Previous Issues

sounding off: your incredible ears

We live so much in our eyes these days that we underestimate and undervalue our most potent and primal sense: hearing. Here are three reasons we should place hearing back on the throne as king of our senses.
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sounding off: BrandSound™

The publication of Martin Lindstrom’s book BRAND sense in 2007 opened the door to a whole new world for many marketers, producing a genuine paradigm shift from one sense to five and confirming the beginning of a whole new approach which we now know as sensory branding. Lindstrom reported that a massive 83% of all marketing expenditure globally has been focused on the eyes alone - which is way out of proportion compared to the integrated multisensory way we form our opinions and attachments. Marketers have been largely ignoring the power of the other four senses!
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sound news: our work and activities

Speaking at TED conference
Our Chairman Julian Treasure is a big fan of the TED Conference. TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an extraordinary coming together of ideas and people, and is now happening annually in Oxford in July, alongside its original spot in California every February.
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London InterContinental Park Lane
Following on from the ‘Hot’ playlist featured last month, we have created yet another new playlist for the Park Lane InterContinental's bar and lounge, it will be played from 10pm to 2am Monday to Saturday and is designed to keep people sparkling and engaged after a pleasant restaurant dinner. The aim was to make this playlist sophisticated yet accessible, to gradually create a buzzing atmosphere.
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Banco de Crédito
The Sound Agency has been doing great things for Banco de Crédito in Bogotá, Colombia. We have created an entire set of BrandSoundTM guidelines.
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London InterContinental Park Lane
We are creating a new ‘Hot’ playlist for the InterContinental’s bar: the new list is shaping up to be eclectic, modern and exciting with a few surprises in store.
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reverberations: sound news from around the world

AcousticEcology.org
We've found a great blog for those of you wanting to broaden your ears. AcousticEcology.org is the website of the Acoustic Ecology Institute, a non-profit organization based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
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The sound of learning
Autism is a life-long condition with no known cause or cure. Children with autism spectrum disorders have great difficulty understanding emotions and have difficulties relating to other people. But music has historically had great benefits, and a research team in UCLA is adding to the findings.
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MTV reveals loud music’s impact on hearing
Newswise — Children and adults at risk of permanent hearing loss due to repeated exposure to loud music would turn down the sound or use ear protection if told to do so by a health care professional, a new study shows.
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Microsoft Songsmith scores an unintentional goal
An amazing new application for generating music? Well sort of. Microsoft Research have teamed up with Garritan, Plogue and PG Music to create a songwriting application that allows you to record your voice into a sequencer that analyses it and then generates musical and rhythmical accompaniment for you to have an editable “song”.
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Hybrid cars are too quiet
Less air pollution is great, but tests are showing that hybrid cars are too quiet for pedestrian safety: people can’t hear them coming. Following the passing of a congressional bill to study this problem, which especially affects blind pedestrians, Lawrence D. Rosenblum and Ryan L. Robart from The University of California, Riverside recently presented their findings in the 157th Acoustical Society of America Meeting in Portland Oregon.
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Your ears can turn themselves down
A global team of researchers demonstrate that the ear can turn itself down in order to protect itself against permanent hearing loss.
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Acoustics & Health
New code-level criteria set for acoustics in healthcare facilities.
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Tennis can damage your hearing
As Wimbledon calls ‘Play’ this year, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is considering whether to make “noise hindrance” part of its code of conduct.
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sounding off: Personal Soundscapes

The future of music
I recently tweeted about a new book called Against Intellectual Monopoly by Professors Michele Boldrin and David K. Levine, who argue that the current laws on intellectual property rights, especially copyright and patent laws, are killing creativity and innovation. Using examples such as Napster, Disney and the pharmaceutical industry, Boldrin and Levine argue that there are other and better ways to reward people for their ideas or creations.

What people really think about brands
I'm enjoying brand tags, a site that aggregates people's one-word associations with major brands as tag clouds. It's a fun and also very useful resource for anyone interested in brands or marketing, giving a quick and clear view of what people really think of those big brands. Essential, not mention addictive, and highly recommended!

The Sound of Silence
I'm just back from a short holiday in Northern Italy, where my wife is from. Doing what I do, I naturally listen to every place I visit and on this trip three experiences made me think about the subject of silence.
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In the first in a series of opinion features about the sound around us, we ask: what are the reasons for and implications of the boom in personal stereo use? More...

reverberations: sound news from around the world

Why did Muzak go bust?
Some lessons about piped music - and a cautionary tale for the retail TV industry.

Latest media coverage as Julian Treasure launches Sound Business
In Sound Business, leading sound expert Julian Treasure explains exactly how to take control of sound to improve almost every aspect of business. The book has been getting lots of media coverage on TV, radio and in the press... More...

World's first generative music on hold
The Sound Agency has completed installation of what is believed to be the world's first piece of generative music on hold... More...

Major London hotel appoints The Sound Agency
The InterContinental Hotel London is currently undergoing a multi-million pound refit... More...

Sound Affects
A round-up of current statistics and interesting facts about our changing attitudes toward ambient sound More...

The logo is dead - long live the logo!
In a world of increasing visual clutter, has the traditional logo lost its impact? If so, what can marketers turn to next in order to identify and differentiate their brands? More...

The Sound Agency helps optimize Homebase FM
Homebase has appointed The Sound Agency to carry out an audit on its in-store... More...

Wall Street of Sound
City traders are using the latest auditory display software to translate
stock market fluctuations into the music of money More...

Rising noise at night keeps Britain awake
More than two-thirds of British households are experiencing nocturnal noise levels higher than international health guidelines More...

French limit volume for young rockers
A new French law will curb the volume of personal stereos to protect young people's hearing More...

Military technology in your ear
A new noise filtering system dramatically improves both speaking and listening for mobile phone users More...

Thunderous sound to power new generation of spacecraft
Inside the engine, the acoustic pressure is high enough to pop your eardrums More...

Urban sound gets the bird
London ducks are having to adapt to modern urban soundscapes More...

A princess in every toilet
Japanese women are using a new invention to feel more at ease with the sound of, er, nature More...