Audio Branding

“I give them a lot of credit because they use that so frequently, and that’s why they have so much success. I mean, it is an iconic melody in and of itself, but it’s that repetition and that usage, you know, whereas I feel like a lot of sound logo projects that come in, we’ll get to the finish line and they’ll be excited to use it, and then a month or two later, they’ll be like, ‘We’re not seeing quite the results that we’d hoped.’ It’s like, A, you’re not going to see it after a month, and B, you’ve got to use it consistently, you know, and potentially in multiple places. State Farm does it right.” – Connor MooreThis episode is the second half of my conversation with founder and creative director of CMoore Sound, Connor Moore, as we talk about where AI voices might be taking sound design, how he became a juror at the International Sound Awards, and how sonic logos are making a comeback.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) – Current Trends in Sound DesignThe second half of our discussion starts as Connor talks about neural voices, the latest breakthrough in AI voice clones, and how popular they’re becoming with clients. “It’s a very interesting space,” he says, “having a customized brain and voice that can constantly adapt, you know, and so we’re seeing a lot more of that come through.” He talks about his work on Google Glass and how he might approach its UX design differently in today’s world, and how he helped reshape the famous State Farm sonic logo. “’Here’s a simple tweak at a foundational level,’” he recalls saying, “’Take away the square wave and use a sine wave at a base level.’ And they were like, ‘Oh.’ And we’re already 65% there.”(10:47) – The Importance of SimplicityWe discuss his work with the International Sound Awards and the insights he’s gained from seeing nominees from all over the world. “Most of the work I’ve reviewed in the last four years has been more kind of traditional sonic branding,” he tells us. “It’s just great to be a part of that community and to hear all the cool work coming, because it’s at a global scale.” He talks about the resurgence of sound logos in today’s market, and the lesson to be learned from State Farm’s branding success. “The iconic nature of that example is the melody,” he says, “the melody that’s been around for so long. But I think that what I would say is just, you know, use it lightly. Be careful with overusing it.”(24:47) – The Future of Sonic BrandingOur conversation wraps up with what he’s working on now, and the trends he’s seeing in branding and audio UX design. “Industries that you might not expect,” Connor explains, “old school industries that are becoming more tech focused, for example... which I think is interesting, because I think sound as a technology [is] starting to touch industries of old that are modernizing.” He tells listeners how they can get in touch, and shares his perspective as someone on the forefront of sonic branding. “I’m working on very emerging technologies,” he says. “I’m working on older industry segments that are stepping into new technology, I’m working in automotive... it’s a good balance that keeps me engaged.”Episode SummaryOur discussion on the rise of wearable technology and voice-driven experiences.Exploring how simplicity impacts sound design and brand perception.Connor’s predictions on the evolution of audio branding and its applications.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

“Too much sound complicates things, it confuses things, and it causes annoyance and fatigue, too much brain power needed. Too much cognitive load, and it’s a known fact. So oftentimes companies will come to me and say, ‘Hey, we have, you know, sixty sounds we want to create.’ And I go, ‘Okay, cool. Let’s take a look at the list. Let me understand your product a little better and let’s try to find ways to strip it back.’ Because, you know, that can be very overwhelming for users.” – Connor MooreThis episode’s guest is a leading expert in audio UX and audio branding. As the founder of CMoore Sound, he’s shaped how major brands like Google, Uber, Peloton, and Airbnb use sound to enhance their products and connect with audiences. Over the past fifteen years, he’s helped define how sound influences everything from brand identity to user experience, and he’s been featured in The New Yorker, NPR, and Google’s Design series. He’s also a fellow judge for the International Sound Awards, which is how we met. His name is Connor Moore and his work shows how sound isn’t just decoration, it’s a powerful tool that shapes how we feel, navigate, and interact with the world.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) – Connor’s Audio Eureka MomentOur conversation starts with Connor’s early memories of sound, and how quickly he came to realize in college that audio branding wasn’t really a thing in marketing. “It really begged the question for me of why aren’t brands thinking about sound and music like they are for their visual branding,” he explains. “So that, to me, was a bit of a eureka moment and really kind of set me on my path.” He talks about how both old-time jingles and current audio brands like Netflix get it right when it comes to repetition, and his process for getting clients what they need to establish their audio brand. “With my business,” Connor tells us, “I’m involved at every stage… that’s a big value add. Having a veteran in the industry in the room at all times and really guiding the work, that is really the biggest differentiator.”(12:23) – The Evolution of Sonic BrandingConnor tells us about some of his current projects, including a major car company that needs a creative approach to sonic branding. “They’re a product first company,” he says. “It’s an automotive company. Without the product, you don’t have the brand. So that is the biggest touch point for their customers. And you can do the audio branding process through UX. It’s really the same process.” He shares the insights he gained from working with companies like Samsung and Lucid Motors, and tells us about the early days of audio-first UX. “Back then they were just very simple kind of ringtones and alarms,” he says. “And what I did is I went in and really crafted really long form compositions that gradually pick up over time, you know, with volume, percussion, harmonics, [and] complexity.”(26:15) – Creating a More Thoughtful SoundscapeAs we come to the end of the first half of our discussion, Conner tells us how he balances the functionality of UX with the distinctiveness of audio branding. “There should be a level of cohesion across the experience,” he explains. “But there should also be levels of distinction. So a welcome sound for an in-car experience could be very soft and inviting, whereas, like, for a collision sound, it can’t be soft. You know, it has to be kind of in your face.” We talk about the value of silence, and how knowing when not to make a sonic impression can be as important as making one. “There’s a lot of power in simplicity and silence,” he says. “That is the biggest takeaway of my time in this space.”Episode SummaryConnor discusses his first experiences with sound and sonic branding.We explore how sonic branding has become more intentional over the years.Our discussion turns to the need for thoughtful, pleasing soundscapes.Tune in for next week’s episode as we talk about the latest developments in AI-driven neural voices, Connor’s pioneering work at Google Glass and on State Farm’s famous sonic logo, and how companies that don’t necessarily need a musical jingle can still take advantage of an audio brand.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Ins

“I think, you know, what I mentioned before would really apply, and that’s sit down and really come up with a plan over the next twelve months. What do I want to do? Do I want to release a single every month or maybe it’s a couple of singles leading up to an EP and then actually execute that. And, you know, at the same time, be consistent. You don’t want to be an artist that puts out a few tracks and then, you know, goes away for about four years and tries to come back and do it again, because you’re going to have to really start over. I mean, there’s just too much out there, you know, to consume that, you know, you’re going to lose a lot of your fan base if you don’t engage with them. You have to consistently engage with the fan base, consistently release music and devise a plan, like I said, for each of the platforms so you can gauge and analyze exactly what’s working and what’s not. So the next time you put something out, you know what to do.” – Jesse FloresThis episode is the second half of my conversation with Vice President of Artist and Label Partnerships at Intercept Music Jesse Flores, as we talk about how Intercept Records is balancing AI advances and human creativity, his thoughts on what music genres might take off next, and why rushing to upload your next single might not be the best long-term strategy for building a fan base.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) – AI in Music MarketingOur conversation picks up as Jesse talks about how Intercept is putting AI to use for its clients without undermining its artists. “We definitely support AI when it comes to a marketing tool,” he explains, “[but] content creation, not so much, because we really support human-made content that has some soul put behind it, an actual human behind it.” He also offers his advice to musicians on social media. “You have to consistently engage with their fan base, consistently release music and devise a plan,” he says, “for each of the platforms so you can gauge and analyze exactly what’s working.”(9:30) – Strategies for Emerging ArtistsJesse tells us where he sees the future of music heading, and whether AI music could someday become a genre of its own. “Talent is a priority,” he says. “You know, you’ve got to have talent if you’re an artist nowadays. I think that’s always been the case since day one. Making music that is timeless, making music that is undeniable… that’s what’s going to keep you in this for the long run.” As our conversation comes to a close, he shares his thoughts on the power of sound, and what artists can do to help set themselves apart from the background noise. “There are different points and moments in your life when you hear a song,” he tells us, “[and] you know what you were doing when you first heard it, or, you know, it brings back memories of this person that you were dating at the time, or where you were or who your friends were. Like, it’s just always going to be there for me.”Episode SummaryExploring the benefits and challenges of AI in marketing versus music creation.Jesse offers his advice on building a music career and engaging with fans.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

“What can we do to make that number a thousand? That’s the kind of stuff we really focus on. We have tools and analytics within our dashboard to kind of help guide you with that and provide insight onto what strategies are needed to get to that place. But also, I think what makes a lot of sense is to have the right team around you for independent artists. You’ve got to have a really good manager, obviously a great distributor, a good entertainment lawyer, a good publicist, and a good online marketing and social media strategist. If you have those five people in your camp, you’re off to good start.” – Jesse FloresThis week’s guest was recently named VP, Artist and Label Partnerships at Intercept Music. He’s a seasoned music industry executive with over two decades of experience in business development, artist partnerships and label relations, and, as Senior Director of Label and Business Development at Virgin Music Group, he played a pivotal role in securing and managing relationships with high-profile artists and independent labels, working with artists such as Stephen Marley, Slum Village, Carla Morrison, Dax and more. With a background in both tech and sound, he’s built tools that treat music not just as art but as a powerful business asset.His name is Jesse Flores, and in this episode, we’ll be talking about what it really means for artists to own their sound, why marketing is part of the creative process, and how the right tools can help great music get the recognition it deserves.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) – Jesse’s Journey into the Music BusinessOur conversation starts off with Jesse’s early memories of sound, particularly an unforgettable concert when he was a child. “It was my first concert ever,” he recalls. “I was seven years old, and it was the Jacksons’ Victory Tour. Obviously, at the time, Michael Jackson was probably the biggest artist in the planet. And I was young, but I was a fan.” He shares his professional journey, from music student to music executive in Los Angeles, and how narrowly he avoided an early career pitfall. “I really had a good time to, you know, sit down and think about it and weigh the pros and cons,” he explains, recalling a job transfer that would’ve sent him across the country. “And, at the end of the day, I decided to stay in L.A., which was a blessing and the right decision because if I’d moved to Miami, I probably would have lost my job in the next year or two because they closed that office down.”(9:45) – Working with Independent ArtistsJesse tells us more about his work at Universal and what goes into building an up-and-coming musician’s brand. “We had a team just nationwide of people where, you know, they bring them into our market and we were the experts in our region,” he says. “So we knew exactly where to take them, what stations made the most sense, what retailers were really supporting them, where we were selling the records.” He talks about his transition from Universal to Intercept records and explains how he’s still leveraging his connections to help indie artists. “Any artist that was coming off their major label deal but still wanted to release music,” he tells us, “we gave them that opportunity to do that, and not only just put out their music and using our pipes, but also have major label services.”(13:00) – Rising Above the Digital NoiseJesse and I take a closer look at social media, and the double-edged sword that music platforms can represent for musicians who are just starting out. “Anybody can release music,” he says, “so there’s just so much clutter out there, you kind of have to sift through it. And in order to rise above the noise, I think the key thing is to have a good distribution partner.” We discuss which platforms are the best choices for artists, and his strategies for helping bands find success. “Not everybody is gonna perform as well as some other platform,” he says. “One might have great success on YouTube, but not so much on Spotify and Apple Music. So what we want to do is sit down with the artists, figure out what they’ve done up to this point, and what we can do to really augment what they’ve been doing.”Episode SummaryJesse discusses his lifelong progression from music fan to music industry insider.His strategies for helping independent arti

“In this age of AI and, you knew I was going to go here at some point, so how can an artist differentiate themselves now that AI can basically create music with the push of a button? Like, it’s hard. It was hard before, and now we have this to worry about. I think you touched on it maybe indirectly earlier in the connection, the spirit of creating and being a human. I think it is the dopest superpower that we have, and I do believe that everyone has it. It’s just, you know, what level it’s in, but just because it’s not, like, music or visual art or dance or something doesn’t mean you’re not creative.” – Jastin ArtisThis episode is the second half of my conversation with artist, producer, and creative sound leader and founder of A&R in Your Pocket Jastin Artis, as we talk about what musicians need to know when they’re starting out as professionals, whether record deals still matter in the digital music scene, and how AI, from digital assistants to licensed voice cloning, is reshaping the industry.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) – Navigating the Fine PrintWe start the second half of our conversation with a focus on some of the lingo of the music industry, such as PRO, short for performance rights organization, payments. “That’s how you get paid royalties on the back end,” Jastin explains. “You might hear that phrase, right? For when your stuff is played on these different avenues and, you know, obviously streaming.” We talk about split sheets and how payments are divided in a group, and the importance of figuring things out ahead of time. “It’s easy if it’s just you, which I know most of us are often doing, right?” he says. “But you have your producer, maybe you have another songwriter, that’s three people. You wanna make sure you have your equally splits or whatever share… you guys agree to. Do not do that after the song is out.”(13:13) - Creativity in the Age of AIThe conversation shifts to building the foundation for musical success early and the challenge of starting out in the industry. “There’s people obviously we’ve seen in music that are A-list artists because they did have the team,” he tells us. “But if you talk to them in the beginning, they didn’t know what they were doing. They felt like they could figure it out, and they did.” He shares how AI has changed his workflow and approach to music, and his confidence that the human touch isn’t going away anytime soon. “We still have to just believe in, like, the human aspect of what we do,” Jastin says. “That can’t ever go away. I don’t care, regardless of what is happening now, what could happen. It just, and maybe that’s just my belief, that’s just where I’m gonna keep my eyes on the prize.”(28:55) - Human Connections in MusicOur discussion comes to a close as Jastin tells us how listeners can get in touch and what he’s working on right now, including a leadership coaching program. “It’s a 12-week program that’s centered around being sync-ready,” he explains. “Like, that’s a big thing that I’m leading with, and we’ll continue now that I’ve seen how it works. And, I know I’m still learning too, but man, I’m getting paid for beats that I made in, like, 2006.” He also shares his latest musical successes, including his upcoming album. “There will be new music coming,” he says. “Probably not by the end of [2025], but… I’m working on my thirteenth album. That’s kind of like, wow, I can’t even believe I’m saying that.”Episode SummaryJasten shares his insights on forming a strong musical career foundation.Our discussion on how AI and the digital music scene has affected musicians.Jasten’s thoughts on the necessity of human creativity amidst AI growth.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Fi

“I mean, you know how it was with Michael. And when I heard that phrase, it was just... He saved my life. Like, what? He just sung a song, right? Like, but, you know, take probably one of my favorites, ‘Man in the Mirror.’ Man, it still gets me. So, just from an experience standpoint, and I’ve done some travels in mental health and, you know, talking to people, I do understand how important music, or how powerful I should say, music is. So it absolutely feels like that being a musician, and then, I think, if you’re a musician in church, it’s… I’ve had some moments, Jodi.” – Jastin ArtisThis episode’s guest is a multi-faceted artist, producer, engineer, and indie A&R who bridges creativity with leadership. With twelve albums to his name, his work in sync licensing includes placements with the NBA alongside agency and micro-sync representation. His company A&R In Your Pocket empowers independent artists with industry knowledge and opportunity, and he inspires audiences worldwide as a keynote concert speaker teaching leadership through music. As a chronic health warrior, husband, and father of two, he embodies both artistry and perseverance.His name is Jastin Artis, and in this episode we’ll be exploring his creative journey, the lessons behind the music, and how he believes the music industry can survive and thrive into the future.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) - How Sound Shapes Our EmotionsAs we start things off, Jastin tells us about his early musical influences, from Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin to growing up with Michael Jackson on the radio. “I would say I was probably four or five,” he recalls. “It was when the movie came out, Moonwalker, and I used to go to my mom’s friend’s house who was in the neighborhood every day after school and watch that movie.” We talk about the power of sound and music, and how easy it is to lose touch with our musical side as adults. “Everybody who has a guitar that’s for decoration, that’s sitting there,” he says. “I’m telling you, please pick it up. Play it while you’re watching your favorite show, whatever. That little time adds up.”(10:45) – Harnessing the Power of MusicOur conversation focuses on the healing power of sound, and the impact it’s made on Jastin’s own life. “If it weren’t for music,” he tells us, “I don’t think I would be here… if I didn’t have access to these records, if I didn’t have that, just, I don’t think I would be the man that I am.” He shares his perspective as producer and A&R executive, and how hard it can be to shake off that perspective sometimes when it comes to just sitting back and enjoying music. “I’m listening and I’m like, wait a minute,” he says, “what did they do, know what I mean? And then other times you’re just, let me just chill.”(18:30) - The Intersection of Sound and BrandingAs the first half of our conversation wraps up, Jastin tells us more about his A&R work and what it’s taught him about the sound industry. “I like to call being an A&R is like the cool uncle or auntie,” he explains, “while being the manager is the parent. There is some separation there.” He talks about his role as a teacher of sound and music, and what it takes to turn musical talent into commercial success. “I was just telling someone today,” he explains, “what good is it learning music production and writing and all this other stuff… [if] you don’t know how to run your business?”Episode SummaryJasten shares some of his formative experiences with music and artists.We discuss how music influences emotions and even impacts mental health.Jasten talks about the importance of nurturing talent in the music industry.Tune in for next week’s episode as Jastin explains the financial language of the music industry, such as PRO payments and split sheets, his advice on how to sell yourself as an artist on social media, and his observations as an industry veteran on the growth of AI and what it means for musicians.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave

“I’m blown away by it. So, when I close my eyes and I listen to these things, and I hear those textures and I understand the footsteps coming from afar and getting closer and, you know, like, this stuff matters. Like, it paints the picture [so] that I don’t even have to have my eyes open. I can see the whole movie happen with sound.” – Michael DargieThis episode is the second half of my conversation with founder & executive creative director at Make More Creative, and Author of BrandJitsu™, Michael Dargie as we talk about his approach to uncovering and building up a sonic brand, how close we are to fully synthetic voiceover, and his insights as a marketer and director into what he’s looking for in a voiceover artist.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) - Finding Your Brand’s Unique SoundThe second half of our conversation begins as Michael talks about how the art of quickly building up a story in improv intersects with storytelling in branding. “What do you do? Why do you do it? Who do you do it for? Why do they care?” he asks. “It’s that circle of expectations. And it doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t have to be sales-y.” He shares more about his process for establishing a brand’s sonic identity and the building blocks of a successful campaign. “I think from a brand standpoint,” he explains, “and a sound specific standpoint is, ‘What is true for the brand?’ Just to oversimplify, ‘are you comedy, are you rock and roll, or are you country? Are you Donnie or Marie?’”(12:30) - The Balance of Sound and StorytellingMichael walks us through his process for casting and directing an ad campaign for a company that wanted to build a more versatile brand image. “We were trying to show that it’s manufacturing,” he tells us, “going from idea to thing to in the hands of somebody who needs a thing. That was the narrative arc. So part of it was I really wanted a feminine voice to tell that story.” He describes the casting process and what sets the right voiceover artist apart from the competition. “I think the other thing too,” he says, “that you’ll know as well is like, are you direct-able? Can you take a note and then do something with it and surprise us with your new approach to it? …Especially when you’re doing a read that’s maybe not even half a page, but you have to go through eight emotions.”(24:37) - The Future of Sound in BrandingOur conversation wraps up as Michael shares his thoughts about the power of sound, and how critical it is to a successful ad campaign. “It’s not something to be thrown away or to be tucked in at the end,” he tells us. “It’s your palette, and I think it… serves the visual that you’re going for. It’s the subtext for it all.” He tells listeners how they can get in touch and offers his thoughts on AI and where humans fit into the mix. “My agency name is Make More Creative,” he explains, “because that’s what we do… We are using AI for a lot of stuff right now, but we always have people in the mix.”Episode SummaryMichael’s improv-inspired process for discovering what sound represents a brand.He explains the importance of sound in building the brand’s narrative.Michael’s insights on AI voices and the evolving role of sound in marketing.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

“I don’t know if you can see it, [but] that’s an octopus. Yeah, on my upper arm. If you’re not watching this, the audio version is, there’s sunlight coming through and it’s dappling across this octopus. I’m a scuba diver. I really did believe, when I was young, that I was going to be a marine mammal biologist. That was my destiny. I watched Jacques Cousteau and I was all about it, and then life happened and I wasn’t all about it. It was until later in life that I got into scuba diving.” – Michael DargieThis week’s guest is a storyteller, creative instigator, occasional octopus whisperer, and founder of Make More Creative. He mentors with Calgary Economic Development and Canada’s Trade Accelerator Program, and speaks regularly at incubators, colleges, and universities. He’s the author of BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From ‘Meh’ To Memorable, a methodology that helps companies find, shape, and share their stories, and he’s a creative chaos agent with Loose Moose Theatre and Dropbear & Panda Productions, and the host of the multi-nominated RebelRebel podcast.His name is Michael Dargie, and in this episode, we’ll be diving into the power of sound in storytelling, branding, and bold creative expression. From podcasting to performance, he shares how voice and sound shape everything he creates—emotionally, strategically, and playfully. You’ll hear how his experiences as a comedian, filmmaker, and entrepreneur all connect through the thread of sound. And whether you’re a fellow storyteller or just love great audio, you’ll leave this conversation inspired to find your own voice, and maybe stir up a little creative trouble while you’re at 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. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) - Becoming an Octopus WhispererWe start the conversation off with Michael’s early memories of sound, which in his case includes gunslinger ballads on the family stereo. “I would just listen to these songs,” he says, “these stories, and just get lost in the moment. I would let my brain drift away and see it all happening.” He also tells us more about what it means to be an octopus whisperer. “I have been diving with them,” he explains, “I’ve interacted with them, I’ve hung out with them. I love them. They’re. They’re smart. They’ve got, like, nine brains. You know, each arm has its own brain. It’s like distributive intelligence.”(13:01) - Creative Rebel in SoundMichael talks more about being a creative rebel, and how his podcast, The RebelRebel Podcast, aims for people who don’t necessarily fit just one creative box. “It’s for creative rebels and entrepreneurs,” he says, “people that go left when people go right, you zig when others zag, and I’m curious about that story. So if you fit that model, then you’d be a great fit to the show.” We discuss his improv comedy experience and the lessons it taught him about marketing. “[Improv] is a huge part of it,” he tells us. “Like, you agree to what’s happening and then see where it goes instead of blocking the scene or stopping the action… You’d be like, you know what? Heck with it, let’s find out.”(22:24) - Podcasting and Sound DesignAs the first half of our conversation wraps up, Michael tells us about his book BrandJitsu™ and the foundational role of sound in branding. “The top of the iceberg,” he explains, “is the stuff that people see or hear or interact with your brand. What’s below the surface are all the things that matter and enable it to be there for you to enjoy. This book is all about all those pieces below the surface.” We talk about how sound sets the stage for a brand, and how it’s best utilized by a brand. “I think music and sound becomes subtext,” he says. “It contrasts what we see, and I think contrast is the most important part of any experience… What are these things? Why are they pulling at each other?”Episode SummaryMichael shares his formative memories involving music and storytelling.An exploration of what it means to be a creative rebel when it comes to sonic branding.Michael talks about his podcasting experiences and the importance of sound.Be sure to tune in for next week’s episode as we continue to explore the surprising intersection of improv comedy and audio branding, we talk about some of the commercial campaigns Michael’s worked on, and about his approach to finding the sound, mood, and v

“I think there’s nothing that truly resonates across all of your senses like sound does. If I’m watching something gorgeous, it’s a feast for my eyes, and it starts and ends there. But if I’m listening to something, it’s the one thing that can truly always be in your brain presence — always bringing things up or bringing things down. I mean, if you’re in a bad mood, one of the five ways to get out of it is going to be put on music, guaranteed.” – Jeremy ToemanThis episode is the second half of my conversation with founder of Augie, media and technology leader, and entrepreneur Jeremy Toeman as we discuss the sometimes-random twists and turns that created social media as we know it, the lessons he’s drawn from video-game design to help improve audio-first UX, and his perspective on balancing AI efficiency and human authenticity.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) - The Role of Sound in BrandingThe second half of our discussion begins with a look at podcasting, and why Fortune-500 interviews aren’t always the best approach for a business podcast. “They’re not really leverage-able,” he explains. “There’s not a lot of practical value in, like, ‘he gets up at 5 AM every day and does a 20-minute cold plunge, and he doesn’t look at any device and only eats oysters.’ Okay, but I’m never going to do that.” We talk about what AI has to offer podcasters and about how its ability to sift through user data and predict trends can impact even the most seemingly human elements. “I had someone blow my mind the other day,” he says, “He got on my podcast, and he had used an AI tool to listen to my other episodes and then predict for him what questions I would ask him… And it was pretty on spot.”(12:15) - Practical Tips for CreatorsWe talk about UX design for everything from software apps to smart devices, and how he’s taking his cues from the video game industry. “Think about tech products,” he says, “video games have music. They have sound effects, music... There should be so much more in our tech world where audio can make it a more satisfying experience..” He tells us about his daughter, who’s just published her first indie video game, and the hands-on approach to Foley sound effects that her experience taught him. “We were in my car and it was making this weird noise when you open the door,” he recalls, “and she’s like, hang on, can everybody be quiet? And she grabbed her phone and went to record it.”(20:00) - Enhancing Your Brand IdentityAs our conversation comes to a close, Jeremy talks more about the power of sound as a branding tool. “I think there’s nothing that truly resonates across all of your senses like sound does, right?” he says. “Like, if I’m watching something gorgeous, it’s a feast of my eyes, and it starts and ends there.” He tells us about his upcoming projects and AI developments, and how he’s working to balance the human and AI elements of new media. “We don’t want to take away from video editing or voiceover actors or principal photographers or any of these people,” he explains. “We look at how what we’re doing will be additive overall to the video ecosystem, and that includes voiceover actors and all the rest.”Episode SummaryDiscussion on how sound influences brand perception and user experience.Jeremy offers advice on using sound effectively in product design.Jodi wraps up the conversation with key insights and calling for action.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

“I love the use of AI voices or synthetic voices for people who might, you know, they’re embarrassed. I’ve worked with engineers my whole career, and sometimes, like, it’s not that they don’t want to tell their story or break something out there, but maybe they just don’t have the self-confidence or they were made fun of as a kid. I mean, I’ve always thought I had a super nasally voice and never liked the sound of my voice. And years into public speaking, I’m like, fine, I can, handle it now. So I love it from that perspective of, if, for some reason you couldn’t, now you can. I hate it from the perspective of, well, you can’t have the human do all this stuff, but instead you just sort of one-clicked it and now it’s sort of an average, generic, mediocre, you know, as they say, AI slop.” – Jeremy ToemanThis episode’s guest is the founder and CEO of Augie, an AI-assisted video creation and editing studio for marketers and social media managers. He’s also the creator and host of Founder at 50, a podcast and newsletter exploring the challenges and reinventions faced by entrepreneurs later in life. He’s held leadership roles at WarnerMedia, Etsy, CBS Interactive, and Sling Media, and founded several successful startups in the media tech space. His name is Jeremy Toeman, and we’ll be digging into how sound shapes trust, helps tech feel more human, and why even a simple “ding” can change a user’s experience. If you love the magic where tech and storytelling meet, this one’s for you.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) - The Emotional Power of SoundOur discussion starts with Jeremy’s early memories of sound, including a childhood movie that’s made a lifelong impression on him. “They incorporate, like, opera,” he describes 1979’s Breaking Away, “into the scenes. When he’s bike racing, you’re hearing like The Marriage of Figaro in the background. And the last time I watched it through, there’s something, like, every time the music would hit these moments, I’m just like weeping on my couch.” He shares his perspective as both a child and a parent when it comes to watching scary movies, and we talk about the hidden role cinematic sound plays in setting the mood. “If you not only turn on the lights,” he explains, “but simply mute it... They might still get tense, but, like, the thing that rocks them to their core goes completely away.”(11:46) - The Evolution of Audio TechnologyJeremy tells us more about his career journey, including the pioneering MP3 and streaming technologies he helped develop around the turn of the millennium, and how the limitations of the early internet led to a stronger focus on sound quality. “If the video buffered,” he explains, “you would be expecting it. It was normal. It was 2005, all video buffered, there was no such thing as non-buffering video. Whereas if the audio skipped even a little bit, it would just be really jarring.” He discusses some of the major brands he’s worked for, such as CBS and WarnerMedia, and the people skills that working at such large companies taught him. “There’s a saying that nobody quits a company,” Jeremy says, “they quit a manager. And so for me, a lot of my time was really trying to grow my, what they call the soft skills, but I think are the hard skills, which is how do you make teams of people with disparate priorities, perspectives, values, needs, how do you get them to really align?”(19:01) - AI’s Role in Creative ProductsThe first half of our conversation wraps up as Jeremy talks about Augie’s approach to AI and the hurdles his company’s working to avoid. “It bothers me personally,” he says, “that [we could] end up in this place where, like, 80% of the content is written by a bot, said by a bot, visualized by a bot, and then, wait for it, watched by a bot.” He explains how his technology balances the human and algorithmic elements of content, and his belief that, when there’s a choice to be made between the two, the human side should come first. “Is it all about what’s going to get me the absolute maximum new audience?” he explains. “I mean, from one angle, sure. But from the other angle, I want the audience that is like, I like this Jeremy guy, he talks about this, that, and the other. And, like, oh, you put a clip up talking about Arrested Development, not AI. Well, AI is goin

“That’s a big thing that I always like to try to put together in the shows — creating the sense of space, where we are taking that audience somewhere. And sonically, what does that sound like? I like having a lot of detail on, okay, this space, i.e. this portion of the episode. It’s like, if I go back to the American Kennel Club example, okay, this is Missouri in the 1850s in the summer. Okay, cool. I can work within that. There’s a lot of information and detail there that I could pull out.” – Joshua SuhyThis episode is the second half of my conversation with JSS Audio Sound Designer, Audio Engineer, and Producer Joshua Suhy as we discuss how he helps synergize the aural and visual components of a branded podcast, his advice to people who are still building a reputation in the sound industry, and the best strategy to new podcasters looking to avoid the dreaded “podcast graveyard.”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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) - The Importance of Sonic BrandingAs the second half of our discussion begins, Joshua talks about his work with marketing teams and what it takes to align a new audio brand with an established visual identity. “A missed opportunity that lots of brands aren't paying attention to is trying to figure out what do we sound like,” he says. “How are we coming across to an audience on an audio, an aural component versus just visual?” We discuss how music and sonic logos fit into branded podcasts, and about the versatility of original music content. “You can begin to see the possibilities,” he explains, “if you own the IP, [of] how much more capability you have creatively if you actually own the content that you're working with.”(14:20) - Branded Podcasts and Flagship ShowsWe talk about sound design and his advice for sound engineers who are just starting out in the industry. “The biggest thing, I think,” he says, “is to establish rapport with the agency or the people that you're working with, being able to trust them, but with the understanding that it's a symbiotic relationship between the two of you.” He tells us about how branded podcasts differ from regular content, and how the branding goes beyond just commercials and interstitials. “A big thing is really being able to figure out what is your voice,” he says. “What is the brand voice? What are you looking for in your show? What audience do you want to reach? And, essentially, creating an audience avatar of this.”(20:30) - Advice for New Audio ProfessionalsOur conversation wraps up as Joshua explains why it’s better to start slow as a podcaster, and why monetization shouldn’t necessarily be the primary goal. “If it leads to that, that's great,” he tells us. “But if your sole and only motivation behind your podcast is to make money, chances are you're going to be disappointed, and chances are your show is going to end up in the podcast graveyard with a lot of other people.” He shares how listeners can get in touch, and why sound designers shouldn’t write off their early mistakes. “That particular approach that you did for that episode may not have worked,” he says, “or the sound design approach didn't work for this, but that could be exactly what’s needed to help make the next episode or the next show go from good to great.”Episode SummaryHow brands can set themselves apart from the crowd through sonic branding.Exploring how branded podcasts blend brand identity and useful content.Joshua shares his insights as a sound designer for those starting in the industry.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast use

“But from that point, it was just a matter of, okay, I’ve got to put all this kind of stuff together now. And now that there isn’t a moving image that I’m necessarily locked into, I wield more power in regards to molding the action, so I could decide how a scene breaks down. And I think the example that I had given to you was, if we have a scene where two characters are in a room or one character walks up to another one, I can decide, am I the character already in the room? Or am I the person outside of the room coming up to the other character? Because obviously those are two vastly different sound design approaches.” – Joshua SuhyThis week’s guest is the founder of JSS Audio and a veteran of over fifteen years in the audio industry as a Sound Designer, Audio Engineer and Producer. His goal is to capture the essence of creative people’s ideas and bring tangible experiences to their audiences. Helping people tell stories through sound is his passion. His name is Joshua Suhy, and we’ll be talking about the subtle power of audio, the unexpected moments that define a mix, and why even the smallest sound can shape how we experience a story. If you want to learn how sound can influence feeling, this episode’s for you.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(00:00) - Using AI in Sound DesignOur conversation starts off with how Joshua has been putting AI to work for him in the studio, from finding gigs to helping manage his schedule. “One thing that I use it a lot for is to send me, like, a digest every morning of verified, paid, open audio gigs,” he explains. “I'm trying to use AI for the sake of what AI is supposed to do, [to] try to make my life easier.” He shares his early memories of sounds and the path that led him to become a sound engineer and producer, including a memorable sound editing project in his film class “Specifically it was the Bugs Bunny vs Elmer Fudd boxing match,” he says, “being able to blend real life sound effects, and we had the Hanna-Barbera sound library available at the school. So I'm like, I have [all] the stuff that I had always heard as a kid.”(18:30) - Transition to Audio ProductionThe discussion turns to how the pandemic created a podcast boom that helped revolutionize audio and deepened Joshua’s approach to sound engineering. “Over time, we've changed it to where we wanna have full control over what's going on,” he tells us, “in regards to sending microphones out to people, sound checking people, making sure that they sound as good as possible, because I want the best quality coming in.” We talk about how audio standards loosened at the height of the pandemic as more people than ever before joined the podcasting sphere, and how technology has been working since to close the gap between home and work studios. “What I liked about it, though,” he explains, “was [how] it humanized podcasting and humanized the personalities... So being able to see, in an interview, somebody's child [walking] in the room, like these are people with real life situations.”(25:00) - Impact of the Pandemic on PodcastingAs the first half of our conversation comes to a close, Joshua tells us about some of the podcasts he’s worked on that have left a big influence on him, such as the American Kennel Association’s Down & Back podcast. “Mike would write the script,” he says, “we would record Bud doing the voiceover, and then I just put everything together and build all the sound effects and music and all that kind of stuff in there, and they're just so much fun.” He shares his process for creating a Foley library of sound effects, and what he does when there isn’t a ready-made sound that fits his needs. “Footsteps, clothing sounds, things like that,” he says, “if I didn't have good cloth movement sounds, let's say, in my library, I would do my best to try to just shove a mic in front of my shirt and manipulate it that way.”Episode SummaryExploring how Joshua utilizes ChatGPT for studio planning and finding new gigs.His career journey from music and cinema to audio post-production.How the pandemic changed the podcasting landscape and audio technology.Be sure to tune in for next week’s episode as we talk about his work on branded podcasts, and what sets them apart from traditional podcasting, where he stands on licensed vs original music co

“Step sounds in a game is a sample being repeated, and then people start to make little variations in pitch of this sample. And then they became increasingly sophisticated with middleware, and so a whole set of software emerged, a type of software game, audio middleware, that serves only the purpose of making sound, usually sample-based sounds, pleasurable to use in an interactive context. And there are many different strategies, layering, adaptive mixing, even spectral shaping and stuff like that. And, of course, generative approaches as well are coming in, and that’s so interesting.” – Daniel Hug This episode is the second half of my conversation with sound and interaction designer, researcher, and head of the Sound Design MA at Zurich University of the Arts, Daniel Hug, as we talk about what the Avengers and Matrix movies can teach us about sound design, how video games helped pave the way for audio-first UX, and the importance of learning not just music but the language of sound. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - The Evolution of Sound DesignAs we start the second half of our discussion, Daniel and I talk about how Hollywood blockbusters have shown that a strong first impression can have diminishing returns, and how video-game design demonstrates the value of planning for repetition when it comes to sound. “Game sound, I always say, it has taught me probably the most about interactive or use-oriented sound design,” he explains. “Although you would not expect it from there, it’s not product sound design, it has nothing to do with cars or appliances or whatever, but it’s the [same] basic mechanisms. It’s about interaction.” We talk about his work on electric vehicle soundscapes and the sound designs in sci-fi movies that helped shape his design philosophy. “The sound of the car changes based on the way I press the gas pedal,” he says. “So if I’m being too aggressive, the sound can actually tell me, make me feel that, oh, now you’re overdoing it. And that’s what a film sound designer would do in a science-fiction film.”(0:14:37) - Empowering Sound Design for Everyday LifeDaniel tells us more about the considerations that go into automobile sound design, including legal concerns that go well beyond the car’s interior. “In Europe,” he tells us, “they have this regulation that from zero to thirty you have to have some noise generator. So even Teslas have, since, I don’t know how many years, but eventually they started to make noise as well.” We talk about how COVID and the shift to virtual spaces and online content brought more attention to sound design, and how the language to describe sounds is still evolving. “We have all kinds of visual languages that are established and normative, so to say,” he explains. “They tell us how to think, or to think of a certain image. In sound, especially if it’s non-musical, this is often missing. We have to come up with something.” Episode SummarySound design in films, games, and cars, and the challenges of preventing user fatigue.Daniels’ approach to integrating synthetic sound design into everyday life. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

“And I read this book, it was about acoustic communication. It was about how sound in everyday life mediates our relationship to the environment, and how we use it to communicate with each other, and so on, and that opens really a totally new field for me. So this was kind of the ignition, probably, for me to enter the non-musical sound world, which I’m still in. So there’s the world of noises, of everyday sounds and so on, and that’s how it started, basically. And from there I then came into interaction game design more or less by accident, and they had no one that knew anything about sound. And I kind of built up in this relatively new field of interaction game design at the time. This was in the early noughties.” – Daniel HugThis episode’s guest is a sound and interaction designer who co-directs the Master’s in Sound Design at Zurich University of the Arts. His work explores how sound shapes our experiences, from health technology to movement and education. He’s a leader in Sonic Interaction Design who serves on the steering committees for key sound design conferences and awards, and through research, teaching, and hands-on design, he bridges science, creativity, and business. He’s also a fellow jury member of the International Sound Awards, which is how we met. His name is Dr. Daniel Hug, and we’ll be exploring how sound can influence how we feel, move, and interact with the world around us.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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) - Exploring Early Sound Memories and DesignOur conversation starts with Daniel’s earliest memory of sound, a lightning bolt striking a river one night when he was child. “It was like somebody just jumping on top of a huge church organ,” he says, “with the whole body, like really all the keys playing at once… it was really amazing, [and] I have never heard this again.” We talk about how he got into sound, from jazz school and piano lessons to his early work on video-game sound design, and he recalls how a book by composer Barry Truax changed his perspective on sound and music. “It was about acoustic communication,” Daniel recalls. “It was about how sound in everyday life mediates our relationship to the environment and how we use it to communicate with each other and so on, and that opened a totally new field for me.”(0:13:19) - Creating Environmental Sound InnovationsOur discussion turns to his work with Caru, a medical company whose devices use an audio-first UX, and the importance of considering how such work contributes to and fits into the user’s soundscape. “That’s our sonic environment and that’s our relationship to this environment,” he explains, “and by designing it, we design experiences or we contribute to experiences which are multi-sensory all the time. So even if there is no sound, there is a sound, but it’s one that you didn’t design.” We talk about how he draws inspiration from such wide-ranging sources as nature sounds to sci-fi movies, and how quickly those sounds can become integrated into our everyday experiences, regardless of their origin. “Design quality is only one aspect,” he says, “but the other aspect is to have positive experiences together with a certain sound that makes the sound actually work. Like a coffee machine doesn’t make a nice sound, but we love it because it’s related to this act of producing coffee.”(0:24:27) - The Art of Sound GrowthAs the first half of our discussion wraps up, he shares a few samples of his UX work and tells us more about how he blends familiar and impossible sounds together into a unique design. “I always try to design sounds in a way that uses layers,” he says, “actually many layers, really, along with traces of familiar, material sounds with more synthetic stuff, but with the goal that the individual components cannot be extracted clearly, that you get more the feeling of something.” We touch on the impact of AI and how it challenges sound designers to push themselves further. “Maybe that’s one positive aspect,” Daniel tells us, “it pushes you to focus on our thinking out of the box and thinking in terms that a probabilistic machine doesn’t anticipate, and thus creating sound experiences that are new.”Episode SummaryHow jazz, piano, and a bolt of lightning helped shape Daniel’s career in sound design.Daniel’s work on the audio-first UX de

“I said, ‘this is a tsunami that is coming, and I'm either going to be crushed by it and drowned under it and it's going to destroy everything I've built, or I'm going to learn to surf the big waves, and I'm going to do whatever I have to do to surf this wave,’ which is what I did sort of at the dawn of online video. I was sort of one of the first probably one hundred agencies in the country that were consistently making online video back in 2008 or 2009. So was a brand new thing, right? And so, I just decided, okay, I'm going to do that again. And once I made that decision, I actually got excited again, and my entrepreneurial instincts kicked in, and it was not fun. I sort of had to set off a grenade in the middle of my own business and say, okay, I'm going to start over.” – Wil Seabrook This episode is the second half of my conversation with singer, songwriter, and Light Touch Media Group’s founder and chief creative Wil Seabrook as we talk about where the AI revolution is leading the music industry, the one mistake small-business owners and freelancers make when it comes to finding clients, and how a retro-themed ad campaign made a splash in the TikTok era. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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) - Navigating AI in Changing Business LandscapeThe second half of our conversation picks up with a look at AI’s growing impact on the music industry, and where Wil sees it all heading. “I am an eternal optimist as a person,” he explains, “and so I think we are in so many ways we're actually headed for a golden age. I think we're going to solve a lot of logistical problems, a lot of medical and health problems.” He tells us more about how we might eventually get to that point, and some of the hurdles we’ll need to overcome, and the role human artists have to play. “It needs artists, it needs creative people guiding it, shaping it,” he says. “If you're going to change the system, essentially change it from the inside. I think that's very important.”(0:10:29) - Evolution of Technology in BusinessWil shares the biggest mistake he sees when working with voice talent: “The number one mistake that I see small business owners of all kinds make, but this absolutely goes for voiceover artists [and] other types of creative people, they just don't promote remotely enough.” He offers his tips on getting your name and brand out there as an artist, and the value of human creativity, even if it seems like AI can do it all. “If you have an innate talent that moves people,” Wil says, “that people gravitate toward, it's special and it's worth cultivating. It's worth persisting, it's worth learning and stumbling and scraping your knees and getting back up again, because that's not a gift that everybody's given.” Episode SummaryAI's impact on the music industry, and how business models have begun to adapt.How COVID-19 democratized audio production and where things might be headed. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

“I will say, as someone who has auditioned hundreds and hundreds, if not over a thousand, voiceover artists and listened to very talented people doing the same take over and over again, the recording quality, the sound quality, absolutely matters. And it's an immediate… There are so many people for me where it's an immediate ‘no,’ because the moment I hear the sound quality and it's not totally up to a pro level, I assume tons of things about that.” – Wil Seabrook This episode’s guest is a former Warner Bros recording artist and the founder of two award-winning creative agencies, and he’s produced over 8,000 videos and commercials for some of the world's biggest and most successful companies. His name is Wil Seabrook, and this week we’ll be talking about how sound design affects his creative process, what people should keep in mind about sound when it comes to their own projects, and what role he sees AI playing in the short and long term when it comes to sounds of all sorts. If you work in sound and you’re struggling to find your place in the modern marketplace? You’ll definitely want to listen in on this conversation. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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) - Musicians' Early Sound Influences and JourneysAs our conversation starts, Wil recall his earliest memories of sound, and the impression that hearing a Simon & Garfunkel song made on both him and his parents. “I came home from preschool,” he recalls, “and I was talking to my mother, and I kept saying Funkle, Funkle. She's like, ‘what the heck are you talking about? You want a pencil?’ And she finally figured out that I wanted to listen to Simon & Garfunkel.” He talks about his early career as a musician, some of his missteps along the way and how he’s helped his son avoid them, and how social media has transformed the music scene. “I think the rise of social media,” he says, “the way things have changed in the last ten, fifteen years, you just realize what an incredible amount of talent there is in the world… now you can just sit down with your phone and a guitar and make a beautiful noise and inspire people, and I do think that part's neat.”(0:08:57) - The Power of Music in CommunicationThe discussion continues as Wil talks about his shift from working with Fortune 500 companies to helping small businesses establish their brand, and the different approach it requires. “It's a much more emotional journey,” he explains. “But I get to be more helpful with more things. I'm not just creating content, I'm helping them put it out into the world, improve their business, and I find that fun and engaging.” He also offers some firsthand advice to voice actors who might find themselves frustrated with the auditioning process. “Don't automatically assume that you did something wrong,” he tells us, “or that you've made a mistake, or that you're not talented, or that you're not doing everything right. You could do everything right and still not be the person who gets selected.”(0:14:20) - Creating Music for Brands With PurposeAs the first half of our conversation comes to a close, Wil shares a surprising discovery about the power of authenticity while recording an Instagram spot. “I did two versions in the studio and, on a friend's recommendation, I did a version on my couch, just to see. The version on my couch outperformed the other two versions, two to one.” He points out the work that can go into such seemingly organic spots, however, and cautions against not taking it seriously. “It's very important for people to understand that simple or homemade style does not mean that it's not produced,” he explains. “It's just a different medium, in a way, than trying to make a TV show or a movie.” Episode SummaryWill shares his musical journey, from old records and school choirs to recording singles.Sound’s subliminal impact on consumers and how clients can tap into that power.How the right environment and equipment can make or break a voiceover audition. Be sure to tune in for next week’s episode as Wil and I discuss AI’s place in the music industry and Wil’s own business, why he thinks we may be in for a new golden age once the dust settles, and how musicians and producers are adapting to the mile-a-minute landscape of social media. Connect with the Au

“I think sound is important because I believe it's the first sense that we develop even before we're born. And it's a way of knowing things, knowing the world. Even if you have your eyes shut, you can feel the place. You can feel if it's a big space, if it's an open space, a closed space. So I think it's our most basic feeling instinct that we have, and I remember, before my daughter was born, I would sing for her and her mom’s belly, would move. She would react to sound even before she was born. Yeah, so that's why I think sound is really, really important in everything.” – Humberto Franco This episode’s a little different than most of our podcasts here at Audio Branding. Instead of a conversation in my studio, this one follows my journey through Portugal, exploring the soundscapes of the Douro vineyards and a boat ride in Aveiro to the hustle and bustle of the Porto airport. This episode also features a very special guest. Humberto Franco is the producer and editor of Audio Branding: The Hidden Gem of Marketing, and he’s a professional, multilingual voice actor, a proud dad, an audio, video, and podcast editor and producer, and self-professed computer geek.We had a chance to catch up during my trip to Europe, and I know firsthand that Humberto has a great deal of insight into the power of sound, from how he approaches video and audio editing to his thoughts on how sound shapes every aspect of our lives. Stay tuned for a fascinating conversation about Humberto’s perspective as an editor and a behind-the-scenes look at Audio Branding itself, framed against the lively audio backdrop of the sights and sounds of Portugal. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Exploring the Power of SoundOur conversation begins along a bridge near the city of Régua, surrounded by green hills and lush grape vines, and Humberto shares his earliest memory of sounds, including his parents’ ABBA albums. “I started to wake up in the morning,” he tells us, “go downstairs to the living room, started to play ABBA music, which was a nightmare for my parents.” We move on to a restaurant in Porto and a conversation over dinner, one that begins with Humberto’s question about the process of becoming a guest on Audio Branding. He in turn shares his process for smoothing out the bumpy road podcast interviews can sometimes take. “I put all the files, the video files and the audio files, in sync and then I'll go through the conversation,” he explains. “If there's a mistake, I will take it. There are tricks that, if there's a cut that I need to make, that I'm able to hide it with some magic sauce, I'll do it.”(0:14:09) - Exploring the Importance of SoundOur next stop is a ride aboard a traditional moliceiro boat in the city of Aveiro, and Humberto talks about what inspired his career and his hopes for the future of sound. “For me,” he explains, “it's to see how far technology can take us, how deep can our knowledge and our curiosity can take us into the world of sounds, and to find new things, like small hidden corners of our brain that a sound can light up. And that's what the future brings.” As we arrive at the Porto airport, Humberto and I discuss the inspiration and goal of Audio Branding, and he closes with his thoughts about the importance of sound in our lives. “It's a way of knowing things,” he tells us. “knowing the world. Even if you have your eyes shut, you can feel the place… I think it's our most basic feeling instinct that we have.” Episode SummaryAs we travel through Portugal, Humberto and I discuss podcasting and audio production.The future of Audio Branding and the impact of sound in Humberto’s own life. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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

“And if you have fun with it, that's going to come across and, I think that's the missing piece. That's where I would start. If I was going to really trust an agency or musicians to create something for me, it was, like, how do we have a conversation or multiple conversations to get us to the most fun way of executing this? Because if you're having fun, you're going to come up with something unique. If you're not having fun, you're just going to try and get it out the way as quick as possible, right? If it's just transactional, I don't think anybody really gets to that point of exploring an idea beyond what's written on the paper. Although it's hard to predict what makes a successful Sonic brand, I think it's more about the process that gets you to that place.” – George Holliday This episode is the second half of my conversation with producers, composers, and founders of creative music agency Hear Me Out, George Holliday and Luke Moseley as they share their thoughts on what defines a sonic brand, how AI is reshaping the music and advertising industries, and their message to the next generation of musicians as they grow up in the age of generated content. As always, if you have questions for my guests, 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Creating a Sonic Branding StrategyThe second half of our conversation picks up as Luke shares his thoughts on what makes or breaks an audio brand. “I think, for me, a successful sonic branding strategy is something that has the lowest friction to actually getting to market,” he says, “to showing people the effectiveness of it, and then it can just be developing from there.” “I also think we kind of rely on statistics far too much in the creative phase of doing all of this,” George adds, recalling his marketing experience prior to founding Hear Me Out. “I think when we really understand the brand and you get to have fun with what it is they're about, that's what's going to make the most successful sonic logo for them.”(0:07:31) - Exploring AI's Impact on Music“That's not really what brands are employing us for and having us as partners,” Luke notes as he and George discuss their Hear Me Out clients. “It's for the understanding, it's for the ability to translate their larger goals and their marketing strategy and how music can help elevate that and support it.” Our talk turns to AI and how much it’s impacted the audio industry over the past year or so, and whether machine-generated music might someday replace human artists. “I was thinking about when CGI came into the film industry,” George observes, “and everyone was like, ‘Oh, nobody's gonna go out and make films anymore. We're just gonna hire a studio and make everything in one room.’”(0:12:43) - The Impact of CGI and AIGeorge notes that CGI hasn’t replaced cinematography as much as people expected, partially because movie franchises like Mission: Impossible take pride in their authenticity. “It wasn't CGI,” he says, “because Tom Cruise wouldn't allow it to be CGI. He demands that you would hang off the plane, right? That's why we love watching Mission Impossible and I think that's for me, why I still have hope for music in an AI world.” Luke recalls his conversations with a friend at Pixar during the first rush of CGI films, and how the industry eventually found its balance. “Everyone that was using pen and paper thought ‘I'm out of a job,’” he notes. “And then, all of a sudden, it's like, ‘Oh, now, all my friends have jobs as long as we can use this computer.”(0:22:02) - The Power of Sound and MusicWith our conversation coming to a close, George and Luke offer their advice to the next generation as it navigates social media, streaming media, and generated content. “It would just be trust themselves.” Luke says. " I think it's so easy now, particularly with everyone trying to fit in, and, you know, the world of music and the world of being in music is not a particularly easy one. It's very rewarding, you know, and it's a privilege to be able to, to be in it, but it's not the easiest.” George adds his thoughts and reminds us to hold onto the things that set us apart from algorithmic content. “That's the thing we should never lose touch with,” he says, “our understanding or just feeling. You don't have to understand why, you just have to understand that, that is somethin

“You know it's the way that news passed between villages before there were any written word, you know, for anything to get around. I think we all know that it's incredibly integral to, initially, to survival, let alone to emotion. You know, if you could wrap important news in memorable melodies, then people were going to be less likely to die back in the day. So, I think there's a part of that within all of us. So yeah, I think you can speak very little of the same language but still be connected instantaneously through music. I guess that’s what my travels have taught me.” – Luke MoseleyThis episode’s guests are a pair of composers and producers who launched creative music agency Hear Me Out because of their frustration with how the traditional agency model removed the musicians from the decision makers. Hear Me Out is now unlocking value for brands with a tool that’s been used for decades but is hugely underutilised today – and that tool is sound.Their names are George Holliday and Luke Moseley, and we’ll be diving into how sound shapes emotion, memory, and connection from music to business. We’ll also hear from them how taking risks, following curiosity, and listening deeply have guided their creative journey. Get ready for a fascinating conversation about the power of sound!As always, if you have questions for my guests, 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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) - Musicians' Early Sound Influences and JourneysOur conversation begins with George and Luke’s early memories of sound, and the influences that led them to a career in audio branding. “There was always a piano in the house in all of my family,” George recounts, “with all my family, and we always used to gather around and just sing badly, whether it be at Christmastime or just the weekend.” They share their musical journey, literally in Geroge’s case as he toured Europe by bus, and Luke likewise recalls his early days as an indie musician on the road. “Mine was just going to places to play shows,” Luke explains. “I always just traveled with my longboard skateboard duct-taped to the outside of my guitar case.”(0:08:57) - The Power of Music in CommunicationLuke and George share what their early experiences taught them about music’s power to transcend borders and even language. “You can speak very little of the same language,” Luke says, “but still be connected pretty instantaneously through music. I guess this is what my travels have taught me.” George adds his thoughts about the different cultural directions music has evolved in, and what they have in common. “I think that's why we always, as a species,” he notes, “come back to percussive elements, more so than we come back to melodic elements. I think there's some kind of group feeling about that as well. There's a togetherness with percussion that really makes it work.”(0:14:20) - Creating Music for Brands With PurposeAs the first half of our discussion concludes, George and Luke explain what inspired them as musicians to found their sonic branding agency Hear Me Out. “The thing that separates us from the others is we still make the music,” Luke says. “Like, we're the founders and we make the music.” George recalls the process behind their work on Sky Bingo’s audio brand campaign, which included live singers and instruments. “We were actually able to make real human music,” he explains, “because they wanted to connect with humans and actually make a point about the fact that they weren’t a fussy brand.”Episode SummaryGeorge and Luke's early musical memories and family influences.Music as a universal connector, its cultural variations, and its emotional resonance.How George and Luke used natural acoustics to create a unique ad campaign.Be sure to tune in for next week’s episode as Luke and George talk about their approach to building a sonic branding strategy, what the growth of audio AI has in common with Hollywood’s CGI revolution, and how new technology, including AI, has and is still leading to whole new musical genres.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikran

“I have a friend who’s a library film composer and produces podcasts, and I was talking to him, I was giving him the kind of same thesis I talked about today. And he’s like, ‘yeah, I get it. But like, I’m the one who’s going to lose the job.’ Cause what he, this very specific, specified job he has [is] of composing kind of anonymous music for podcasts. And he’s successful, he wrote the theme of Serial, and he’s done a lot of big podcasts in New York Times and NPR and, uh, and he’s like, that’s probably the functional music which employed a lot of composers is probably not going to be needed as much.” – Drew Thurlow This episode is the second half of my conversation with founder of Opening Ceremony Media and author of Machine Music: How AI is Transforming Music’s Next Act Drew Thurlow as we discuss the surprising musical trend Drew foresees as AI becomes more commonplace, the one lesson he always shares with music students when it comes to the future of AI, and the ripple effects that generated audio content and voice clones have already started to have across the music industry. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Future of AI in Creative AestheticsWe pick up the conversation as Drew offers his prediction of how AI music, over time, might become as retro and nostalgic as lofi music today. “I have this theory that with all these AI hallucinations that are happening,” he explains, “that’s going to become its own creative aesthetic, and you’re going to start to see the AI vocal models, you know, the early AI vocal models [return].” He shares his observations as a guest lecturer and why he’s optimistic about the next generation’s relationship with AI, and the lesson he always shares with students. “I’d encourage students to have curiosity be your superpower,” he says. “And community is also really, really important. It was really important for me when I was starting out twenty, twenty-five years ago. It’s even more important now, with so much more noise out there and so many more distractions and so much more music and people doing it.”(0:04:43) - Trends in Music Tech StartupsDrew talks about how the industry is evolving as digital media becomes the norm, and the opportunities for AI to increase revenue. “Streaming growth is slowing down,” he tells us. “You know, we’re running out of subscribers in the West and North America, western Europe and North America, and so labels and rights holders and artists are kind of in the mood to count their pennies.” He notes some of the less obvious ways that AI is increasing revenue, such as black box royalty collections and anti-piracy safeguards, and the versatile uses of generated audio content. “Adaptive audio companies [are] using machine learning and generative AI for health,” he says, “also in the gaming environments, which is a big business, where personalized music can adapt to you and your environment. It kind of reads your environment. So those are interesting, interesting companies.”(0:10:09) - Emerging Trends in Music TechAs our discussion comes to a close, we talk about how AI music is already impacting the industry, particularly for indie productions and freelance composers. “Generative AI instrumental music is probably going to be fine,” he says, “and they’re on a budget anyway. So it’s like that kind of middle class of artist who makes a living writing music for reality TV and podcasts and independent gaming, that’s probably where it’ll hit the most.” Drew talks about his latest projects, including his upcoming book and how listeners can get in touch, and he notes how quickly things have changed in just the last few months. “I remember the first, like, acoustic guitar sounds that came out of AI were pretty bad,” he tells us, “and I was like, don’t worry everybody, this is going to take a while. And then, six weeks later, it wasn’t true anymore. So I’m not putting any limits on how fast this tech can mature.” Episode SummaryGen Z’s relationship with AI and how hallucinations might become an art form.How machine learning has optimized revenue streams and enhanced distribution models.AI’s role in gaming, health care, and more as the technology continues to evolve. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by

“And we got a new Beatles song. I can’t believe we’re talking about the Beatles…. But John Lennon recorded a really corrupted vocal before he tragically died, and it was just kind of there because of some stem separation tech that is only possible because of machine learning. They were able to clean up the vocals, fully on board with the John Lennon estate and the remaining Beatles members, and there’s a few others, but this is interesting. It’s just, it’s a new way of engaging with audio that people, fans are showing that they really like.” – Drew ThurlowThis episode’s guest is a former professional musician turned music executive and strategist. He served as Senior Vice President of A&R at Sony Music and has held leadership roles at both Pandora and Warner Music. As a graduate of Brown University with a master’s in Technology and Leadership, he blends creative insight with business acumen. His writing has appeared in Billboard, and he remains a sought-after voice on the intersection of music, tech, and innovation. His first book, “Machine Music: How AI is Transforming Music’s Next Act,” will be published in 2026.His name is Drew Thurlow, and he’s also a fellow jury member for the International Sound Awards, which is how we met. As someone on the forefront of music and technology, he has a lot of great advice for sound creatives wanting to make their mark – both now and into the future.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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.(0:00:00) - Evolution of Music Industry and TasteOur conversation starts off with Drew’s early memories of sound and his start as a musician. “I was one of those kids,” he recalls, “who just didn’t have idle time without a guitar in my hands, and I didn’t think too much about it. I wasn’t super self-reflective about it, I just kind of like followed my instincts and continued to do that.” He tells us more about his career journey as a music executive and explains how much the business has changed since he first started out. “There’s the whole influencer thing wrapped up in it,” he says, “and the way people, especially Gen Z and younger millennials, fall in love with personalities and artists is different. It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just different.”(0:12:36) - AI Impact on Music IndustryAs the first half of our discussion wraps up, we turn to the question of whether AI might replace human artists, and Drew offers some surprising statistics. “From our best, really good estimates by places like Deezer and Spotify,” he says, “AI-generated music, even though it’s a measurable percentage of all the songs on [digital service providers], is a third of a percent of the royalty pool, and I just want to reiterate that it is a rounding error. Nobody wants this music.” He shares his thoughts on where AI is heading and some of the ways it might help transform the music industry. “On the business side,” he tells us, “there’s a lot of evidence that these fans want to engage with music in cool and interesting ways, and these AI tech tools allow them to do that, and it’s a revenue-generating source.”Episode SummaryDrew’s early experiences with music and how he got his start as a music strategist.What it means to be an artist in the age of social media and AI-driven content.Be sure to tune in for next week’s episode as Drew and I discuss his pivotal role in the International Sound Awards, which AI trends are leading the way in the music business, and how machine learning and generative music are finding uses in everything from video games to medical apps.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https:/

“If you’re watching any video on how to get started on content for your business, for public speaking, anything like that, the microphone is always the number one thing, they say. And that should be a cue. It’s not the phone and it’s not a video camera. They say use your phone to get started, but buy a better mic and there’s a reason that this matters so much to people.” – Nikolaj Kloch This episode is the second half of my conversation with founder of Thrivr Productions Nikolaj Kloch as we discuss what he’s learned firsthand about sound since becoming a videographer, how AI is reshaping the way we use studio sound effects, and his number one on-site audio rule. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Audio BrandingThe second half of our conversation picks up as Nikolaj tells us about some of the lessons he’s had to learn by experience while working with sound, such as the hidden biases that have shaped recording equipment for decades. “Audio hardware and software have been set up for a man’s voice, and I didn’t realize this over the years,” he notes. “I had no idea about that, and there’s a lot of intricacies like that which are just out in the industry that have been left over for a hundred years now, and you don’t think how that ties back to history until you dive into it.” He tells us how he incorporates AI into his workflow and where he sees it taking the future of audio/video editing. “I think that’s going to make incredible videography work,” he explains. “I think it’s going to add another layer that you still need people behind it, I think we always will, but… it’s going to be a great tool for us to have.”(0:14:05) - The Impact of Quality AudioAs our conversation comes to a close, Nikolaj shares his strategy for demonstrating the value of sound to skeptical clients. “Just showing them the difference between well-planned audio and something that is just basic, sounds bad, filmed with an iPhone that they’re holding to their mouth and things like that,” he says. “If you show them the side-by-side, I think that’s the easiest way to show them that the transformation is there.” He talks about his latest projects and how listeners can get in touch, and tells us what opened his eyes to the power of sound. “If you could sit down and watch a single video that shows the before and after,” he says, “it changed my view on audio entirely, and it’s something that I always have... when I show these budgets to public speakers, conferences or businesses.” Episode SummaryThe importance of choosing – and properly setting up – the right audio equipment,How sound empowers everything from shaping a narrative to capturing brand synergy. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

“If you don’t make the video with audio in mind first, that’s the difference between, you know, a 14% click-through rate versus, you know, a 2% click-through rate. And a lot of people don’t tie those two together, that it matters. It’s something that people should be focusing on with a lot of time and energy.” – Nikolaj KlochThis week’s guest is a videographer, content creator, and former aerospace engineer who helps speakers, entrepreneurs, and brands elevate their presence using impactful video that actually delivers. With a background in both engineering and creative production, he brings a rare mix of precision and artistry to his work, and he’s worked with speakers from TEDx stages to Fortune 500 boardrooms, helping them stand out, connect with audiences, and grow their influence.His name is Nikolaj Kloch, and he’s passionate about the power of sound and its impact on visuals. Stay tuned as he shares his insights on why audio isn’t just important – it’s essential. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Audio in MarketingAs we start off our discussion, Nikolaj recalls one of his first memories of sound, a Lego commercial his brother starred in when they were children. “They actually had to bring in a mic and he just hit the blocks over and over to get the sound crumbling,” he recalls. “And you know, you don’t put those together as a kid until you get older, but I can always hear those blocks crumbling.” He shares how his background as an aerospace engineer took a surprising turn towards audio production, and the common threads between the two. “A lot of people think they don’t translate as much,” he explains, “but it’s one of those things where, you know, audio is a great example of the nitty gritty. There are specific engineers that dive into this every single day, and spend nothing else for their time.”(0:09:12) - Mastering Precision Audio RecordingWe talk about precision audio, just what that phrase really means, and the extensive background that getting the most out of audio can require. “It’s kind of like Picasso saying he won’t sell his little picture on his napkin because he’s taken so much time learning this,” Nikolaj says. “And I feel like that directly ties into this, because it’s really precision. You know they have to line up perfectly.” As the first half of our talk wraps up, Nikolaj shares how he aims to create the ideal environment for an on-site recording and how he helps clients work around some less-than-ideal ones. “I’m going to be reusing this over and over,” he says. “So I’m always like, please, let me at least talk to them and see what their setup is, let’s dive into it a bit. They usually get a little annoyed, but it makes a big difference.” Episode SummaryHow videographer Nikolaj Kloch transitioned from aerospace engineering to sound design.Nikolaj’s work with precision audio, from live recordings to film collaborations.Be sure to tune in for next week’s episode as Nikolaj shares the lessons he learned from working with Britain’s first female Royal helicopter pilot, where he sees AI taking us when it comes to audio and video production, and the most important message he has to offer about the power of sound. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

“[What] a lot of sonic branding agencies aren’t aware of is that sonic branding can also be used as a tool to address a concern that the client might have. So, for example, a new competitor has come in and now they feel dated. Okay, let’s write a sonic branding that’s based around being modern. Okay, they’ve had a big knock on trust, like I mentioned before, with a data breach. This is a great opportunity to write a sonic branding that builds customer trust. So, it can be used as another mode along with your visuals, along with your tone of voice. Your branding tone of voice is in, like, the words that are spoken, not the like the language, right? It’s a tool to convey your brand.” – Dr. Thomas Dickson This episode is the second half of my conversation with musicologist and sonic branding strategist Dr. Thomas Dickson as he shares his thoughts on maintaining a long-term branding, the growing use of AI for everything from monitoring to mock-ups, and the versatility of an effective sonic logo. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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 Sonic Branding VariationsMy conversation with Dr. Dickson picks up as we talk about the challenge of maintaining a consistent audio brand through changing management and brand strategies. “They might not even have been strategically sonic branding,” he notes. “It could have just been some brand music that they turned into a mnemonic or brand music they’ve just been using for years, and then a brand manager will come in and just throw out everything.” He points out McDonald’s as a prime example of an audio brand that’s only gotten stronger over the past twenty-five years, and how consistency has been its key to success. “It’s a really good case study for sonic branding agencies to look at,” he says, “how you can take a mnemonic [and] use it in, there’s videos on YouTube where it’s, like, using like thirty different contexts, and it’s just changed instrumentation slightly, changed the speed, [and] added swing .”(0:07:38) - Sonic Branding Evolution and ImpactDr. Dickson tells us about his worth with agencies that are increasingly turning to AI for solutions, especially when it comes to catching online plagiarism. “They are using AI to identify melodies that are shared and then taking them to court once the melody’s been used sufficiently,” he cautions. “Day one, a song comes out, they don’t take them to court. They wait till the song is a massive hit and it’s got enough revenue, and then they take them to court.” We discuss AI’s growing presence in everything from audio mastering and editing to generating new music, and he points out some of the roles he sees it filling over time. “I’m imagining in the future there will be the option to take a track,” he explains, “and then just [have AI] re-tailor it to that context and stretch it out so that, for the conference that goes for two hours, there’s appropriate backing music based on your sonic branding.”(0:16:24) - Future of Sonic Branding ToolsAs our conversation wraps up, Dr. Dickson emphasizes the cost-benefit ratio of sonic branding compared to other forms of marketing, and its potential for building brand awareness. “I think the thing I would push is the value for money argument,” he says, “that it is very affordable for an asset they’re going to use for a very long time.” We talk about the increasingly fierce competition among brands and agencies looking to grow their online presence, and the dangers of being left behind in an increasingly digital world. “The big thing as well is all of this is in the context of digital media,” he tells us. “So we are seeing more clients get work from TikTok, Facebook in particular, and Instagram in particular, and YouTube. If you’re not using multimedia on a multimedia platform, you’re falling behind.” Episode SummarySonic branding in advertising and its evolution from traditional jingles to social media.The growing role of AI in audio branding, its limitations, and how it might evolve.How AI enhances branding and enables a more flexible, enduring marketing strategy. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Bra

“If you imagine a company has a ten million dollar marketing budget, right? And then you imagine they have a sonic logo on every single TikTok ad, Facebook ad, YouTube ad, all these new media where the majority of the traffic’s coming from now. If they can increase conversion rates marginally, they can have a huge difference to their bottom line. And it’s one of those things where, because sonic branding, once it’s done, once, and, well, yes, there might be a brand refresh where it’s changed in ten years, um, or it’s updated, or maybe it’s changed slightly to work with a different culture, right? There might be like a version which sounds slightly more Canadian, right? Or more Christmasy, or things like that. But the point being is this is an asset that they develop once, and then it can be used on these campaigns that can have huge advertising budgets, which makes it very cheap when you compare it to the actual campaign marketing spend.” – Dr. Thomas Dickson My guest on this episode is a musicologist who specializes in how we perceive sound and how it shapes brand communication. With a PhD in Music Psychology, he helps brands create emotionally resonant and research-backed sonic identities. His work reduces subjectivity, improves creative decisions, and even addresses legal risks like plagiarism in audio branding.His name is Dr. Thomas Dickson, and he’s advised national retailers, tech firms, and service brands throughout his career. And, as if the subject of musicology isn’t fascinating enough, we’ll also be discussing how businesses can make sure their sound stays original and protected. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Sound in AdvertisingOur discussion begins with a look back at Dr. Dickson’s early memories of sound, and he came prepared with a more recent, but still memorable, experience that demonstrated the power of sound. “By the grand finale,” he recalls as he describes an outdoor concert featuring the Melbourne Symphonic Orchestra, “it’s a bucketing down, raining and everyone’s still there. So we’ve got this huge event, it’s bucketing down, raining, [and] no one’s leaving because they want to hear the finale.” He tells us more about musicology, what it means, and how it can help build a stronger brand. “Musicology is like the academic and rigorous study of music,” he explains. “It comes down to a broad range of different styles, so this could be like music history, it could be music psychology, which is what I looked at, the psychology of music or sound, [or] it could be ethnomusicology.”(0:09:05) - Musicology and Plagiarism in Sonic BrandingDr. Dickson tells us about the different dimensions of musicology and how sound influences us, such as musical expectancy and episodic memory, and how much our impression of sound comes from the media we consume. “We have cultural norms associated with electronic music,” he explains, “digital sounds, hard hitting bass, all that kind of stuff that we associate with that through repeated exposure with these sounds, with those kinds of branding pillars.” He shares an example of a client who sought his help with finding the right branding voice, and he shares some of the unexpected legal risks that can arise when an audio brand campaign’s trying to sound familiar but not too familiar. “The last thing you want to do,” he tells us, “is compose something that doesn’t really suit the brief that you thought did, but you also don’t want to end up with something that’s derivative of another work.”(0:19:02) - Implementing Sound Design in Sonic BrandingAs we reach the first half of our conversation, Dr. Dickson talks about the strengths and limitations of a sonic brand, and how music can fill in the emotional gaps to build a stronger brand. “That’s not going to have much emotion conveyed in it,” he says of an audio logo, “whereas if you are to pitch, tune that, so make it turn into a melody... there’s opportunity to get both the distinctive asset and also an opportunity to convey, you know, music and emotion.” He shows an effective sonic brand can be one of the most cost-effective approaches to marketing, and we talk about the perils of trying to use stock music rather than a distinctive audio brand. “I have witnessed the phenomenon of different advertisin

“And they had people that had either the escalator going up on the right-hand side or you could take the stairs, and each stair played a different key on the piano. More people took the stairs than they did the escalators because it was more fun. So, they did something they hadn't done before that was better for them. So, it all wraps up beautifully, and was such a fun campaign. And again, it didn't have to cost a lot of money. They didn't do many of those piano stairs. And it's that old thing, or the new thing that we try and do now, [which] is ‘experienced by few, seen by many.’ And you see it all the time, you know, you do one small little activation that really doesn't have to cost a lot of money, but you film it beautifully, put a good track to it, you make sure it gets shared correctly. And all of a sudden, you've got a hit.” – Darren Borrino This episode is the second half of my conversation with executive creative director of Inkfish NYC Darren Borrino as we talk about building the foundation of an effective sonic brand, how digital tools and the internet age have redefined the strategies, development, and time frame of an ad campaign, and the growing value of authenticity in a world where AI content is becoming the norm. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Global Advertising Culture Differences and CampaignsThe second half of our conversation begins as Darren and I talk about his work all around the world, from his home in South Africa to Prague, Australia, and eventually the U.S. “The biggest culture shock I got was actually coming to New York,” he says. “Although I'm South African, my parents are British, so I was brought up on British comedy like quite sarcastic, quite dry, quite undertone.” We discuss the one ad campaign he wishes he’d written, and an inventively musical approach Denmark took to encouraging drivers to slow down: a melody based on the driver’s speed. “If you went too fast, it became annoying,” he explains. “We've all had kids in the car before. Everybody wants to slow down and just enjoy it, and there's no reason to race. So you may as well just enjoy the track.(0:05:20) - Innovative Sound Marketing CampaignsWe talk about what’s changed in the advertising world in recent years, and how even a seemingly successful marketing strategy can have unintended consequences for a brand. “That's going to reposition the brand in the market,” he tells us. “But if you don't have a full perspective of where everything is, you could accidentally position that brand right next to a competitor that will easily outspend them.” Darren talks about the impact of such AI tools as Midjourney in his agency, its uses and limitations, and the unlikely sounds of inspiration all around us “I can guarantee you nine times out of ten,” he says, “it's when you're cycling home, or when you're washing your dog at home, or you're out with a friend having coffee. You'll see something happen, you'll go, ‘wait a minute. That's smart. The way that woman spoke to her dog is exactly what we need to be doing for this brand.’”(0:16:27) - The Future of Creative MarketingOur discussion concludes as Darren reflects on the fast pace of content development in the 21st century, and how it’s led to a very different tone than ad campaigns in the past. “I think the problem with that is that you get a lot of surface-level thinking,” he notes. “You can only go so deep with the time that you have, and I think that's why you see commercials generally these days are um, it's either got a pun in the headline or… you throw a celebrity in there, it's got a big track, or it's got a new visual effect, or something like that. It's not really deep thinking.” He shares some of his upcoming projects, including a new AI that adopts its persona to forge a personal connection with each user. “It obviously understands everything about the brand and its products,” he says. “But it brings in a third dimension. It helps you understand yourself a little more as a consumer, so it's got emotional intelligence built into it. Episode SummaryDarren’s cosmopolitan approach to tailoring strategies for different regional markets.How sound shapes consumer behavior, from climate awareness to safer driving.Darren’s advice to 21st-century creatives, and his l

“If you're going to be doing a commercial, for example, for BMW, where people are spending a lot of money on a Seven Series and it's a luxury car, but then you hear the TV ad or the radio ad or wherever you're listening, and that sound isn't recorded at the highest quality. Like, your logical mind might not pick it up, but if it sounds a little tinny or it's too much of an echo, you pick that up, and that really does build into the overall feeling of the brand in terms of quality. There was an interesting example with Nissan. They launched one of the first electric vehicles a long time ago, and when they put it out into the market, they found that people felt that maybe it was a little flimsy, it didn't feel quite right, like, well made. So obviously they went in to fix their upholstery, and they started making things a little more high quality, and consumers are still saying, ‘I don't know what it is, there's something about this, it just doesn't feel like a quality vehicle.’ And what they did was they changed the audio. Through the speakers in the car, when you start it up, it will make a fake sound of the car starting up. And, all of a sudden, people are like, ‘ah, now it feels like a car.’” – Darren Borrino This week’s guest is an art director at heart and an ECD-level creative with over twenty years experience, working all across the globe. He’s led teams at some of the world’s top agencies, such as TBWA, DDB, and Saatchi & Saatchi, and has won multiple awards for his work. He launched Inkfish, a boutique agency in New York that helps smaller challenger brands take on the big guys with sharper strategy, more disruptive creative, and budgets that go into the work, not overheads. He’s endlessly curious about what persuades the human mind, loves ideas that actually land, and believes that the best work comes from collaboration and clarity, as well as a healthy sense of humor.His name is Darren Borrino, and in this episode, we’ll be discussing how companies can shake things up using sound, the difference between clever and persuasive, and how to stay relevant in a changing ad world – especially in the age of AI. Stay tuned for a Masterclass in being different! 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Sound in AdvertisingWe start off our discussion with Darren’s childhood impressions of sound, which include the Universal audio logo when he and his dad used to watch movies. “You'd made it home, you'd finished everything you wanted to do,” he says, “and you could sort of relax with a little bit of popcorn and maybe watch a movie and just take it easy. So that was probably the first time.” Our discussion turns to audio branding in the age of social media, and just how quickly things move today – especially audience attention. “People switch off very quickly,” Darren explains. “So you need to make sure you have a brand that has the right qualities, and then you match that with the right voice to bring that to life.”(0:12:18) - Building Brand Trust Through Audio ConsistencyDarren and I talk about sound’s power to quickly grab and hold the listener’s attention, and how that can be a double-edged sword when it comes to branding. “The problem with that,” he explains, “is if you're paying attention to the voice or the quality of the voice, or the sound or the sound effects, or the mix or whatever it is, then you're not paying attention to what I'm trying to tell you.” He explains the difference between clever and persuasive approaches, and warns against ad campaigns that can become too clever for their own good. “It's very important to keep a consistent brand,” he adds, “a consistent tone of voice, keep it really simple and make it reliable, and that's how you build trust.”(0:22:26) - The Impact of Sound in AdvertisingAs we wrap up the first half of our conversation, Darren talks about the risks of over-planning and overproducing an ad campaign, and he shares some examples of effective campaigns that came together in more organic ways. “The best thing you can do,” he explains, “is [to] literally take that idea and go sit with a voiceover artist, or a weird creative or a musician, and just say ‘Here's the idea. Let's just throw some stuff around, let's just record whatever we're doing, let's have fun with

“The brief was ‘we want to sell some more train tickets to Germany, where you can go to Berlin for a techno party, you can go to Hamburg for the opera, have a famous opera in Hamburg, or you can go to Munich for the beer festival.’ And we made this audio journey with sound, and you definitely can hear, ah, now we’re in Berlin, it’s the opera, and now we go to Munich. So yeah, we can play with that. And the client just also loved the idea. It takes two to tango, as you say, the client also needs to value and understand if you want the effect of this. You need to work with this in an ambitious and professional way.” – Karsten Kjems This episode is the second half of my conversation with audio branding specialist and founder and CEO of Sonic Minds Karsten Kjems, as we talk about the surprising value of silence in sound design, why familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt when it comes to sonic logos, and what it means to be a musician in a world where both instruments and vocals can come from a laptop. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Sound DesignAs the second half of our conversation starts, Karsten points out how effective sound design isn’t always intuitive, and that less is sometimes more. “I’ve played some gigs, sometimes for a reception,” he says, “and people were just talking and talking, and they didn’t listen to the music at all. But then suddenly if we start to play really soft, then people go, ‘oh, I think the band is playing.’” He adds that sonic interfaces today are, in some ways, reminiscent of the early days of web design. “In the old days, they had flashes and everything moving,” he recalls. “You know, now we just go back to ‘give me a simple burger menu,’ ‘click contact,’ or whatever. User usability is also very important.”(0:06:41) - The Evolution of Sound DesignOur discussion turns to audio marketing, and Karsten points out how much of effective sonic branding depends on the demographics. “There has actually been a study for that, that shows that we create our musical preference, I think, when it’s between we are 17 and 21,” he says. “We’re about to get the first boyfriend or girlfriend, moving away from home, these really high peak moments in our lives.” We talk about AI in sound, and the direction he sees it taking in the industry. “It’s just like when the sampler came out,” he recalls. “’What should drummers do?’ And now the drummer plays on top of samplers, so every drummer has a sampler or a drum machine next to him, so he uses it as a tool.”(0:20:22) - Quality Sound DesignAs our conversation comes to a close, we talk more about the role of shifting demographics in sound design and how they impact not just relatability but the user’s experience. “If you’re having hearing loss or having, you know, difficult hearing,” Karsten notes, “then you don’t want products that really annoy you. You want to be able to understand them.” He shares some of his thoughts on the future of audio UX, and how his country’s leading the way in sonic branding. “Denmark is actually with sound what Swiss is with watches,” he adds. “For some reason, it’s a hot spot within audio engineering and sound. So I think we should keep that position as one of our trademarks in Denmark.” Episode SummaryEffectively utilizing silence in sound design and the evolving role of spatial sound.The challenge of re-imagining traditional audio approaches in the digital era.AI’s role in sound and how technology has redefined what it means to be a musician. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humb

“If you can see that your product is selling better with better sounds, and it gets better reviews Actually, I saw a car review that scored the car better just because the sounds were better. He didn’t talk about how fast it could go, how fast it could brake or how many airbags, he talked about the user experience. A car today is a driving iPad on wheels. So, all these sounds here, I got so stressed from these beeps and boops, suddenly it was too close to the edge, or too close to that... sometimes there wasn’t even a thing, and it just starts to, what was that? Was a fly running through the camera? What was it? So, I think it’s so important that we also choose brands and products with our ears as well with our eyes, and also with our wallets.” – Karsten Kjems This episode’s guest was raised in a musical home with a studio in the basement. He began drumming professionally at 23, and his passion for sound design and early use of digital audio tools like ProTracker on the Amiga shaped his approach to music and technology. While working at a branding agency, he noticed companies struggling to define their sonic identity, leading him to launch one of the first strategic audio branding agencies, Sonic Minds, in 2004. Today, he’s a recognized expert in the field, frequently speaking and teaching about sound design.His name is Karsten Kjems, and you’ll want to hear more about his perspective on brand sounds, why he believes audio branding to be so important, and what sets good and bad sound apart. If you’re still on the fence about audio branding for your own company, or if you’re struggling to explain why it’s important to your clients, you should definitely check out this conversation. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Sound in BrandingAs we start things off, Karsten shares his early memories of sound, and how growing up with ADHD in a musical family shaped his formative years. “I was brought up in a family where my father was a drummer,” Karsten recalls, “so I’ve always been around musicians and music and the first time I really discovered that I had this almost perfect pitch was when I went to music school.” He explains how a surprising discovery at a concert led to his career in marketing and audio branding, and the seismic shift that the streaming era – and particularly the rise of YouTube – represented for the industry. “Suddenly brands and companies need to communicate in these spheres,” he tells us. “How did they do that? How did they choose music? How should they buy music? So it’s a whole new game, from only being on TV and radio to being on all the time, to keep… producing content all the time.”(0:12:18) - Designing Meaningful Audio Branding ExperiencesOur conversation turns to UX and branding through sound design, and Karsten points out how ubiquitous sound interfaces have become these days. “A headset, a modern headset, for whatever company, it can have up to around 15 different sounds,” he notes. “You know, power on, power off, battery low, volume max, next song, anti-noise cancellation, Bluetooth connection.” He recalls an experience with an electronic tea kettle with an audio design more suited for fire alarms, and he talks about the difference in brand recognition and quality that audio branding can represent. “If I wear a pair of headsets every day which I turn on,” he says, “or drive a car that I use daily, or use my coffee machine or whatever, these interaction sounds, these user interaction sounds, are becoming the most heard sounds from the brand. And if they sound cheap, it’s probably a cheap brand.”(0:22:26) - The Importance of Sound in UXWe come back to the topic of good and bad sound design, and how good UX design operates on an information spectrum. “Is it important or is it just ‘need a new battery’ sound? The scale of importance, is it an about-to-die sound or is it ‘please look to me in the next couple of days because you might want to change the battery’ sound?” We talk about how hospitals and medical device sound designs reflect some of the problems and solutions to creating an effective audio interface, and how important it is for companies whose products, whether they realize it or not, are driven by sound. “I’m in this UX sound bubble or marketing bubble with soun

“If it’s stock music, unless you’re paying, like, some libraries have exclusivity, but most of them don’t. So that’s what I always say to clients, like stock music. You might hear that Joe’s ice cream shop also has the same music that you have. And you’re Chrysler – I keep saying Chrysler, but whatever, a big brand. A good example of an audio branding that we did was the Rogers. That was huge, and when we first did that, it was for a very close friend of mine, Philippe Garneau, and Mark’s brother, the astronaut, and he came to me, and he had the Rogers account. He said, ‘We want a mnemonic on the end of the spot, but we’re only going to use it for three commercials.’ And so they lost the business, and Rogers loved that mnemonic.” – Ted “Theo” Rosnick This episode is the second half of my conversation with music and audio director/producer Ted Rosnick, as we discuss the use of AI, especially digital voice clones, in advertising, the impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and the unwritten rule voice artists follow when it comes to branding. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Evolution of Music Production and AIThe second half of our conversation starts with Ted’s perspective on advertising in the 21st century, and one early trend that marked a turning point. “One of the main things I remember changing a lot was when Napster came along,” he recalls. “People could download a hundred songs in an hour, and I noticed it was, all of a sudden, we were expected to do seven or eight demos, because that’s what they were used to, like, pulling music down all night long and hearing their stuff.” We talk about digital studios and sound design, and how AI voice cloning has transformed the industry, including a recent commercial campaign that featured a synthetic likeness of a human actor. “We asked his permission,” Ted tells us, “and so we AI’d his voice, and it worked out really well. Nobody would know. I know the difference because I just know, but you wouldn’t know the difference.”(0:10:42) - The Impact of AI on CreativityTed tells us about his experience with AI-assisted brainstorming and its limitations as a content writer. “I’ve written them and then thrown them into ChatGTP,” he explains, “and then said, ‘Can you just make it a little warmer?’ But the truth of the matter is that I’ve always gone back to my own, because I don’t think it’s as warm as or as good as what’s in here, you know.” We discuss what sets human and AI creativity apart, and how what makes a work human often comes down to the very things AI would try to fix. “A lot of it is that human subtleties are mistakes,” he tells us. “When you start tearing it down for the mix, you hear all sorts of mistakes. They’re not glaring mistakes that are going to ruin it, but they’re not perfect, and that’s what makes it human. And that’s what makes it great.”(0:23:10) - The World of Audio BrandingOur conversation closes with some of Ted’s most memorable ad campaigns, including one sonic brand that took off beyond anyone’s expectations. “If they were doing a commercial radio commercial, you’d hear that at the end of them,” he says. “When you opened your phone, if you’re with Rogers, you’d hear it. We got paid eighteen thousand dollars for that, and then all of a sudden we were hearing it everywhere.” He shares his latest work, such as 2024’s award-winning film Drive Back Home, along with a surprising admission. “Honestly, this is the first time I’ve been on a podcast,” Ted reveals. “I’ve been interviewed on TV many times and on the radio, but I’ve never done a podcast.” Episode SummaryHow Napster and digital technology changed both the music industry and audio marketing.The role of AI and voice clones in marketing and its impact on creatives.Ted’s approach to helping clients and companies forge a unique sonic identity. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!

“We did one for Mercedes, which again was very unique and very simple. It was about this guy Raymond who had never tried ice cream before. And it was a great commercial, and it talked about Raymond never having ice cream, and he waited, and he would watch other people have ice cream, and then one day Raymond decided to have ice cream. And then all of a sudden it cuts to a Mercedes logo. And then the last ten seconds, it was for Mercedes, but it was so well done and so unique, and the score was very, very, very unique.” – Ted “Theo” Rosnick This episode’s guest returned to Toronto from Boston in 1974 after attending Berklee College of Music. He soon began working as a studio drummer, but his passion for audio production quickly led him to start his own jingle production company, Rosnick Productions, in 1975. Through hard work and dedication, he quickly established himself as Canada’s top audio producer and audio director for commercials. He went on to partner with Steve McKinnon in 1990, forming RMW Music, and the company remained the top music production company in Canada for decades before being sold to Vapor Music in 2016. Since that sale, he’s remained with Vapor as a Creative Director, continuing to bring his expertise and passion to many projects and to the industry. His work is recognized not just in Canada but globally, having shaped the sound of major brands like IKEA, Molson, Subaru, Mercedes, Peroni, and Heinz, among many others. Over his five-decade career, he’s earned hundreds of advertising awards for his music and sound design, always pushing creative boundaries with fresh ideas and meticulous attention to detail – all of which are things we definitely appreciate here.Beyond advertising, he’s made his mark in sound design and music for feature films and documentaries, and he’s the executive producer and audio director of the well-known advertising podcast IOFA with Aaron Starkman. He’s also mentored countless emerging talents over the years, a role that he takes great pride in. Just this past February, he decided to retire from the advertising industry after an illustrious fifty-year career, and he now enjoys spending time at his cottage in northern Ontario with family and friends, playing the drums, and catching Raptors games.His name is Ted, or “Theo,” Rosnick, and getting the opportunity to speak with someone who has such a rich knowledge of the advertising industry and how it’s evolved over the years – not to mention how much sound has played a part in that – is a real treat. If you want to know where advertising’s been, where it is now, and where it might be heading, this is a discussion you won’t want to miss. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Legendary Marketing and Music MemoriesOur conversation starts off with Ted’s early memories of sound, and it’s one a few guests have shared: The Beatles’ unforgettable performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. “I had never heard that kind of music before,” Ted tells us. “So the next day in school, I think I was in grade six, yeah, like, everybody was talking about it, and within about two weeks, everybody was wearing Beatles boots and Beatles shirts.” He tells us about his musical start as a jazz musician and how it led to his first commercial production. “I had never done a jingle,” he recalls, “nor had I really even thought about jingles before that… We went into the studio together after our gig at one o’clock in the morning and recorded everything ourselves with one singer, and I showed up at the office of McConnell Advertising around nine o’clock in the morning with a tape and said, ‘Hey, here it is,’ and they loved it.”(0:08:33) - Legal Battles and Musical InnovationTed and I talk about some of his early misadventures in advertising in an era when jingle copyrights and royalties hadn’t quite been worked out yet. “It went on forever,” he recalls one multi-million dollar lawsuit that was eventually dropped. “It made the lead story on Entertainment Tonight, and I remember my parents calling me at the time. They were in Mexico, and they said, ‘Oh, we’re so proud of you, you’re on Entertainment Tonight!’" He tells us about the early days of editing commercials and how his studio made the pivotal decision to expand from jingles to full sound editing.

“There’s a quote from a famously terrible person, Thomas Jefferson, who said – I don’t particularly like him or a lot of the things he did, but I do agree with this, I do agree with this specific quote. ‘I will study war and strategy so that my children may study science and maths, so that their children may study art and poetry.’ I’m sure I’m butchering the exact quote, but the sentiment is there. Why are we creating robots to do art for us? Why do we not yet have something that can fold my laundry? Wouldn’t that be useful? That’s what I want. And at the end of the day, if I had to pick either having a robot to do my art for me so that I have time to fold my laundry, or having to do both, I’d rather do both. I’m fine living. I enjoy being alive and being a human. I don’t need a robot to take away what, to me, is the most human thing about us, which is that we can create.” – Benjamin Kapit This episode is the second half of my conversation with Benjamin Kapit of Second World Entertainment as he shares some of the more obscure sounds that he’s turned into cinematic effects, discusses the ethics of AI training and what it gets right and wrong about human creativity, and the message he’d most like to share with future generations about the power of sound. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Exploring Sound in Film ProductionAs our discussion begins, Benjamin shares more of his hands-on experience with audio production, from the studio apps and audio plugins he prefers to the challenge of bringing it all together in the film’s final cut. “You have to record sound and work with the sound props make,” he says, “the way that people talk, or rather who’s mic’d up in certain shots. You have to work with the edit. You have to have that somehow in your mind because you, the director, are the only one who really knows what it’s going to look like when it’s done.” He tells us about some of his more inventive sound sources, such as a microphone specifically tuned to record static. “When it comes to post-production,” Benjamin says, “especially sound,” I hate rules. I don’t want to do things the way that everyone else does. I don’t want to sit down and say, okay, well, this sound sounds like this, so it has to be this thing.”(0:11:06) - Exploring AI in the Sound IndustryBenjamin and I talk about the groundbreaking audio work in sci-fi movies like Dune and Interstellar, and how they’ve inspired his approach to sound design. “It never really occurred to me that, like, oh, you can just mess with a synth or with a sound so much that it becomes something else,” he says about Interstellar’s distinctive soundscape. “You can completely shift the tone and the meaning behind audio and make it yours and make people think, yeah, this is this other thing and it’s not.” Our conversation turns to AI’s transformative role in the industry, and his concern that the distinction between different forms of AI, and the question of whether any of them can truly be called artificial intelligence, is being lost in the hype. “Take a program that can look at an MRI and scan for cancer and detect it faster than humans can,” he explains. “That’s discriminative AI. It is separating and analyzing data sets. Then you get to generative AI, and what generative AI is doing is it’s taking these mass data sets and using a statistical model to create something that should look like what’s been requested of it.”(0:16:01) - The Impact of AI on CreativityAs our conversation closes, Benjamin explains how generative AI works and what sets its algorithmic process apart from human thought. “ChatGPT doesn’t know what I’m saying,” he tells us. “It knows that, statistically, the most likely next thing to follow [hello] would be ‘hi,’ and then ‘how,’ and then ‘are,’ and then ‘you,’ and then a question mark. And that’s only because it’s trained on data.” We talk about whether AI-generated art can be called creative, what its evolution might mean for the industry, and his thoughts about the expanding role of machine learning in everyday tasks. “I’d rather spend hours upon hours going down YouTube rabbit holes,” he says, “on how to work a specific plugin to get a specific sound, using hours on Serum 2 in Ableton to make a specific sound, than to ask AI to do it, because the

“If you have a screen that goes very bright white or if you have a screen that goes very dark, people can deal. Their eyes will adjust, or they’ll just accept that. But if you have bad sound, people will leave. They’ll turn off the movie. If they have to be adjusting the volume, if they have to adjust the volume of a video more than like two times, they’re very likely to leave. If the sound is just, like, bad audio and they can’t understand it, they won’t follow what’s going on. They’ll leave. So even from that most basic perspective, just passable good audio is more important than passable good visuals, because people can forgive bad visuals. But they cannot and will not forgive bad sound, because bad sound hurts.” – Benjamin Kapit This episode’s guest is a filmmaker, composer, and sound designer who started his production company at the age of fifteen. He’s currently in post-production for multiple short films and web shows, and he’s working on his fifth vocal album. His name is Benjamin Kapit, and our two-part conversation covers a wide range of sound-related issues when it comes to creativity. Stay tuned for more insights into, among other things, what it was like starting his sound career at such a young age, the balancing act of creating sound-based art and film in the age of AI, and his approach to movie soundtracks. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Exploring Sound, Film & AutismAs our discussion begins, Benjamin shares his early memories of sounds and how his older brother’s musical talent inspired his own career path. “We had an upright piano,” he recalls, “and eventually got a baby grand, and my house growing up was constantly filled with music, and I look up to my brother so much because he’s the one that got me into piano.” He talks about his autism diagnosis and how being on the spectrum can be a double-edged sword when it comes to filmmaking. “I see a lot of the work that I do as a puzzle,” he explains, “and so, you know, despite the shortcomings of it, I’m able to utilize whatever’s going on in my brain to actually end up helping the work that I do.”(0:11:30) - Creativity in Sound Design and FilmThe topic turns to cinematic audio and the challenge of inventing whole new sounds that have no counterpart in the real world. “How do you approach making a sound for, you know, shooting magic out of their wand,” he says, “because that’s not a real thing. So what do you do for it? Do you go for the more realistic element, or do you head towards, like, complete synthesis?” We discuss film scores and their role in shaping not only the narrative but also the performances. “One of my shortcomings is communication,” Benjamin tells us, “and if I can’t get an idea or the feeling of a scene out verbally to an actor, I bet I can do it with music. So I’ll write pieces before I even get on set that I can hand to the actor and say, ‘This is how this scene should feel.’ Then we’ll be able to discuss it further.”(0:26:16) - On-Set Audio Challenges and SolutionsBenjamin and I talk about how easy it is to overlook sound in movie making, and the perils of doing so. “If you have bad sound,” he notes, “people will leave, they’ll turn off the movie. If they have to be adjusting the volume, if they have to adjust the volume of a video more than, like, two times, they’re very likely to leave.” He tells us about the practical challenges of recording both on and off the set, such as a conversation aboard a speedboat. “We have a scene that was entirely eighty yards on a boat,” he recalls, “a speedboat that was going thirty miles an hour, and so you could barely even hear them on set with a boom microphone. So they had to do [ADR] mostly to, like, their mouths moving.” Episode SummaryBenjamin’s early sonic influences and his journey as a young filmmaker.How cinematic soundscapes bring fantasy to life, and the narrative power of music.Benjamin’s techniques for capturing quality audio, even on a speedboat.Tune in for next week’s episode as Benjamin shares how background static can play a surprising role in sound design, the crucial difference between generative AI and discriminative artificial intelligence, and his thoughts on whether AI artwork and sound effects can replace creativity.Connect with the Audio Branding

“And then his youngest daughter, who’s six years old, comes up, and she’s into gymnastics and she’s kind of cartwheeling around the room while everyone else is playing. And then, ‘All right, she’s going to play you a song.’ And she comes up, and she’s all full of beans, and then she sits down and she plays the most somber Debussy song. And it was, like, there was so much soul in what she played for a six-year-old. I’m like, ‘whoa!’ Like, the amount of depth in what she did was, like, whoa! ‘You are, like, a wise young girl.’ That’s an old soul. And I looked at him, and he’s crying. And then at the end of this evening, we again get to talking about AI, and he was asking, this comes full circle, this is the reason I bring this story up, is he’s invested heavily in various different AI projects. And one of them is this company that’s gonna be, like, a prompt and then it makes music. And he said, ‘Well, you know it’s cool, but are you not worried about AI, like, taking you out?’ And I was like, ‘Well, do you think I should be? You probably know better than me.’ And he said, ‘Well, you know, AI can do exactly what she just did, just so you know, like right now, I could get AI to play that song and it can play it perfectly.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, but would it make you cry?’" – Stephen Ridley This is the 300th episode of Audio Branding: The Hidden Gem of Marketing, and my conversation with international pianist and founder of the Ridley Academy, Stephen Ridley, continues as we discuss why Stephen prefers live performances to studio recordings, the school he’s now running to help others find their own passion for music, and the one song he’s vowed to never play on the piano. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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 Future of Creativity and AIThe second half of our conversation picks up with Stephen’s illuminating discussion of AI with a billionaire tech investor, and where he sees AI leading us in the future. “There are a lot of things in life where we don’t necessarily need to put ourselves into it,” he explains. “They don’t require our imagination, creativity, any spiritual anything. Those things probably can be replaced by AI.” We discuss AI’s limitations as a way of conveying emotion, and where the new economy might lead us once machines are handling the busy work. “I actually think the future economy will be heavily into creativity, and into art,” Stephen adds, “since I think that’s exactly where culture will go.”(0:07:16) – The Unique Power of Live EntertainmentStephen recalls his brief and unexpected foray into iTunes after discovering that a record label had uploaded his music without permission. “They’re like, ‘Okay, if you don’t like it, sue us.’ And obviously I wasn’t in a position to do that, and they have all the money in the world,” he explains. “So I was like, ‘Okay, well, I can’t do that, but what I can do is remove it. So I just removed it.” He talks about why, even though he’s starting to return to social media and streaming content, he still prefers live concert performances to being in a studio. “I don’t have the pressure of having to record it six hundred times, get it perfect, mix it, master it, spend a hundred thousand dollars,” he tells us. “I write a song, I go up on the stage, I play it…. And because of that, my shows have grown and grown and grown.”(0:13:39) - Revolutionizing Music Education With FunHe tells us about the piano school he’s recently opened, and how his own path as a musician inspired him to help others find a different way. “It was fun when I was first noodling,” he says. “Then I went to get educated and all it made me want to do is quit piano. And I suffer through years and years and years and years of hours and hours of practicing a day, and then I get to enjoy music.” We discuss some of the weaknesses of traditional music lessons, and how he’s working to spark the sense of wonder he finds in music within students who might have been put off by those early lessons. “They leave this experience feeling like they’re no good at music,” he tells us. “But in actual fact, what I thought is ‘Well, no, I just think the education sucks if everybody’s having the same experience.’”(0:22:49) - Music’s Impact on Health and LongevityAs our discussion comes to a close, we talk about the late

“Chick invited me to go to this jazz club in Soho called Ronnie Scott’s in London. And it was, like, two o’clock in the morning – I was like, ‘I don’t think it’s gonna be open.’ I did not know who I was dealing with. It’s Chick Corea. He just makes a call, it’s open, and they’d set out three pianos in a room facing each other. And we walked in this room, we sat down, and Chick could play a few notes. Herbie had joined in, I’d joined in, and we kind of each took it at turns in leading the thing. This song went on for hours. It changed, it evolved, it moved. It was the most amazing thing. And Herbie said something really, really amazing. He was like, because even though we didn’t say anything to each other, I like, know these people in this moment. I know, I feel them, like there’s something happening, and so here’s the super geek moment. He said something in it, and it really resonates with me: he’s like, ‘You know, music’s not about the sound, right? The sound is carrying an intention.’" – Stephen Ridley This week’s guest is a world-renowned British pianist, composer, and visionary in modern piano education. His journey from high-flying investment banker to global musical sensation is as remarkable as his performances. He discovered his passion for the piano at age two and received formal training when he was eleven, but it wasn’t until he left the corporate world that his true artistry flourished. Starting as a London street performer, his raw talent and electrifying performances quickly garnered international attention and propelled him onto some of the world’s most prestigious stages.His name is Stephen Ridley, and our conversation ranges from how music connects us and transcends language to how it prolongs our lives. Keep listening to learn more about the power of sound! 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) – The Power of SoundAs our discussion begins, Stephen shares his memories of a turbulent childhood in northern England, and what he discovered about the power of sound when he found a case full of his dad’s old cassettes. “The most amazing thing of this,” he tells us, “was I saw it change my dad, and he went into this other person, a much more beautiful, calm, serene sort of English version of Elvis. He sort of became a bit Elvis and he was singing to my mom and they were sweet and romantic together and I was like, ‘What is this superpower?” He remembers how that moment, and a neighbor’s gift of a simple toy piano, sparked his love of music, and his ongoing fascination with its impact on listeners. “It’s a magic which I’ve now come to know intimately,” he explains, “and I get to go around the world and share that magic with people and I’ve seen it now just millions of times. It’s so amazing to me.”(0:07:00) - Inspirational Journey of Music and PassionStephen shares more of his early memories of sound, and how growing up in a secluded village with nothing to do proved to be a blessing in disguise for learning about music. “The process I learned piano was not one I would recommend,” he warns us. “It was unnecessarily painful, but I had enough boredom to allow a curiosity to grow and to follow that curiosity, and then I’d discover magic.” He tells us about his unforgettable first day as a piano busker in London, and the joy that his music stirred in the listeners back then, as well as to this day during concerts. “Maybe they’re, like, terrible bosses,” Stephen adds, “but in that moment they show me their best side. That’s the magic for me. I’ve been a musician and I felt all the love of humanity, and it was absolutely amazing.”(0:15:44) - The Spiritual Power of MusicHe tells us about his life as a concert pianist today, and how little has actually changed since his days as a busker. “If I’m in an airport, I see one of those pianos, I’m on it,” he says. “Trust me, I’ll miss a flight. I don’t care. Like, there’s some magic to playing for people when they don’t expect it. It’s really a rush.” Stephen tells us his favorite song – at least, as he adds, for the moment – and why it made such a deep impression on him while teaching it to a class. “’I’m only going to play five notes,’” he recalls explaining to them, “and I played this really stripped-back ‘Hallelujah.’ And by doing that, it lets the voice take cent

“I have a regular chat with a friend of mine in New Zealand. He’s a tetraplegic and a musician, so he invents his own music instruments that he can play with his limited motion, and he can send me his instrument over MIDI to where I am across the ocean and we can play together and we can have an engagement. It’s not possible for him to come to see me in Europe. It would be so expensive, and a lot of work. So, you know, thank God there’s the internet for him, you know. He gets to participate, he has remote concerts, he still plays with his friends. It’s really special.” – Rebekah Wilson This episode is the second half of my conversation with Source Elements CEO and remote collaboration specialist Rebekah Wilson as we discuss how physics and neurology collide when it comes to reducing latency, how the pandemic transformed online music collaboration and gave rise to today’s generation of at-home musicians, and where Rebekah sees sound, technology, and music itself heading in the future, over both the coming decades and even generations from now. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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 Latency on Music CollaborationWe continue our talk about the science of latency, and Rebekah explains how it impacts music in ways that our brains only dimly perceive. “If you add a little bit of latency onto that,” she says, “music’s like, one, two... three… music’s not very friendly to that [sort of] latency.” She tells us more about how our brains unconsciously adapt to latency, and how technology relies both on improving speed and taking advantage of our ability to filter out information gaps. “What’s happening is that you’re anticipating it based on this model that’s in your brain,” Rebekah explains. “For example, every time you look at a wall or your surroundings, if it’s not moving, your brain’s not processing it.”(0:06:02) - Advancements in Remote Music CollaborationShe talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic’s lockdown phase led to a boom in online collaboration, some of which continues to thrive today. “There remained a group of people,” she says, “a small group of people, you know, scattered around the world… who were like, ‘You know what? Some interesting things came out of this. Some interesting artistic development is possible here and it’s worth pursuing.” We discuss the technical and creative innovations that emerged from that period, and where they might lead in the years to come as we continue to innovate. “What we love as humans,” Rebekah says, “is to seek new forms of expression. This is what we do, we’re adventurers. So we go out, we go into the desert, we go out into the oceans, and we look for where something new is. And you know, music and performance and being together on the internet is still very new for us as humans.”(0:12:42) - Expanding Music Collaboration With TechnologyOur conversation wraps up as we continue to talk about online collaboration and creative efforts that can now span the world. “Hey, how does that guy play his trumpet?” she says, considering how musicians can start working together long before they meet in person. “What are his favorite riffs on the saxophone? So when they get to be together in that short time, they’re not starting from scratch, they’re already friends.” She considers the future of communication, collaboration, and the latency challenges that we might face in the future, including interplanetary latency, and we discuss how music helps define us as a species. “It’s such a privilege to be a musician,” she concludes, “to be able to harness sound, to make narratives with it and to build new worlds with it, you know, or to use your voice to tell stories with it. What a privileged, beautiful thing it is that we get to do.” Episode SummaryHow latency and our brains’ perception of it can impact online music collaboration.The rise of “bedroom artists” after COVID-19 and their impact on the future of music.How sound, music, and communication might evolve as we reach for the stars. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConn

“So I’m in Chicago, I’ve quit my job, I’ve almost run out of money. You know, you’re young, you don’t care. And I met Robert, who’s now my co-founder. He had mixed a CD of mine a couple of years before through friends of friends. So we meet up, have a beer, and then he’s like, ‘Oh, you know, I’m spending all this money on IT every month,’ because he was a sound engineer. And he’s like, ‘But we’ve got this thing called the internet, right? I thought, ‘I’ve got 1 MB internet in my studio, why can’t I use that? It’s free.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ And because I, you know, had been doing software development and the internet, it just made sense. The two of us really bonded, and I went home to New Zealand and he stayed in Chicago, and we built Source-Connect.” – Rebekah Wilson This episode’s guest is the co-founder, technical director, and CEO of Source Elements, and has worked for over twenty years with customers and industry partners like Avid and Dolby. Since the release of their pioneering remote audio app Source-Connect in 2005, she’s advocated for the benefits of remote collaboration in all sorts of areas, including sound engineering, voice acting, music performance and production, film and cinema production, and education.Originally trained as a composer, she’s now a software developer and expert in the fields of music technology and networking, and, as a New Zealand native, she understands very well how important it is to stay connected no matter where we are. Her name is Rebekah Wilson, and you’ll want to hear what she has to say about how Source Connect is making our creative lives easier, what it’s like being a woman in a male-dominated field, and where she sees this technology going in the future. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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) - Musical Journey to Tech InnovationWe start off with Rebekah’s early memories of her father playing the guitar, and how it helped spark her love of music. “I must have been four or five,” she tells us, “and I can see the house that we were living in at the time. So, yeah, around their age and um, just those lovely, warm feelings.” She shares her experience growing up in New Zealand and how quickly things changed as the internet began to connect the world. “I went out and told everybody,” she explains, recalling the day she learned about Princess Diana’s passing on a web forum. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, oh my God.’ And they’re like, ‘How do you know? The internet? What, that’s crazy!’ And so it was like one of those first moments of finding out that you can connect to the rest of the world with this medium.”(0:11:06) - Navigating Gender Dynamics in TechRebekah shares her journey from orchestral composer to tech entrepreneur in the ‘90s, and just how much things have changed for women since those early days. “I went in for the job interview and, uh, they, they show me where the programmers work,” she explains. “It’s a dark room in the middle of the building with no windows... and they have pictures of naked women on the walls.” We talk about her very first trade show, the rise and fall of ‘booth babe’ culture, and how a new generation of women are helping transform the industry. “These, you know, women in their twenties,” she says, “they don’t feel so isolated… this mentorship of older women is what’s become such a huge movement.”(0:17:16) - Exploring Latency in CommunicationThe first half of our conversation wraps up as Rebekah talks about the science of latency, and how lucky we are that we live in a world where global communication is even possible. “Maybe the world could have been bigger,” she says, “or the speed of light slower, or our brains be a bit different... If you go back to, firstly, think about the evolution of the human brain and speech, we evolved to speak in small groups with each other.” She explains the limit the speed of light sets on latency and how technology has taken advantage of that limit. “That range of latency in which we’re able to compress audio, put it in a packet, send it to the internet,” she adds, “decompress it, send it out to the headphones. It’s just short enough that we can talk. It’s kind of the perfect, you know, Goldilocks spot.” Episode SummaryRebekah’s childhood musical experiences and the intersection of music, math

“Listen, I got unbelievably lucky with YouTube, and I don’t know why. I still really, I mean, I know why in theory, like, people have been like, well, ‘You provide XYZ,’ but I don’t know why I get to do this. Like, I know that I have certain qualities that lend themselves to my strengths, that lend themselves to this medium, but it’s completely and utterly luck. Putting out good videos, having a high-quality camera, a high-quality microphone, having a, you know, finding out what your skill set is that you can use. So, the thing is, I remember five years ago when I wasn’t even, or well, let’s say six years ago, I’d be like, they would be talking about a streamer that had a shtick. And I guess I accidentally fell back into my shtick, which was the opera singer, right?” – Marco Cammarota This episode is the second half of my conversation with voice actor and YouTube sensation Marco Cammarota as we discuss how the YouTube and Twitch algorithms can make or break a channel’s audience size, Marco’s voiceover work in such games as Metal Slug and Genshin Impact, and how a creative approach to sound, including silence, can have a dramatic impact on listeners. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Navigating a Career in Content CreationMy conversation with Marco picks up with his frank advice to people looking to follow his winding career path. “I remember when people would be like, how do you get into voiceover? And I’d always be like ‘Don’t, don’t!’ How do you get into opera? ‘Don’t!’” We discuss how much of a role luck and the YouTube algorithm played in his success, and he does offer some tips to anyone looking to start their own channel. The topic turns to AI in sound, its growing prevalence in social media, and whether it can replace human video game compositions. “There was an instance where I was listening to some YouTube music on a playlist,” he recalls. “And I was like man, this, like this guy goes off. And then I looked, and it was actually AI, and I was like, oh. And so then the question became do I still listen to this or do I not care, or do I, like, turn it off? And I eventually decided to turn it off.”(0:15:25) - Exploring Video Game Music CommunityMarco tells us more about the community he’s built online with MarcoMeatball and his hopes for his fellow gamers and listeners. “The goal is to have it be a hub of video game music where,” he says, “if someone maybe doesn’t know something or likes something or doesn’t like something, they can come and hear a person who is just like them with a little bit of extra experience, or equal experience, or the person could actually have more experience than me and also offer their insight.” We also discuss how the channel led to a newfound appreciation for video game soundtracks as art, even compared to his childhood love of games. “I’ve learned about so many more pieces of music,” he adds, “like I had a deep, fundamental love for music and games, but I didn’t realize how deep the trench would go for me and how many games that I would be exposed to that I would fall in love with as well.”(0:21:25) - The Importance of Sound in LifeAs our conversation comes to a close, Marco notes some of the most innovative uses of sound in video games that he’s heard, including no sound at all during a particularly ominous moment of the Monster Hunter series. “What I find amazing about that,” he recounts, “is that kind of people meme on it, and they kind of joke, but actually the sound of silence is way more terrifying than the actual soundtrack.” We discuss the importance of sound and how he’s learned to keep an open mind about the beauty of sound in unexpected places, and Marco tells listeners how they can get in touch. “The beautiful way that a horn and the strings meld together and become this like beautiful sunrise of music,” he says about sound, “hearing breath, like, you know, hearing the dog bark down the street, the wind rustling in the wheat, and the leaves, like these – these are the soundtracks of our lives.” Episode SummaryThe importance of content consistency and the influence of AI in gaming and voiceoverMarco’s hopes for his online community and what he’s learned from his listenersThe power of sound and silence, and how Marco got the nickname “Marco Meatball”&nbsp

“In February of ’21 I just randomly started. I just filmed a video, and I was like, ‘Okay, whatever.’ Well, it was February 11th, and then February 15th we were on our way to pick up my dog, my puppy at the time – she was you know, nine weeks old – and I started getting notifications on my phone and I was like, ‘Oh, weird, I must have left some somebody, like, a comment on YouTube or something.’ And all of a sudden, I look and I’m like, ‘Whoa, my video is popping off.’ I was like, ‘What do I do with this?’ And so I just, like, doubled down.” – Marco Cammarota This week’s guest is a professional opera singer turned voice actor turned YouTuber. He grew up loving video games and video-game music after first discovering them when he was seven years old, and since then he’s lived and breathed all things video games. He has a YouTube channel all about video game music – the beauty of modern composition, how it allows us to connect deeper to the games we love, and how we can better learn to understand ourselves through it and the experiences it provides.His name is Marco Cammarota – sometimes known as “Marco Meatball” – and I’ve been looking forward to hearing about his musical influences and his love of sound, particularly when it comes to video games, for a while now. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - From Opera to YouTubeWe start things off with Marco’s early memories of sound, particularly the songs his Italian grandmother used to play when he was a child. “Even the sound of the accordion triggers like a deep sense of nostalgia for me,” he recalls. “When it comes to music like that, that soundscape is really, really poignant to me.” He tells us more about how his childhood led him to opera, voice work, and even YouTube. “The desire to communicate and express,” Marco explains, “was the thing that awakened through this, like summer camp, and then I think that that’s what led me down the path of musical theater and eventually opera, and, then voiceover and now this current career.”(0:16:30) - Video Game Music’s Healing PowerMarco discusses the impact of his father’s passing and the solace he found both in grief counseling and through video game music. “Grief counseling is something everyone should do if possible,” he shares, “just because grief is such a powerful and painful feeling. There are really no words to describe how bad it feels.” He talks about some of the game soundtracks that helped him process those emotions, from Outer Wilds to Disco Elysium, and one particularly timeless classic. “Final Fantasy is really based around classical and prog rock,” he explains, “and sometimes integrating the two in one setting. It’s an incredible thing that most of my childhood was based around Final Fantasy’s sound, and I think, like, largely that’s why I also gravitated towards being sensitive to sound and music.”(0:24:21) - The Impact of Video Game MusicAs we wrap up the first half of our conversation, we talk about what sets video game music apart from traditional film soundtracks, and how he approaches the topic on his YouTube channel. “The question to me, that’s the most important part,” he says, “is what is active listening? Okay, and how do we listen with intention? And, furthermore, how do we decipher what a composer wants us to feel?” He tells us more about the unique role music plays in such an immersive storytelling genre as video games, and how he’s helping bridge gaming and music for fans of both. “My regulars that come to the channel,” Marco says, “I think, really understand what I’m trying to do, and I think really appreciate it and it’s been incredible. I mean, like, people tell me they’ve gone to music school because of me.” Episode SummaryMarco Cammarota’s journey from professional opera singer to popular YouTuberThe distinctive fusion of genres, melody, and ambiance that sets video game music apartHow video games helped pioneer audio branding, from title tracks to leitmotifsTune in for next week’s episode as Marco shares his surprising advice for anyone looking to get into voiceover and content creation, his experience with AI in video game music and where it might lead, and how his listeners have helped him learn to keep an open mind about m

“I think people forget that. I think they forget that there’s a person behind the music and that they need to share that with their audience now more than ever, because if people hear your song and they like your song, they’re gonna go down a rabbit hole. And if they can go down that hole and come across you being genuine, being authentic, actually showing vulnerability, they’re gonna fall in love with you. They like the music, and they like you. That is the definition of a superfan.” – Andy Gesner This is the second half of my interview with owner and president of HIP Video Promo, Andy Gesner, as we talk about balancing AI content with human connection, his advice on setting yourself apart when it comes to social media, and the critical role that superfans play in building an audience.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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) - Creating Visual Content for Music Promotion“For the first four or five years, music videos really were reserved for those who were either well-moneyed or had backing,” Andy says as we start the second half of our conversation. “All of a sudden, there was this platform called YouTube, and of course, we jumped right on it.” He tells us more about that transition between the MTV era and today’s streaming content, and his advice to clients about the limits of AI content creation. “I have always told clients, ‘Yes, no issues with an AI video, but sport, don’t follow up your AI video with another AI video,’” he explains. “The best way to get to the next level and get to those thousand superfans… You have to make a human connection.”(0:10:46) - Music Promotion Strategies and PhilosophyHe tells us about his work helping musicians cross the bridge to social media promotion and engaging with their fans, and how much work it can be for creatives who aren’t naturally outgoing. “They don’t appreciate sometimes that they are public figures,” he tells us, “and that they need to be doing the things their less talented, much more lazy competition are not going to do.” Andy warns us, however, against losing sight of what’s important in the rush for more engagement. “Everybody’s concerned about the follower count,” he says. “And they’re upset that the YouTube view count is low and they want to know how to get the streams up, and they’re concerned about how many subscribers they have... I’m finding they are forgetting about the song. You’ve got to be focused on your song.”(0:26:37) - Promoting Artistic Encouragement and SupportAs our conversation comes to a close, Andy tells us about some of his latest projects, including one particularly unlikely new pop star. “We’re working on an unusual project,” he explains. “Her name is Gwen, and she’s dead. In fact, Gwen isn’t even real. She is the star of a new streaming television program.” He tells us how listeners can get in touch, whether it’s Instagram, YouTube, or even a plain old phone call. “If you love your job,” Andy says, “you never work a day in your life. I don’t play golf. I have no interest in joining a bowling league. I really like helping other people.” Episode SummaryThe evolution of music videos, from Hollywood sound stages to home studios.Andy’s strategy for maintaining a consistent media presence and his advice on AI content.The importance of sound and how easily it’s overlooked in today’s video-first world. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

“I said, ‘Well, uh, my team and I would love to see the video,’ and the woman at Lost Highway said, ‘All right, let me pop a VHS in FedEx, it’ll be there tomorrow morning.’ So, we watched the Johnny Cash Hurt music video and once we’d wiped a tear out of our eyes, I got on the phone. I said, ‘Retta, put us in, coach. We want to play.’ And the rest is history. It was and remains still the most iconic music video of an artist doing a cover to date.” – Andy Gesner This episode’s guest is the owner and president of HIP, one of the most trusted names in music marketing. He’s been releasing records since 1979, giving him firsthand insight into the complexities of the music industry, and he’s channeled his expertise and passion for music into uplifting fellow artists over the past twenty-four years. He and his team have promoted over 4,800 music videos, championing some of the most renowned artists and best indie talent from all corners of the globe.His name is Andy Gesner, and if you’re a musician, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. I know how hard it can be these days to make a living from your art, and it can be even harder if you don’t pay attention to marketing. If you’re creative, you have to wear a lot of hats, and if you’re looking for tips, Andy has some great ones to share in this two-part discussion.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - From Sound to PromotionOur conversation starts off with Andy’s very first memory of sound, which just happens to be the Beatles’ historic performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. “Well, my sister starts screaming like a banshee and she starts twirling around like a whirling dervish,” he recalls. “And I look over at my brother, and his jaw hits the floor. And I look at this little black and white TV and there are these four guys with what at the time was considerably long hair.” He tells us about how his career shifted from performance to promotion, and what his work on Johnny Cash’s classic “Hurt” video taught him about taking creative risks. “It was like, ‘We can’t play a Johnny Cash video on MTV, no way,’" he remembers producers saying at the time. “People thought Johnny’s version of Hurt was a bit too out there. But you and I both know, as a marketing person, you present, and the public decides.”(0:19:46) - The Importance of Music VideosOur discussion turns to how the digital era has reshaped music promotion and how the music videos of the ‘80s paved the way for today’s influencer culture. “Now more than ever,” he explains, “artists, independent creatives, are public figures, and you can’t just sit on the couch and say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to do any of that public figure stuff, I just want the world to love me for my music.’ Those days are over.” We talk about the bands that, starting around the turn of the 21st century, have had to rely on video and online marketing instead of radio airplay, and he shares a memorable example. “I remember in 2007,” Andy says, “sending out the first Sia music video. Certainly, the folks at the label had high hopes for her, but what better example from Small Acorns, big oak trees can grow.” Episode SummaryAndy’s early memories of the Beatles, hi-fi systems, and the arrival of music videos.How music marketing’s evolved from radio and video to websites and streaming content.Tune in for next week’s episode as Andy and I discuss how music videos have evolved in the era of streaming content creators, his thoughts on successfully incorporating AI content into video marketing, and his advice on attracting and keeping the “superfans” who help your music grow.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps:/

“But if you think about it, like if all 360,000 of these, like, law firms, not lawyers, law firms had their own brand out there, who’s gonna rise to the top? The ones who are producing content that provides value, and then the ones who are producing content that has some good production value, and are the ones who are producing content that has some good entertainment value. ‘Cause I think that’s the third leg. Because right now, just producing content is enough, but there’s going to come a point where people have to be entertaining as well, where it’s not going to be consumed.” – Dennis MeadorThis episode is the second half of my conversation with founder and CEO of The Legal Podcasting Network Dennis Meador, as we discuss Dennis’s start in podcasting, his tips for putting together a helpful and accessible video for clients, and how AI is blurring the video/audio divide.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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Podcast Marketing and Communication StrategyThe second half of our conversation starts as Dennis shares his approach to winning older clients over to social-media marketing, and the challenge our online-first world can pose. “They’ll say, ‘Yeah, if I can get them in front of me, I’ll convert them 80% of the time,’" he recounts. “The problem is that 80% of the time, they check out your website and never do anything further.” He talks about short-form content and informational videos, and how they can help brands get a foot in the door when it comes to making an impression on clients. “When people search these very specific questions, now,” he explains, “all of a sudden, this attorney, especially with video and YouTube being owned by Google, their videos start to pop up, their podcast starts to pop up, their FAQ page starts to pop up.”(0:14:19) - Future of Podcasting and BrandingDennis and I talk about how remote networking and online spaces have changed the way we make a first impression, and his approach to keeping brands engaged with their clients. “We send a lot of videos in my company,” he explains, “I’ll have somebody say to me, like, ‘Oh, this client’s ghosted us, blah, blah, blah, blah. They’re not returning calls.’ I’m like, did you send [a video]? They probably forgot you’re a real person.” He shares his thoughts about Gen Z, and now Gen Alpha, and how their lifelong experience with social media will impact the future of branding. “Fifteen years ago or ten years ago,” he recalls, “the number one thing kids wanted to be when they grew up was doctors and lawyers. Do you know what the number one thing is now for kids junior-high and below? Influencers.”(0:17:34) - AI and Creativity in MarketingOur conversation concludes with a firsthand account of how AI is helping Dennis reinvent and expand his approach to podcast development. “I’m hoping that when we produce this [next] podcast,” he says, “we actually produce it as a cartoon, that when we produce this podcast, we actually produce it as a cartoon, and we’re going to basically be able to feed the podcast in.” He shares his thoughts about how AI can boost human creativity, and what being a creative might come to mean as AI handles more of the nuts and bolts. “What does a music producer do?” he asks. “They direct what happens, as opposed to getting into the studio and playing the instruments, and it’s, again, the same thing.” Episode SummaryDennis’s approach to creating and marketing podcasts through social media.How small law firms can use content creation to rise above the billboard-ad crowd.Dennis’s vision of AI as a tool to amplify human efficiency and imagination. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://vo

“I don’t care what I have to do, they are not going to ignore me. So I would get up, I would walk around the room, I would stand on a chair in the middle of the room, I would shout, I would run, I would scream, I would kick things. If I was mad at the Devil, I would kick something. And if I was happy for Jesus, I would run around, woo hoo hoo! And I mean, people would just come out and be like, ‘Wow, I’ve never really seen anybody speak like you.’ And I’m just like, listen, if you’re not listening, I’m not speaking. So, I think Paul said something like, I’ll be a fool for Christ. His context was all of the troubles and trials and tribulations he’d gone through in life. But the context of the statement was, in order to reach people with this message, I’ll do whatever I have to do.” – Dennis Meador My guest on this episode is the founder and CEO of The Legal Podcast Network, a turnkey podcasting, marketing, and content solution for the legal industry. With nearly thirty years in marketing, over twenty of those focused on white-collar industries, especially the legal sector, he brings extensive expertise in branding, podcasting, and beyond. His name is Dennis Meador, and in this two-part conversation, he’ll be sharing his take on branded podcasts and how they improve client engagement, and where he thinks podcasting for specific industries will head in the future. 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, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - Early Memories of Sound and CommunicationWe start things off with Dennis’s early memories of sound, including a gospel music tape he heard when he was just five years old. “It got to the point,” he recalls, “where, within a short amount of time, I had every song memorized off of that tape, both sides, every song front to back.” He shares his experiences with public speaking and what he’s learned about engagement and connecting with an audience. “I’ve spoken to two, three thousand a few times, something like that,” he explains, “and you just feel like you’re almost shouting into an abyss. Versus like that 300 to 500, you can almost feel the energy and see whether or not people are plugged in all across the whole room.”(0:12:54) - Success in Sales and PodcastingDennis tells us about how he got into advertising and his insights into the industry. “You’re helping these businesses,” he tells us. “If you’re not ripping them off and you’re really producing the product, and it’s a good thing, then you’re helping these companies.” We talk about how social media has transformed the marketing landscape and the difference between having a large audience and an engaged audience. “If you have 50,000 downloads or views of a show,” he notes, “but they’re all over the world and no one calls you, it’s not nearly as valuable as having fifty people locally, ten of them calling you, and six hiring you. Fifty could be infinitely more valuable than fifty thousand.”(0:23:34) - Marketing Strategies Through Video ContentThe first half of our conversation closes with a look at the role of video in podcasting and how Dennis leverages it in the podcasts he produces. “Video is probably our most crucial part of this, honestly,” he explains, “because we can make reels, we can make stuff out of it and repurpose it.” He tells us more about that process and how he uses it to expand each client’s network. “We use the marketing from the video,” he says, “and so that just creates a lot of opportunities for us to market our clients into their database of people and into our ever-expanding database of people that are following us.” Episode SummaryDennis’s passion for music and his formative experiences as a young pastor.How he segued into advertising, sales, and podcast marketing for lawyers.The crucial role video and audio elements play in expanding brand outreach. Tune in for next week’s episode as Dennis and I discuss the early days of the Legal Podcast Network, his strategies for bringing old-fashioned attorneys into the streaming era, and how both AI and the media savvy of Gen Z and Alpha are reshaping the future of digital marketing.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the A

“That brings up a whole other point, which is the power of a voice’s quality to bring a brand to life. A lot of clients are, like, just hire voiceover and just have them say the copy. And it’s just, like, there’s a place for Gilbert Gottfried and there’s a place for, you know, John Lithgow. And I’m not saying we would use either of those, but you know, if I’m doing a commercial on a cancer care center, I would never have Gilbert Gottfried come on and say, I’m not, that’s not, you know, that’s like, that’s... It would be memorable, but it would be completely the opposite of what the brand should be. It doesn’t sound earnest. And that’s how the voice you choose for a commercial is critical.” – Reid Holmes This episode is the second half of my conversation with keynote speaker, author, and mature brand revitalizer Reid Holmes as we talk about the role sound plays in his ad projects, the pros and cons of AI use in audio branding, and the key to building client trust with appreciated branding. 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 along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Audio BrandingWe begin the second half of our discussion with Reid’s thoughts on sonic logos, and we look at how effective they’ve been for such companies as Apple and Netflix. “Those things can be incredibly impactful because they say I’m entering a new world here,” he says. “I am now in the care of this other thing, I’ve gone through a doorway, I’ve come into this new world, and that is one of the biggest things audio cues can do.” We talk about synthetic voices, and Reid recalls a podcast’s questionable use of a sonic persona. “You gotta be really careful,” he explains. “These sonic personas people are trying to chase to make another version of themselves, it’s very slippery. It can do so much damage.”(0:08:19) - The Impact of AI on BrandingReid shares his own experience with AI assistance, and how its use in editing his book revealed both its strength and limitations. “Not doing it yourself is a disservice, I think,” he explains, “because then you don’t know the intricacies of how things bounce off each other, and how ideas bounce off each other.” We discuss the challenges of networking and collaborating in an increasingly digital world, and how the shift to an online economy has affected many companies’ marketing strategies. “A lot of brands are saying ‘we don’t need any brand advertising, we just need to chase people all over the Internet and get our transactions,” he says. “My personal point of view is that’s short-sighted.”(0:15:05) - The Future of Branding and AdvertisingAs our conversation comes to a close, Reid talks more about appreciated branding and its potential for building long-term brand loyalty. “On the customer lifetime value side of that equation,” he explains, “it’s cheaper to sell to someone who already knows you and believes in you and has bought from you than to convince yet another new person.” We talk about his current projects, and how listeners can get in touch with him. “I’m trying to get speaking engagements to talk about appreciated branding or branding in general,” he says, “because a lot of people don’t understand how powerful it is. A lot of people think just a logo is your brand, and a logo is just a logo. It’s not a brand.” Episode SummaryWhy voice quality and sound are critical when it comes to engaging with consumers.Authenticity in branding, the risks of relying on AI, and the value of personal engagement.How technology and personalized brand content are reshaping the advertising world. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect 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 Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Prod