INTRODUCTION

Wunderman Thompson and Spotify Advertising present the
Future of Sound, unpacking the key trends for brands as we
head towards an audio-first world.
Sound used to be an afterthought for brands, but no longer.
The more we understand about the power of music, audio, and
voice, the more it is clear that sound is a potent and untapped
tool for consumer engagement. As these trends reveal, it can
do so much more than provide a backing track.
Sound is an intimate sense, tapping deep into our emotions,
stimulating sensations and triggering memories. It shapes our
understanding of the world and how we feel within it, making
us feel safe or afraid, elated or melancholy and everything in
between.
As we collectively face a global crisis of wellbeing, we are
learning that audio can be powerfully therapeutic, able to
soothe our minds and even heal our bodies. The soundscapes
that surround us will harness technology to grow ever more
adaptive, contextual, and tailored, flexing to meet our personal
or collective needs.
and an imperative to deliver on inclusion, accessibility, and
sustainability.
Moreover, for brands, sound and audio can flex across every
channel and touchpoint, offering tangible opportunities
for consumer engagement. Sonic branding and brand
soundscapes can build seamless narratives, journeys,
and experiences in both screen-based and screenless
environments. Backed by AI, sound will even bring brands to
life, allowing for in the moment conversation.
We hope you enjoy the report. To keep you company, we
have curated a bespoke playlist featuring all of the artists who
appear in the trends. Rooted in our lives, sound truly shapes
our everyday. Now brands can ride the sound wave to be there
too. To listen along, just open Spotify, click on the camera icon
and scan the following code.

As life expands into virtual worlds, sound will be the constant

that welcomes people in. Already, music is making a home in
this space, with web3 record labels and ‘phygital’ superstars
proliferating. In this new era, fans will get ever closer to the
artists they love, acting not just as advocates, but as investors
and co-creators. Marie Stafford
GLOBAL DIRECTOR,
Of course, as in many of today’s industries, there will be an
WUNDERMAN THOMPSON INTELLIGENCE
ongoing focus on betterment, whether for people or planet,
CONTENT Fandomonium................................... P.05
The gaming engine............................ P.08
SOUND
The phygital artist.............................. P.10
WITHOUT Sonic serendipity............................... P.12
LIMITS Audio techcessibility.......................... P.14
Mystery sonification........................... P.16

Contextual storytelling....................... P.19

AUDIO Sonic brand futures........................... P.22
BRANDING Conversational advertising................. P.24

Good vibration.................................... P.28

FEEL Minimizing the musical footprint......... P.30
GOOD Adaptive audio health........................ P.32
VIBES Audio erotica...................................... P.34
Architectural soundscapes ................ P.36
Chapter 01

SOUND
WITHOUT
LIMITS
FANDOMONIUM
As they become aware of
their collective power, the
status of fans evolves
from passive consumers
to advocates, activists,
co-creators, and investors
alongside their favorite
artists.
.  T he role of music fans has evolved
considerably over the last few years. The
“Chasing Creators” trend from Spotify’s
Culture Next Report underlines that the
era of superstar artists simply broadcas-
ting to passive admirers is over. This new
generation of fans expects unlimited
access to their favorite artists, as well as
constant engagement. At the
time, artists also gain new ways to
involve their fans in their own universe.
In the digital age, numbers and digital
skills place a lot of power in music fans’
hands – and they’re starting to unders-
tand this state of affairs. According to
the Culture Next Report
Report, 20% of Gen-Z
considers themselves more than just
fans. Over the last ten years, the political
and cultural influence of K-pop fans
across the world has been an example of
this involvement pushing beyond the fan
status. These musical super-fandoms
went from internet subcultures to power-
ful armies controlling social media trends
and influencing politics with mainstream
media coverage. As if to demonstrate
BTS Army, K-pop band BTS’s “fan syndicate”
In the digital age, numbers
and digital skills place a lot
of power in music fans’
hands – and they’re starting
to understand this state of
affairs.
same
P00ls creates currencies for fans and their communities
their power, the BTS French Army – a
collective of BTS fans – lobbied for a
large French retailer to sell the group’s
albums in all their stores.
Young people, Gen-Zers in particular,
no longer see themselves as mere
consumers, but as creators aspiring to
collaborate with the artists and brands
they follow. And more and more artists
seem keen to join their fans for the
ride.
In the electronic music sphere in parti-
cular, many initiatives of this kind are
launching. On the P00LS platform,
artists can develop their musical commu-
nity on Web3, where the members earn
“social money” for their engagement,
allowing them to unlock advantages and
exclusive access. In 2022, YSL Beauty
collaborated with the platform so that
two of its ambassadors, Kittens and
Musician Jacques sold the rights to his song – as NFTs.
Agathe Mougin
Mougin, could launch their
community. audience through multimedia formats
such as videos, audio, and display ads.
The same year, musician Jacques sold This development is particularly advan-
the rights to his song “Vous” – the plural tageous for brands, as research in Sonic
“you” in French – as NFTs. Each of the Science has revealed that Spotify
194 seconds of the song could be bought content and ads not only captivate our
for the equivalent of 145 euros. The ears but also capture our visual atten-
P.6
“co-owners” received a signed vinyl and tion. The research also indicates that an
are now collecting their royalties on the impressive 93% of the brain’s engage-
song. This model, which the artist used ment with Spotify’s content seamlessly
as an exploration, became more translates into engagement with adver-
concrete with Pianity
Pianity, a platform where tisements.
musicians and their communities come
together to create, sell, buy, and collect
songs certified with blockchain techno-
logy, compensating the artist for every
transfer of ownership.
WHY IT’S
During its 2023 Stream On event, INTERESTING
Spotify presented exciting innovations,
Over the last few years, the
including a complete redesign of the relationship between fans and
interface. This new design aims to stren- musicians has achieved more
gthen the bond between creators and balance, moving towards a more
listeners through an interactive visual collaborative approach. Aware of
experience. With users spending more the power they hold, fans are now
time on the app, brands now have grea- becoming co-creators, and even
ter opportunities to engage with their investors in their favorite artists.
 "Today's Generation Z is redefining the
creator-fan relationship, fostering a sense of
kinship and mutual support. At Spotify, we
recognize the power of these passionate online
communities and collaborate with creators who
construct immersive worlds to engage with their
fans. By partnering with Spotify, brands can tap
into these strong relationships, forge meaningful
connections with Gen Z, and create impactful
experiences within these thriving communities."

Marion Boeri, Global Thought Leadership Lead, Spotify

THE GAMING
ENGINE
Gaming is now a strategic partner for
the music industry.
.  G aming has become one of the
biggest industries, with a huge audience
of enthusiasts making up about a third of
the world’s population - a number which
continues to grow every day. In turn, ga-
ming’s popularity has driven increasingly
large production budgets, with a big part
of this investment now dedicated to
game soundtracks. This represents a
unique opportunity for composers,
authors, and producers: they can attract
a large audience worldwide, without the
issue of the language barrier.
In the future, as platforms
towards virtual leisure and entertain-
ment spaces, the synergy between the
worlds of music and gaming is only set to
grow and grow.
Everyone born today is a
gamer, which means there
are 140 million new
gamers every year.
Matthew Ball, VC, essayist
and Metaverse theorist
Gaming is becoming more and more va-
luable for the marketing economy. It
provides a high-value and constantly
growing audience, desirable not just for
its size (3 billion individuals) and the
volume of business generated
billion dollars in 2022 with a 3.4% growth
predicted over the next few years accor-
ding to Newzoo analysts), but also by
the power of its influence, and gaming’s
capacity to spread messages, content,
and ideas instantly
continent.
At the center of this, audiences (e.g.
the "Zalphas" or Gen Zers and Gen
Alphas) are increasingly hard to reach
because of the fragmentation of their
media consumption and the explosion of
streaming channels.
evolve
Stephanie Economou is the first composer to be awarded a Grammy Award for
her work on the video game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Games offer a powerful way to connect
with them: 81% of them are gamers, ac-
cording to Gameloft
Gameloft. The most popular
games are open platforms like Roblox,
Minecraft, and Fortnite.
Fortnite Interestingly,
these platforms are already morphing
into leisure and entertainment spaces
that have successfully hosted virtual
(184 concerts and events.
Take, for example, Roblox
Roblox, which re-
cently organized a free concert for the
Super Bowl LVII in the Warner Brothers
Rhythm City
City, with Saweetie as its head-
line act. These virtual spaces have the
across every potential to generate additional profit
through live performances and
merchandising.
Lil Nas X composed Star Walkin', the anthem of the 2022
Video games pervade culture, so much League of Legends World Championship
so that events like BBC Proms dedicate
special nights to the music of video
games, featuring popular soundtracks
like those of Battlefield 2042 and
Kingdom Hearts.
Hearts
P.9
In 2023, the Grammy Awards opened
up a new distinct category for video
game music, highlighting the cultural
power of the gaming industry, with the
WHY IT’S
violinist Stephanie Economou winning INTERESTING
for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of The synergy between
Ragnarök. gaming and music is growing
into a major cultural and
Deloitte reported in 2022 that almost economic phenomenon. Artists
half of the gamers in the United States and labels now see the potential
said they discovered new music while of video games as a powerful
playing.
medium to reach and engage
audiences in the digital world.
The future will probably unlock
For example, Lil Nas X’s
X exclusive track
deeper partnerships, new
recorded for the League of Legends
creative collaborations and
Worlds tournament has already garne- hybrid experiences. Despite
red millions of streams on Spotify
Spotify. many challenges, the future
promises a plethora of creative
and business opportunities for
the music industry.
THE PHYGITAL
ARTIST
Will the line between real and virtual pop
stars soon disappear?
.  V irtual pop stars are nothing new
but, thanks to recent developments in
after the pandemic (involving Ariana
Grande or Travis Scott in Fortnite and Lil
Meanwhile,
promoting Angelbaby
Hume
Angelbaby, the world’s first
Collective is

AI and web3, their numbers are now Nas X in Roblox),

Roblox have begun to “metastar”, a virtual bunny, with three
growing rapidly in the age of the normalize this trend. For younger musical NFTs on OpenSea.
OpenSea The
metaverse, while many international generations, the distinction between character has already performed at
artists are working on virtual reality physical and virtual worlds is fading: festivals and signed a contract with CAA
concerts. both are just real life. to explore new opportunities.

This unique combination is set to blur A growing number of artists are The band aespa, ready to conquer the metaverse

the line between the physical and virtual successfully experimenting with these
worlds even more in the future. new territories, expanding their The rise of the web3 economy is a
audience. For example, during a more direct and interactive link between
The recent evolution of various futuristic 2022 dance and rap fans and artists that offers an
technologies, such as streaming, performance, Megan Thee Stallion opportunity for record companies to
“extended” reality (including virtual partnered with AmazeVR for the first- redesign their marketing approach.
reality and augmented reality), virtual ever virtual reality tour called “Enter the
The metastar Angelbaby performing in the metaverse P.11
worlds, NFTs and web3 decentralized Hottieverse,” attended by 15,000 fans The growing popularity of virtual worlds
platforms, has fostered the rise of a new in 15 cities across the United States. as well as web3 platforms is giving rise
kind of entertainment. to an entirely new kind of musical talent:
Calvin Harris also performed a virtual “virtual-native” pop stars, solely
reality concert on TikTok LIVE in January created to perform in metaverses.
2023, using the PicoVR headset.
J. Balvin’s Futurum show, designed as a The Warpsound collective
collective, owned by WHY IT’S
180-degree experience on Meta's startup Authentic Artists,
Artists brings together INTERESTING
Horizon Worlds VR platform, was shown AI-generated virtual artists on web3
at SXSW 2023 alongside a VR platform The Sandbox
Sandbox. Escapeplan
Escapeplan, a DJ Virtual worlds offer
performance from K-pop girlband duo made up of Bored Ape NFTs
NFTs, was
new opportunities to artists and
labels, with VR events bringing fans up
aespa.
aespa signed by WME
WME, along with Kingship
Kingship, a
close to the action, and with unlimited
Bored Ape quartet who collaborated with
Megan Thee Stallion’s “Enter the Hottieverse” virtual reality tour capabilities. Artists will share these
Decentraland held its second M&Ms, and was created by Universal
M&Ms
spaces with their virtual equivalents,
Attending a virtual concert is fast Metaverse Music Festival in November Music’s experimental label 10:22PM.
10:22PM such as Angelbaby, who are already
becoming a key part of the music fan 2022, headlined by Björk
Björk, Ozzy Osbourne Metaverse company Sensorium has breaching the digital wall to perform
experience. and Soulja Boy
Boy. The event lasted over also created its own AI-based virtual DJs. in the physical world. In the future,
four days across 15 virtual stages and Other virtual stars include ROHKI
ROHKI, Bored audiences could become as ardent in
Recent large-scale events organized offered interactive experiences Brothers, Zero Pain and ANA
Brothers ANA. their support for these metastars as for
within gaming platforms, during and throughout its virtual festival site. their flesh and blood equivalents.
SONIC
SERENDIPITY
A new generation of music discovery
apps offers original, fun, and interactive
ways to explore and listen to new music.
.  W ith about 100,000 tracks added
to the world’s streaming platforms every
day, our contemporary music supply
can become overwhelming and hard to
navigate. Yet, for many audiophiles, the
process of finding their next favorite
track is as exciting as the listening itself.
Listeners want
everything right away,
to find a rare gem as
soon as it’s out.
In response, new tools for musical
discovery are emerging. They are fun,
innovative, and often interactive, placing
the listener at the heart of an active
discovery process. Some use emotional
stimuli to suggest a track, others borrow
UX techniques from popular social
networks or dating apps.
The listeners of today have evolved.
They want everything right away, to find
a rare gem as soon as it’s released. And
the thirst for inspiration and the unex-
pected has grown even stronger with the
repeated pandemic lockdowns.
However, the rush for the new can
provoke anxiety and, faced with infinite
choice, humans can begin to feel over-
Stream On 2023: CEO Daniel Ek’s Opening
whelmed. This opens up opportunities
for the industry to create new naviga-
tion-centred experiences.
These tools offer recommendations
that go beyond the usual suggestions
based on listening history,
music fans to find new artists, tracks,
and genres from geographical regions
that could otherwise be overlooked.
During its 2023 Stream On
Spotify presented exciting innovations
like its enhancements of the discovery
MusicSwipe uses an algorithm that allows listeners to “match”
with their next favorite artist in three swipes
Smores lets users listen to a short clip of a song based on their listening history
function, with new features for creators
and artists. With Smart Shuffle and AI DJ,
DJ
users can add new music to playlists and
enjoy personalized
exploration. Popular playlists like Discover
allowing Weekly,
Weekly Release Radar,
Radar
Friday, and RapCaviar now offer a track-
Friday
by-track exploration, providing a visual
experience. Brands can engage in these
discovery moments by sponsoring play-
event, lists and immersing themselves in capti-
vating content.
AI-driven playlist tool Lineup is taking
new approach. Based on a variety of
factors such as AI prompts, images and
videos, Lineup shines a spotlight on
artists and tracks that are not main-
stream. MuzicSwipe uses Tinder-style
navigation to match fans with artists.
Users have to listen
extracts and swipe right on three of those
before the name of the artist is revealed.
The Smores app merges a TikTok-style
visual identity with insights from Shazam.
Users see a personalized stream of short
15-to-35-second extracts, showcasing
the most popular parts of each song. With
every new interaction comes hyper-spe-
cific genre recommendations.
Millennials and Gen Zers put a premium
on experiences over possessions. They
choose lifestyle, pleasure, and explora-
tion before ownership, as the music
industry can testify. For instance, the
resurgence of vinyl is in part thanks to the
unique sensory experience it can provide.
Artists now make more money from live
AI-guided music concerts than from physical products.
The next experience to add to this list will
P.13
New Music be musical discovery and the journey to
uncover one’s next favorite track.
WHY IT’S
INTERESTING
The trend “Sonic Serendipity”
unveils a new, inspiring reality
where listeners play an active
role in the discovery and
promotion of new artists.
Artists will benefit from this
to 15-second too, as the new generation
of music discovery apps will
promote a more exploratory,
diverse, and inclusive musical
landscape.
AUDIO TECHCESSIBILITY
Advances in audio technology can help visually impaired people deeply
enrich their lives. Sonic guidance tools can make leisure activities more
varied, while fostering creative expression.
.  T he demand for inclusive product
design is stronger than ever. According
impaired individuals navigate public
transit, was tested in Washington DC
people have historically been excluded
from. A study conducted by Action
of making them accessible to the
visually impaired.
to Wunderman Thompson
Thompson, 81% of in June 2022. Its goal is to empower its Audio estimated that nearly 300
people believe that the needs of users, giving them the independence million people worldwide are unable to
people with disabilities should be taken to expand their horizons beyond the fully enjoy live sports due to visual im-
into consideration when designing a 2.5 regular routes that most blind pairments. To address this accessibi-
Inclusion’s Next Wave,
new product (Inclusion’s Americans take, according to the lity issue, Action Audio – a consortium
2022). While advanced technologies
2022 company. consisting of Tennis Australia, AKQA,
AKQA
can be harnessed to make the world and Melbourne’s Monash University –
more accessible for marginalized set up a unique system for augmenting
communities, businesses are also live sports with sound during the
considering how they might use the January 2022 Australian Open.
Open The
latest innovations to make lives more system uses data from a ball
enjoyable too. monitoring computer and audibly
sends the information via a 3D sound
The design community, along with system. Using Google Assistant
Assistant, Blynd offers an audio adaptation of comic books.
P.15
other industry sectors, is increasingly listeners can simultaneously listen to
taking the motto "Nothing about us Action Audio and sports commentary
without us" to heart. As more people on the radio.
with disabilities are given a seat at the
table, this is driving a revolution in Action Audio offers an audio broadcast of the Australian Open. Wunderman Thompson Intelli-
inclusive design. Waymap,
Waymap a gence's Future 100: 2023 report
navigation app that helps visually The tech giants are also leading the references the joyconomy, defined as
charge on techcessibility. Google’s an appetite to seek out joy and
Pixel 7,
7 launched in October 2022, pleasure in the face of continued
features a new accessibility tool, hardship. For this segment of the WHY IT’S
Talkback, designed to help those with
Talkback population, audiobooks are a great INTERESTING
visual impairments take selfies by way to conquer new territories and
As influencer Molly Burke
using audio cues to guide them into stimulate creativity. Blynd is a French
suggested in a promotional
the shot. The screen reader gives startup lauched in 2020 that is on a
video for Google’s Talkback
spoken feedback and triggers haptic mission to make visual content tool, brands should focus on
vibrations to help users place accessible to everyone. In 2022, one making life enjoyable for people
themselves into the frame. of its founders, Timothée Borne,
Borne with visual impairments. Audio
announced that their next project was techcessibility innovations are
Following sports in real time is one of to create an audio series based on now going beyond the basics to
The Waymap application proves successful in helping vision impaired people. the activities that visually impaired comic books, meeting the challenge truly enrich lives.
MYSTERY
SONIFICATION
Fascination for the unknown is inspiring
a new wave of sound experimentation.
.  I n a world where the urgency to
protect the planet and the desire to
transforming the
biofeedback into unique new sounds.
collected

explore beyond it coexist, sound is of On a more political bent, violinist and

the utmost importance. This could engineer Laurent Bernadac composed
explain why artists and producers are a “global warming” soundtrack
collecting unknown or rarely heard entitled ClimaX for COP 26.
26 Entirely
sounds. These new intriguing and made of recorded sounds, it acts as
mysterious creations not only fire the an audio diary, archiving humanity’s
imagination but also contribute to anxiety as civilization races against
preserving endangered sounds for Love Hultén’s cactus biodata makes haunting sounds the clock to save the planet and itself.
future generations. Astrophysicist Matt Russo turns astronomical data into music - by Enem Odeh

initiated crucial archival work. Meanwhile, the renewed interest in

In a world that is changing at a furious Simultaneously, interest in field space conquest – with the exploration
pace, sounds which might once have recording is taking over contemporary of Mars as a focal point – gives way to
been considered ‘everyday’ are at risk music, with artists such as Björk
Björk, King new musical experimentations
of being lost forever. By capturing and Krule and Thylacine using these following in the footsteps of David
P.17
reproducing these sounds, creators sounds in their compositions. While Bowie,
Bowie and more recently Sufjan
are allowing us to archive the past relaxing YouTube playlists consisting Stevens. Searching for the sound of
Stevens
while imagining sounds of the future. of storm or ocean sounds are now the future has always been a central
reaching millions of views. Audio- quest for contemporary music, and
Faced with the climate risks affecting visual artist Love Hultén even hooked artists are now taking inspiration from
flora and fauna, musicians have up probes to the thorns of desert cacti, other times and spaces. Expanding on
the music from Cosmos composed by
Vangelis for Carl Sagan’s famous
scientific TV Show, Matt Russo WHY IT’S
transforms astronomical data into
INTERESTING
captivating soundscapes, sharing this
Driven by a growing desire
unique auditory journey into the
for mysterious experiences,
cosmos during public conferences and
listeners are exploring new
media appearances. In turn, the
sounds in a quest for adventure
Radiooooo collective collaborated with and discovery. But these sounds
around 20 artists from all over the can also be educational, whether
world, asking them to imagine the it’s about preserving endangered
sound of the year 2070 in a compilation sounds for generations to come
exploring a multitude of captivating or taking listeners on a journey to
Musician Laurent Bernadac is scoring global warming
dimensions. uncharted territories.
Chapter 02

AUDIO
BRANDING
CONTEXTUAL
STORYTELLING
Contextual and responsive audio
content creates immersive and
experiential personalized listening
experiences that are both entertaining
and educational.
.  W e've been saying it
years now: "If content is king, context
for 10

is King Kong". Yet, there is still enor-

mous untapped potential when it
comes to using a person’s real-time
context - where they are and what
they are doing - to deliver rich, perso-
nalized audio content that is also
hyper-relevant, immersive, and expe- Kiln, an audio thriller by author John Ajvide Lindqvist, accessible only within Swedish forests.

riential. Today, this trend is manifes-

ting itself in a number of ways: some 64% of travelers responding to a the release of their single Skinny Ape
Ape, only available to people gathered in
platforms generate unique content survey agree that it’s most important British band Gorillaz created a specific places, such as Times Square
based on the user’s context, such as to experience a locale’s authentic geo-fenced virtual immersive live or Piccadilly Circus.
Circus On-site, fans
location, weather, and time of day, culture. And audio content can play a performance. The experience was could listen to the track while
while other activations use geo-fenced key role in discovering a new destina- augmented reality avatars moved like
content that people can only access tion in a special way: Visit Sweden has King Kong between the city’s buil-
P.20
when they are in a specific physical collaborated with world-famous horror dings.
space. author John Ajvide Lindqvist to create
an “audio horror story” featuring
Swedish mythological creatures. This
format is particularly interesting as

If content is king, the content is geo-restricted - it can

only be enjoyed if you are in the imme-
then context diate area of the location.

is King Kong European railway operator Interrail

The context that supports persona-
lized content can be extracted from
live data with user option or manual
user input, or extrapolated
previous choices and settings, offe-
ring unique opportunities for educa-
tional and historical content including
context-specific songs, playlists, and
storytelling.
has designed SoundTracks
SoundTracks, an app
that generates personalized playlists
based on destination, weather, and
surrounding scenery, as a fun way to
from discover the culture of the different
countries a person travels through.
Besides the need for authenticity,
80% of respondents claim
seeking immersive experiences. For
WHY IT’S
INTERESTING
Contextual storytelling brings
together real-time music discovery
and adventure-based exploration
to offer hyper-personalized, super
relevant content that can also
to be
Gorillaz and Skinny Ape created a larger-than-life immersive experience
be educational, immersive, and
in Time Square and Piccadilly Circus experiential.
"Contextual storytelling isn't just about matching
music to a listener's environment - it's about
creating a narrative that unfolds over time.
By curating playlists and podcasts that evolve
with the listener's interests and moods
at Spotify, we can create a more dynamic
and engaging experience that keeps them
coming back for more."

Rich Frankel, Global Creative Director, Spotify

SONIC
BRAND
FUTURES
To raise brand awareness
among consumers, com-
panies are turning to so-
nic branding for a more
cohesive and controlled
advertising strategy for
every touchpoint.
.  B rand jingles have been around for
over a century, but companies are now
looking to maintain or even increase their
coherence as the number and variety of
delivery channels constantly evolves. On
TV, using augmented reality, on social
media, or on the radio, there are many
different ways to promote a brand, but
only one expression resonates across
every touchpoint: sonic branding.
According to Médiamétrie
Médiamétrie, listening to
content is now an integral part of French
people’s media consumption, particu-
larly when it comes to digital media:
almost 82% of them listen to some form
of audio content (radio, podcasts, audio-
books, music streaming, etc.) every day.
Among Internet users, 3 out of 4 listen to
digital content every month, an increase
of 5% compared to two years prior.
For brands, a strong sonic signature is
becoming more and more important.
According to Harris Interactive and
Sixième Son
Son, 82% of 18-to-64-year-olds
consider it important for a brand to have
a sonic identity to reach them. Among
them, 75% report feeling closer to a brand
with a distinct audio identity. A study led
by DLMDD and SoundOut quantified this
rise of perceived value and intent to buy
to 5% on average. Brands were quick to
recognize this potential: in 2022, digital
audio advertising achieved strong growth
with an increase of 53%.
Hanz Zimmer composed an extended version of the famous Netflix sound «Tudum»
Consequently, sonic identities
growing more and more ambitious. Some
brands even collaborated with renowned
composers for their sonic logos: Hans
Zimmer is the mind behind Netflix’s
famous “ta-dum” sound and Guy Farley
brought Cadbury’s “There’s a Glass and
a Half in Everyone” to life.
Some brands even take
production a step further, as is the case
for KFC
KFC. The CLNL SNDRS song accom-
panying every ad from the fried chicken
company has over 200,000 listens on
Spotify. The world’s leading electric car
Spotify
racing championship, Formula E,
E has
created a new suite of sonic branding
assets inspired by its most powerful car,
the GEN3. The sound of the car’s accele-
ration has been reimagined by a 55-piece
orchestra to create sonic assets for its
broadcast and digital channels, including
the series theme tune.
Elsewhere, in spring 2023
Commission launched a public consulta-
the EU
tion with a view to regulating the future
development of the metaverse. This may
influence how sonic branding is used in
virtual worlds, while the Algorithmic
Accountability Act in the US includes
legislation that, if passed, could deter-
mine whether brands are allowed to use
algorithms to create digital assets, inclu-
ding sonic sounds.
are But sonic design goes beyond jingles
and advertising. All over the world, legis-
lators are developing standards for the
P.23
sounds emitted by electric vehicles to
ensure the safety of pedestrians and
fellow drivers. Car manufacturers like
Nissan, BMW and Porsche are creating
Nissan
sonic signature sounds that will alert
people that their e-vehicles are about to
musical move or accelerate.
WHY IT’S
INTERESTING
For consumers, touchpoints are
ever growing in number – and in
complexity – while the digital world
is developing. If brands want to
remain relevant and present in the
minds of their clients, they need
to have a strong and coherent
brand sound, easily identifiable
Formula E has developed a new sonic identity using the sound of its GEN3 car. on every channel.
CONVERSATIONAL
ADVERTISING
Growing interest in smart home devices and the mainstreaming of
ecommerce platforms are converging into the next big thing in audio
advertising – interactive audio ads.
.  W ith 400
estimated to adopt smart devices by
million
2025, it’s clear that we’re set for a
major boost in smart home techno-
logy and demand. As this tech is
adopted across the world, the general
spread of ecommerce means that
purchasing via smart devices is set to
reach an estimated 16.4 billion dollars
by 2025. By tapping into this thriving
channel, brands
audience with interactive audio ads to
build deeper, more
tionships through conversational inte-
ractions.
Nars cosmetics and Spotify collaborated on a voice campaign that allows listeners
to order products via voice commands
households In late 2022, new wireless standard
Matter came onto the scene to finally fix
the compatibility issues riddling the
smart devices arena. Experts say that
the resulting enhanced interoperability
could bring along a massive surge in
demand, and a number of pioneering
brands are looking to harness this tech-
nological tide change to communicate
with their audience via voice assistants.
can engage their In 2020, Nars Cosmetics and Spotify
teamed up to create a unique makeup
personal rela- and music experience for
customers. Nars created custom play-
lists on Spotify that were inspired by
their makeup collections and curated
by their global makeup artists.
Customers who purchased
products could access the playlists
through a QR code on the packaging or
the Nars website. The partnership
aimed to connect with a younger, tech-
savvy demographic and enhance the
customer’s emotional connection to
the brand.
On the other side of the Channel,
Tesco customers could interact with the
brand’s ads to access its latest offers
by conversing with their smart spea-
kers.
Companies tapping into this channel
are already facing growing competition:
according to Forbes
Forbes, spending on digital
Google released India’s first all-Hindi audio ad
their
audio is on the rise and expected to
reach nearly 8 billion dollars by 2025,
representing more than 40% of the
P.25
overall audio advertising market.
Nars
Furthermore, interactive communica-
tions are more likely to influence consu-
mers on brand recall and opinion: 24%
WHY IT’S
of listeners claim to react positively INTERESTING
when they hear their smart device As a growing number of
respond to requests during an adverti- consumers rely on smart
sement. home devices to make their
daily lives easier, and two-way
Interactive audio ads are spreading
conversational technologies offer
extra possibilities, the availability
worldwide, with Amazon launching
of brand touchpoints will increase.
Amazon Interactive Audio in the USA in
Given the increased impact of
May 2022, and Google airing its first
interactive audio ads on brand
interactive ad in India, entirely in Hindi, recall and opinion, conversational
on India’s most popular music strea- advertising will become a key
ming platform Ganna
Ganna. element of marketing strategies,
enabling companies and brands
to engage with their audience
at a deeper level.
 "At Spotify, we're constantly exploring
new ways to make ads feel more conversational.
Listeners should feel like they're hearing about
a product from a friend. Whether it's through
voice-activated ads or personalized
recommendations, we help advertisers talk like
a human instead of a brand in order to create
a more engaging and seamless advertising
experience for our listeners and help brands
effectively reach their target audiences."

Rak Patel, Head of EMEA Sales, Spotify

Chapter 03

FEEL
GOOD
VIBES
GOOD
VIBRATIONS
With new technologies, music can now be felt
metaphorically and physically to elevate the
experience we have of sound. During their
exploration of new digital realities, some creators
are finding a way to offer multisensory sound
experiences.
. 
“ Feeling the music” is no longer
just a metaphor. We can now engage
points located around the suit. It also
captures the sound of the live crowd and
with sound beyond mere listening, transfers the sensation to the wearer in Feel the way that the rhythm moves from left
stepping into the realm of touch, thanks real-time – a world-first innovation.
to right and the way the changing patterns feel
to haptic technology. Beyond making
the world more auditorily inclusive, In November 2022, New Zealand against your palms. These tracks can only be felt,
haptic technology enables any music composer Jesse Austin-Stewart wrote a not heard.
lover to dive into a multimodal world collection of vibrating musical works for Jesse Austin-Stewart, composer
where one can feel sound. For instance, hard-of-hearing gamers using the
a person experiencing synesthesia can PlayStation Dual Sense controller.
taste music or hear colors. The concept experience”, supported by themed
is booming on social media, with over According to Wunderman Thompson visual effects. The Swedish outfit
430 million views on TikTok (March data, 72% of global respondents believe recently raised 5.1 million euros during
2023). we need to fix the world for people with its launch phase. Former Twitter founder
disabiilties, not fix disability itself. Biz Stone is now an investor and has
Vodafone 5G collaborated with Music: Inclusion's Next Wave,
(Inclusion's Wave 2022). joined the board.
P.29
Not Impossible and Unit 9 on the
conception of haptic suits, wearable A digital extension to Teenage
technology that translates sound into Engineering OP-Z’s synthesizer can
vibrations. British concert audiences translate music into kaleidoscopic
could feel each instrument separately, images generated by AI in real-time.
each sensation delivered by 24 touch- The extension harnesses Stable
Teenage Engineering OP-Z’s synthesizer translates music
into kaleidoscopic images thanks to AI WHY IT’S
Diffusion’s open source AI tool, which
INTERESTING
takes inspiration from synesthesia. It Audio experiences are turning
can translate musical elements such as
into visual experiences as
innovators use AI and other
pitch, key, notes and rhythm into
technological tools to translate music
prompts that are then transmitted to
into visual synesthetic
Stable Diffusion,
Diffusion which turns them into
experiences.
dreamy landscapes full of color, forms As virtual experiences become richer
and movements. and more immersive, it’s likely that
musical experiences will also evolve
Chroma Studio is currently developing and come with additional sensory
a smartphone audio technology that layers that enrich and improve
A haptic suit that transforms sound into vibrations can offer an “infinite synesthetic emotional impact.
MINIMIZING
THE MUSICAL FOOTPRINT
The music industry is beginning to investigate the environmental impact
of its digital data usage. Musicians, producers, and platforms alike are
looking to reduce the environmental footprint of their music’s
production, performance – and, of course, its constant broadcasting.
.  A ccording to a
Thompson report, 75% of respondents
Wunderman Music Group and Warner Music Group –
started structuring an action plan by co-
across the world are more and more signing a commitment to decarbonize
aware of their personal impact on the the global music industry. Meanwhile,
Regeneration Rising, UK, 2021).
planet (Regeneration 2021 other initiatives aim to innovate and
Everything, from the choice of an energy adapt the very technology used in
supplier to plastic consumption, is closely streaming. In this regard, MQA,
MQA a
examined and the digital world is no company specializing in audio streaming
exception. We are growing more aware of technology, is working with high-quality
the environmental impact of our data, music streaming service TIDAL Masters
particularly with regards to streaming. Coldplay’s latest tour ran almost entirely on renewable energy to reduce the carbon footprint of high-
Musicians, producers, and platforms resolution audio files by 80%. Another
involved in the search for new solutions to net-zero by the end of 2030. It is digital music, a few initiatives are initiative led by Vilvit.io is advocating for
are turning to more sustainable musical prioritizing platforms that reduce emerging. Anna Calvi redistributes part the implementation of a global musical
options. emissions per hour streamed and is of her copyright revenue to EarthPercent
EarthPercent, repository powered by renewable energy
collaborating with partners that can a charity organization, by crediting planet where streaming platforms could plug in
P.31
reduce the environmental impact of all Earth as a collaborator on her albums. In for broadcasting.
aspects of the production chain. March 2022, DJ Shy One
One, Mixmag
We are growing more magazine and Difference Maker
aware of the Reducing the carbon footprint of the organized a livestream powered by
environmental impact music industry is also a pressing issue for renewable energy to urge the music
music lovers: according to British study industry to be more aware of its carbon
of our data
Turn Up the Volume,
Volume 82% of music fans footprint.
are concerned about climate change,
compared to 72% of non-music fans. In December 2021, the “Big Three”
Among them, 54% even believe fighting labels – Sony Music Group, Universal WHY IT’S
Emissions produced by the
sector could triple by 2050 if we stick to
digital the climate crisis should be a top priority.
INTERESTING
Consumers expect brands to
our current use, according to ADEME (the Musicians have started coming up with
come up with solutions to help
French Agency for the Environment and solutions to ecological concerns, starting
them reconcile daily enjoyments –
Energy Management
Management). Although audio with live music. For example, Coldplay
Coldplay’s
including music consumption – and
streaming only accounts for 0.4% of the latest international tour was run almost low environmental impact. It’s time
world’s internet download traffic, industry exclusively on renewable energy. More for artists, producers, and platforms
members and music lovers still have locally, in France, singer Pomme offering alternatives to take center
room for improvement. Spotify has organized a carpool system to help fans stage amid the technological
committed to reducing its GHG emissions attend her concerts. When it comes to DJ Shy One livestreaming from the Cruachan hydroelectric plant in Scotland revolution shaking up the industry.
ADAPTIVE
AUDIO
HEALTH
Harnessing technology, the
therapeutic application of sound is
becoming a powerful new wellness
solution targeting sleep, emotional
state and even physical symptoms.
 T he last few years have shone a
light on the importance of not only
Harnessing the
GetSound.AI is an immersive sounds-
GetSound
power of AI, more
sound
relaxing. The
calibration
CustomTune
in its new
physical health but mental wellbeing cape platform that uses an algorithm QuietComfort Earbuds II measures the
too. It’s no wonder then that the science to offer audio experiences based on acoustic properties of the wearer’s
of sound is a research area being nearby natural environments. Speci- ear canal and tailors both the audio
explored around the world, according to fic to the user’s location, the app can and the active noise cancellation
a recent article in Forbes.
Forbes Sound tailor the listening experience based (ANC) to them.
therapy, long deemed an important on current weather, time of day, or
tool for relaxation, is being amplified by light exposure in order to soothe, relax, Beyond improving mental health,
technologies which are utilizing perso- LG Breeze headphones are designed for a better night's sleep
or energize listeners. advances in sound technology are
nalized and contextual data to improve also leading to new therapies that can
health outcomes across the board. Innovative companies are looking to diagnose and treat physical ailments.
sound as a way to help people deal For example, Medical College of
with their emotions, reduce stress, Wisconsin is currently testing sound
According to and even improve sleep. wave therapies for cancer treatment
Spotify’s Culture Next while researchers at the Odense
P.33
Report, 72% of French Spiritune leverages music therapy University Hospital in Denmark are

millenials see audio as principles and neuroscience to help testing the use of music playing
users easily switch to another emotio- pillows to provide pain reduction for
a mental health benefit
nal state in only a few minutes by patients.
selecting the desired feeling.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: active noise reduction

German app Endel creates adap- Utilizing a range of personal sleep

table “sound blankets” for relaxa-
tion, concentration, and sleep based
on real-time data
weather, circadian rhythm, and light
exposure.
The development of AI and machine
learning algorithms
wellness technologies
even more adaptable and persona-
lized, adjusting in real-time to the
user’s input and biometric data.
Spiritune helps users to switch easily to another emotional state
data inputs, LG Electronics
Electronics’ Breeze
wireless earphones use sensors to
on heart rate, monitor sleep phases, diffusing lulla-
bies and natural soothing sounds WHY IT’S
depending on brain wave activity in INTERESTING
order to help the user fall asleep. The
Music as treatment is
earphones continuously collect data at a fascinating crossroads
enables audio throughout the night to optimize the between technology, healthcare,
to become user’s sleep routine going forward. and sound. As the use of sound
therapy continues to evolve,
Bose is also using personal biome- new innovations and applications
tric data to make the listening expe- that aim to fight against numerous
rience more comfortable and even illnesses will appear.
AUDIO
EROTICA
With taboos around female
sexuality and homosexuality
breathing their last gasps and
sexual wellness rising into the
mainstream consciousness, the
erotic audio market is thriving.
.  O ver the last ten years, we have
witnessed taboos on sexuality slowly
melt away, particularly for women and
individuals from the LGBTQIA+ commu-
nity. Conversations on female and queer
pleasure are becoming widely accepted,
while the benefits of a healthy sexuality
on physical and mental wellbeing are
largely recognized. The global sexual
wellness market is expected to reach 112
billion dollars by 2030, and is changing
as women and LGBTQIA+ people explore
their specific needs. For instance, erotic
audio or audio sex stories are gaining
popularity, allowing listeners to tap into
unique ways of finding pleasure while
using their imagination.
At the same time, the growing accep-
tance of these new erotic formats is
opening up exciting opportunities for
brands to understand their consumers
and their unmet desires better.
By 2030, the sexual wellness market is
expected to grow annually by 4.55%. In
this buoyant market, audio seems to
occupy an increasingly important posi-
tion, as leading radio stations are delving
into erotic – and even pornographic –
programming. On BBC Radio 4,
episode of the Women’s Hour show
hosted by Anita Rani was dedicated to a
conversation around audio porn’s
mechanisms with guests Caroline West
West,
host of the sexuality-centric Glow West
podcast and Caroline Spiegel
Spiegel, founder
and CEO of audio erotica app Quinn
Quinn,
Chronicles, a women-focused podcast
Chronicles
about the clitoris. Besides interviews with
which recently launched audio love sexual health experts, the program also
stories voiced by celebrities. For Caro- includes free short audio erotic stories.
line Spiegel
Spiegel, “Our imagination and our
minds are so powerful that the most More generally, awareness around
visual experience you can have is the sexual wellbeing is driven by a larger
one you create yourself.” trend of a holistic approach to health,
which explains why audio shows tend to
create educational content around
sexual wellbeing. For instance, the Dirty
Diana audio drama podcast, created and
produced by Demi Moore
Moore, has an educa-
tional aim that delivers a sex-positive
message to its listeners.
Dirty Diana, the audio drama podcast created and produced by Demi Moore P.35
For those brands not directly involved in
sexual health and wellbeing, the rise in
erotic audio points to the openness with
which younger generations speak about
previously taboo topics. For example,
eXtase: erotic podcasts hosted by Maïa Mazaurette according to 2023 research from Intuit
Intuit,
gen Zers are more comfortable talking
In France, since the beginning of 2023, about their sex lives than their finances
Extase” podcast features erotic
the “Extase and the hashtag #selflove has over 62.8
stories narrated by host Maïa Mazau- billion views on TikTok
TikTok.
rette, who also appears on the TV show
rette
Quotidien”.
“Quotidien This broadcast format At the same time, the focus on unta- WHY IT’S
aligns with the idea highlighted by booing sex for marginalized populations INTERESTING
OMGYes in one of their studies: 90% of speaks to the wave of empowerment Sound opens up new
an women need storytelling to get turned now touching every category and possibilities for those whose
on. business. In order to cater to diverse pleasure was previously under
populations authentically, brands need catered to. Tie-ins with other sexual
Other industry players are also tapping to understand the nuances of their wellbeing products and services will
into the podcast vibe. For instance, sex audience across the board. fuel growth within this category.
toy brand SmileMakers created Clitastic
ARCHITECTURAL
SOUNDSCAPES
Designers are harnessing the power of sound to create
captivating atmospheres and experiences in areas such
as work, leisure, and healthcare spaces.
 T here is a growing understan-
ding of the role sound can play in
welcoming, calming, or more invigo-
rating. Space Kit
Kit, Spatial’s latest
optimizing spaces – even down to the innovation, is an all-in-one portable
behavior of visitors. While architects immersive audio solution that
Noisy open spaces
have known for a long time of the enables the deployment of immer- are detrimental to
importance of acoustics when crea- sive soundscapes in any space. productivity,
ting a space, contemporary Designed for companies in the
reducing it by 66%,
businesses are exploring the poten- health, wellness, and corporate
tial of immersive soundscapes sectors, the technology is intended according to the
coupled with new technologies. This to enhance rest, motivation, and British Journal
may be to boost productivity in the inspiration. of Psychology
office, improve the comfort of
patients in hospitals and stimulate Moodsonic works with architects,
healing, or even make leisure desti- designers and planners to improve
nations more exciting. In the future, spaces thanks to smart biophilic
Moodsonic works with architects and designers to transform workspaces, schools,
it will be common for architects to soundscapes. Founder and CEO Evan healthcare, and more using intelligent biophilic soundscapes P.37
carefully design not only what their Benway recently wrote an article in
buildings look like, but also what they which he explores the way nature- physical spaces such as spas or
sound like. based sound design can help create luxury stores. Swell worked with the
more inclusive, comfortable work Kimpton Hotel in Edinburgh to design
Spatial offers a technological plat- environments – for neurodivergent a sound wellness room for guests
form that creates textured, people, for example. called the Swell Room
Room, which features
orchestrated, and immersive a combination of natural sounds and
WHY IT’S
soundscapes called “spatial reality”
that optimize and improve user expe-
Sound artist, music producer, cura-
tor and DJ Brian d’Souza launched
musical instruments. The company
also designed a sound wellness
INTERESTING
rience in physical spaces, for Swell Studio using machine learning experience in a forest for Brown’s Sound has long been neglected
instance by making them more and AI to create soundscapes for Retail, called Soniferous Forest.
Retail
in the creation of collective
spaces, but architects and urban
planners are likely to pay a lot
more attention to the integration
of sound as we see more proof
of what it can bring to the table.
We are likely to see an explosion
of startups and businesses
specializing in the technology
and design of immersive sound
Spatial’s immersive audio experiences, designed to enhance well-being environments.
ABOUT WUNDERMAN THOMPSON INTELLIGENCE Contact:
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence is Wunderman Thompson’s Marie Stafford
futurism, research and innovation unit. It charts emerging marie.stafford@wundermanthompson.com
and future global trends, consumer change, and innovation Virgile Brodziak
patterns—translating these into insight for brands. It offers virgile.brodziak@wundermanthompson.com
a suite of consultancy services, including bespoke research,
Editor-in-chief:
presentations, co-branded reports and workshops. It is also
Marie Stafford
active in innovation, partnering with brands to activate future
Authors:
trends within their framework and execute new products and
John O’Sullivan, Sarah Tilley, Jamie Hannah Shackleton,
concepts. The division is led by Emma Chiu and Marie Stafford,
Francesca Lewis
Global Directors of Wunderman Thompson Intelligence
Sub-Author:

For more information visit: Lionel Gomez, Lydia Tamarat, Louis Chéreau, Gustave Camus

wundermanthompson.com/expertise/intelligence
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