade began. More and more of us are working from home these days, and we're staying at home even when we aren't working. We're more isolated than we used to be, and dealing with a lot more stress and uncertainty. Finding time to take care of our mental health can be a challenge, but it's just as important as ever – and sound has come to play a vital part in that effort, from guided meditation and affirmations to binaural beats and ASMR videos.

Two of the most popular and successful forms of sonic therapy are mindful meditation and positive affirmations, and they’ve both come a long way over just the past few years. Mindfulness is the art of being precisely in the moment, without worrying about the past or thinking about the future, or being distracted by anything at all. Completely clearing our thoughts can be tricky, and that’s where guided meditation, which uses sound and music to help lead the way, can help.

Studies have shown that the health benefits range from lowering stress and improving our mental well-being to bolstering the immune system and reducing inflammation. Although its roots are thousands of years old, the modern practice of mindful meditation has evolved into high-tech pods and meditation apps you can download for your smartwatch. Some of them can get a little pricey, but if you’re just starting out and want to give it a try, you can find a link to UCLA’s free Mindful app, and a separate list of guided meditation tracks that you can download, on my blog.

https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/mindful-meditations

Positive affirmations are another way to help change our mindset, to bolster our self-esteem and sense of optimism. Psychology and even MRI studies have found that they have a positive effect on our behavior and sense of wellness, although they also found that, for people with low self-esteem, affirmations in the future tense work better than the present. So if you find that starting a sentence with “I am” just doesn’t feel right, try saying “I will” instead. I’ve also included a YouTube link on my blog to a morning affirmation video presented by voice artist Prachi Chaube (Prah-chee Chau-bay).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzqFQ9J7YXQ

Binaural beats are a much more recent discovery when it comes to audio therapy, one that’s still being researched. The idea behind them, though, is fascinating. If you take a pair of headphones and play a sound through them with a slightly different frequency for each ear, your brain blends them together into a new sound that’s the difference between them. So, for example, if the left earphone plays a 300-hertz tone and the right earphone plays a 280-hertz tone, we perceive it as a 20-hertz tone. That’s almost too low for us to hear, but our brains still process it, and different frequencies might resonate with our own neural oscillations to trigger different states of awareness.

Listening to that 20-hertz tone, for instance, could cause the brain to enter a beta wave pattern, which can help us feel more awake and alert. A lower binaural beat, such as a 2-hertz tone, might lead to a delta wave pattern, the deepest stage of sleep. Do binaural beats really work? The scientific verdict's still out, but the good news is that studies have shown there's no harm to listening to them, so long as you don't turn the volume up too loud. If you want to try it out for yourself, I've included a video link on my blog. Just make sure you're wearing headphones, or the effect won't work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TD9SM-5XSk

One of the most recent developments in sound therapy and mental wellness is ASMR: it first emerged as an online phenomenon around 2007 and has become immensely popular since then, with over fifteen million YouTube videos as of last year. Short for "autonomous sensory meridian response," a name given to it by ASMR proponent Jennifer Allen in 2010, it refers to both a pleasantly tingling sensation along the spine that certain soft, rustling sounds can trigger, and to online relaxation videos that aim to create that effect for the viewer with whispers, props, music, and other sounds.

Some psychologists think the sensation of ASMR might be a kind of synesthesia, with our minds experiencing certain sounds as touch, while MRI brain scans suggest it might even be connected to our grooming instincts. What started with hosts simply whispering to the viewer has grown into a whole online genre of videos featuring elaborate scripts, costumes, set designs, and even special effects. You can find links on my blog to a YouTube video by one of its most famous "ASMRtists," Goodnight Moon, as she plays a shopkeeper selling the viewer a pet dragon, and to another one of my favorite artists, Moonlight Cottage, as she helps the viewer choose a magic wand. Even if you don't end up experiencing the tingles, I think you'll have a lot of fun with both of these videos.

Goodnight Moon: Dragon Egg Shopping at Maybell’s Menagerie (ASMR)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kocWXDJCNLo

Moonlight Cottage ASMR: Wand Shop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBEHMxOMLx4

From virtual classrooms and remote workplaces to Zoom calls with our friends and family, we're spending more time online than ever before. Just as our days have become more virtual, though, so have our resources for managing stress and anxiety. And sound, whether it's a meditation app that guides our breathing technique, a binaural beat that subtly rewires how we think, or a relaxing YouTube video about a whispery fantasy world, remains an essential part of nurturing our well-being.

Connect with the Podcast:

Would you consider giving this podcast an honest review? You can do that here: https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding.  And if you like what you hear (and read!) – please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you’re interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE download – Top 5 Tips For Implementing An Intentional Audio Strategy at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

“Ultimately, what happens with Spotify and Apple and YouTube or any of the other platforms out there, the majors are going to set the precedent on what the licensing deals look like. That's eventually going to trickle down to the independent artists to where they just they don't get a great deal, I mean, they're never going to really see substantial money, even if they're doing millions of streams.” -- Mac McIntosh

This week is the second half of my interview with music supervisor and film producer Mac McIntosh. We talk about how social media is changing the licensing landscape, what's truly involved in building the right soundtrack, and which musical genre he’s hoping might make a cinematic comeback thanks to shows like Stranger Things.

Creative Conversations

We start the second half of the show with a closer look at his team, which includes musicians and Foley artists, and some of the series they’ve worked on. “Creatively, I had to do a lot of things that weren’t traditional to the music clearance space,” Mac explains as we look back at one project. “A lot of creative conversations had to take place to make certain things happen, and to prevent certain things from happening as well, from a licensing standpoint.”

Living by the Single

Mac talks about some of the soundtrack trends he’s seen in movies since the turn of the millennium, and how he’d like to see rock music make a Hollywood comeback. We move on to a look at how social media has made things both easier and more challenging for indie artists, and how video games and streaming shows are creating new opportunities for exposure and fame. “They realize that you live and die by the single these days,” he notes. “Artists are at the point where they're basically hustling on a daily basis, trying to figure out how to maintain their careers, while at the same time most of them have to have a full-time job to go along with that.”

Owning Your Music

We wrap things up with a growing industry trend that he advises clients looking to add a musician to their project to follow. “It's better to do a made-for-hire or paid-for-hire deal with an artist,” Mac says, “where you pay them directly to create an original piece of music for you... versus licensing something that you're not sure is a good deal or not.” He points out the advantages of owning your own audio assets, such as greater stability and potential revenue, and we discuss some of the different licensing options available and which ones might best fit a given project.

Episode Summary

• Mac's Musiclerk team and how a soundtrack is cleared.
• How social media companies have changed online marketing
• Video games, streaming shows, and the music hustle culture
• Licensing options and how to contact Mac McIntosh

Connect with Mac:

Website: https://www.musiclerk.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mac-mcintosh-717190126/

Follow Musiclerk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/musiclerk

Get his Studio Numbers Chart Workbook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SGNZ59L?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

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

Tweet with me on Twitter - https://twitter.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 written review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding

or leave a spoken review at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/talktome/ (Thank you!)

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/

“Because a lot of podcasting was audio-only people thought, well, it's like radio, all you need is, you know, a performance license. And that's not true. It's exactly like that, and that we've all learned, you know, in time, it's kind of developed to the point where you have to sync music from a licensing perspective with podcasts the same as you do film or television. So, you know, helping people navigate that, that was one of my big goals.” -- Mac McIntosh

This episode's guest is a music supervisor and film producer based in Dallas, Texas, who's spent over twenty years in the entertainment industry, with additional experience in music clearance, music licensing, film distribution, and more. He's the founder of Musiclerk.com, a music and audio agency that provides music supervision, music clearance, post audio editing, sound design, and music composition for their film, television, podcast, and video clients. He also has experience helping filmmakers and production companies secure distribution for their projects.

His name is Mac McIntosh, and in this interview, we'll be taking a deep dive into the world of music and how important it can be to the shape of a project. Mac's perspective will offer a golden opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of this fascinating field, and how it might come into play with your own content creation.

As always, if you have any questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, just visit www.audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find all sorts of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter (on the www.audiobrandingpodcast.com webpage) will let you know when the new podcasts are available.

The Cadence of Cinema

We start the interview with a look at Mac's audio influences while growing up, from the rhythm of He-Man's catchphrases to the cadence of cinematic audio. “The music played a big part of it too from a dynamic standpoint for me,” he explains as he recalls how movie soundtracks helped inspire his love of music. “I think that was something I really grabbed onto at an early age,” he says, “and realized that it does affect in ways you don't even realize.”

The Willingness to Not Give Up

Mac goes on to recount how his early career as a musician led him to become a producer and music supervisor. “Growing up in Nashville and being a guitar player,” he says, “you quickly realize there are... at least a thousand other guitar players that are either better or a lot better than you are.” We talk about his first music industry blog and the young artists he met whose talent and perseverance inspired him. “I think just determination and just the willingness to not give up are the biggest things, especially for some of the artists that I interviewed at that time.”

Overcoming the Algorithms

We go on to talk about the early days of social media, the new kinds of success and exposure the internet brought to independent artists, and whether today’s older, more structured online culture can still support that sort of breakthrough success. “Because the algorithms had not reached a level,” he tells us, “that everything was, you know, kind of suppressed and you had to spend money in order for it to be seen like it is nowadays, it was very organic and real.”

Helping People Navigate

Next, we look back at how Musiclerk began, as Mac realized that both musicians and industry professionals need someone who can guide them through the complicated process of music clearance and licensing. “What a lot of directors and producers sometimes aren't aware of,” he notes, “is the length of the process it can take to clear one song.” He tells us about the first questions he asks to gauge the right sound for a project, the process behind securing it, and the movies and series soundtracks that he’s supervised.

Episode Summary

• Mac’s earliest audio influences and musical hobbies
• The Nashville Number System and music scene
• How social media has evolved as a marketing tool
• Musiclerk and finding just the right music
• The hidden process of music clearance and licensing

Connect with Mac:

Website: https://www.musiclerk.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mac-mcintosh-717190126/

Follow Musiclerk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/musiclerk

Get his Studio Numbers Chart Workbook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SGNZ59L?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

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

Tweet with me on Twitter - https://twitter.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 written review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding

or leave a spoken review at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/talktome/ (Thank you!)

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/

“Doing audio branding very often has similarities to coaching. It's always a change management process and it's also iterative, so it's almost repeating the same procedures a couple of times until you get closer and closer to something that everybody agrees is ‘okay, that's the goal.’ And by the way, goals are the most important thing. If it's not clear where you want to go, what you need, and why you are doing this, if you just follow the next hype and say we need a sound logo just like our competitor, then you’re lost, then you're just wasting time and money.” -- Cornelius Ringe

This week continues our Clubhouse discussion as Lauri Domnick, Jeanna Isham, Steve Keller, Shez Merha, Jack Monson, and Cornelius Ringe lead a variety of questions and comments.

A Trustworthy Sound

The second half begins as our panel reveals what questions they ask clients to learn who they are from an audio perspective. Jeanna tells us about her work with REI and how she used natural sounds to focus their outdoor branding, while Lauri discusses the challenge of turning more abstract concepts like trustworthiness into something we can hear and recognize. Shez focuses on better aligning the audio to the company's brand, and Jack switches things around with a simple question that can have surprisingly candid and helpful answers: "if you and I were going to take a road trip," he asks clients, "what three artists would you want to have?"

The Voice of the Brand

Steve takes a different, more psychological approach to learning more about a client's potential sonic profile, one that sparks a discussion about the archetypes of sound, what the brand might be like if it were a person. "If the brand were to talk to you," he asks, "what would the brand's voice sound like? Is it male, is it female, is it neither of those? If the brand was going to give you a playlist, what would be on their Pandora playlist?"

The Soundtrack of Your Life

Cornelius offers a thought-provoking reply as he talks instead about focusing on the language of sound, a language that's often unfamiliar to his clients, and helping them find the right words to consider the question and develop their own answers. Alex joins in to note that clients don't always have a good answer, particularly in the business world where opinions and priorities can clash; as Steve puts it, "the work is fraught with the need for diplomacy." Cheryl, a podcaster and voice talent, takes the stage with a question she always likes to ask: if there was a soundtrack to your life, what would be on it and why? The answers, she notes, are often surprising, and always revealing.

Episode Summary

• Looking at company brands from an audio perspective
• Considering brands and sounds as archetypes
• Learning the language of both sound and business
• Listening to the soundtrack of your life

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

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

Tweet with me on Twitter - https://twitter.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 written review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding

or leave a spoken review at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/talktome/ (Thank you!)

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/

Connect with the Panelists:

Jeanna Isham’s website: https://www.dreamrproductions.com/

Shez Merha’s website: https://the194group.com/

Cornelius Ringe’s website: https://www.wesound.de/en/

Steve Keller’s website: https://www.sxmmedia.com/

Connect with Lauri Domnic on LinkedIn: https://fi.linkedin.com/in/lauridomnick

Jack Monson’s website: https://www.socialgeekradio.com/

The Power of Sound club on Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-power-of-sound

“So it's really no surprise that, you know, it's back in the driver's seat now, when everyone is really fighting and yearning for how to capture attention, even a little bit of attention, from an exhausted and overwhelmed and overstimulated population base globally. So I think it applies itself to media, to what you're eating, in a restaurant experience, a shopping experience, really across the entire 360, or integrated marketing, if you want to speak like a marketer, that whole kind of overarching back row strategy from everywhere your brand is going to live. There are likely ways to embed audio into those instances in a meaningful way without adding more 'noise' to the world.” -- Shez Mehra

For those of you who don't know, I host regular weekly Clubhouse rooms on Wednesdays at 2 PM Eastern Time.  We talk about all sorts of things related to sound, including voiceovers, public speaking, podcasting, music, and, of course, audio branding.  We also cover things like Voice AI, Sound in Social Media, and even Audio NFTs. This particular recording, made with the permission of everyone who participated, is from a Clubhouse room called The Power of Audio Branding in my Power of Sound club.  We had a number of stellar panelists, including Jeanna Isham, Shez Merha, Cornelius Ringe and Steve Keller, all of whom have also been guests on this podcast with episodes all their own. Lauri Domnick, from Bauer Media in Finland, and Jack Monson, from Social Geek Radio, also joined us.

The audio is presented as it was heard in the moment, so it won't be perfect, and there's a bit of a lag, so sometimes it might sound like people are taking a while to respond while other times it sounds like I'm talking over them. That isn't how it sounded at the time, and hopefully won't be too distracting for you as you listen. But this discussion should give you a good look at the fascinating world of audio branding from many different perspectives, and at why it's a topic and discipline that's becoming more important all the time. I also want to thank everyone that came up on stage to join in, ask questions, and make comments. Your participation made this discussion even better. The lesson is clear: if you aren't paying attention to the sound of your brand, you'll ultimately be missing out.

If you have any questions for the panelists, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in these show notes.  If you have questions for me, just visit www.audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find all sorts of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter (on the www.audiobrandingpodcast.com webpage) will let you know when the new podcasts are available.

What is Audio Branding?

We start off the discussion with a look at just what audio branding means for each of our panelists, and what makes it such a powerful marketing tool. Jeanna explains the subtle difference between audio and sonic branding while Lauri talks about its potential for stirring our deepest memories and feelings. Jack joins the conversation and agrees about the power of audio impressions. “There's something more magical about audio memories stimulating something from the back of your mind, from earlier in life, childhood, whatever, there's something more powerful about audio than anything visual.”

Filling the Gaps

Shez joins the group and talks about the insights his career as a DJ and musician have given him about the power of sound and how often it's neglected in the business world. “It could be a song,” as he puts it, “it could be your mother's voice, it could be the narrator from a show that you grew up on. There are so many ways in which we as human beings just inherently connect with sounds and audio.” Steve and Cornelius arrive and offer their perspectives on the untapped potential of audio branding. “Audio branding for me also is about filling the gap in brand communication,” Cornelius says. “There's a huge gap in the potential of brand communication, and that is audio.”

Sounds in the Brain

Alex, a researcher for Massive Music who specializes in neuroscience, takes the stage first to point out how intrinsic sound is to the human brain. As he explains, “I think that what's so powerful about music and branding, is that it's subconscious, it's innate response to how our brains process sound on a level that can't be reached by other sensory modalities.” Brad follows up to ask Jeanna about sonic branding, and how it goes beyond licensed music and jingles to the very heart of a company's sound, from the quality of a smart speaker to the pitch and tone of a phone prompt.

Musical Motivation

Joe, a voice-over artist and singer, takes the stage next and reminds us all of the classic three-note jingle “By Mennan,” noting how effectively it breaks the established wisdom of commercial audio to make a memorable impression. “I find it fascinating,” he says, “that it's a marriage of art and science to be able to twist people's neurons so that this earworm gets in there.” Jack and Jeanna point out that a successful audio brand motivates its audience, compelling us to take action, and Shelley, a fellow singer and voice actor, points out the very visible changes in brain activity that occur when we react to audio cues, whether it's a catchy melody or a familiar voice.

Episode Summary

• Jeanna and Lauri describe the evocative power of sound
• Jack and Shez share their perspective on audio branding
• Steve and Cornelius discuss marketing gaps
• Alex and Brad take the stage with opening questions
• Joe and Shelley follow up with branding insights

Next week the Clubhouse chat continues as our guests talk about how sound can promote particular themes, the challenge of expressing identity through audio, and how taking a more personal approach to sound can help clients better appreciate sonic branding.

Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:

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

Tweet with me on Twitter - https://twitter.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 written review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding

or leave a spoken review at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/talktome/ (Thank you!)

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/

Connect with the Panelists:

Jeanna Isham’s website: https://www.dreamrproductions.com/

Shez Merha’s website: https://the194group.com/

Cornelius Ringe’s website: https://www.wesound.de/en/

Steve Keller’s website: https://www.sxmmedia.com/

Connect with Lauri Domnic on LinkedIn: https://fi.linkedin.com/in/lauridomnick

Jack Monson’s website: https://www.socialgeekradio.com/

The Power of Sound club on Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-power-of-sound