Audio Branding

“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 one year, Ariel [Detergent] was, like, you know that 95 % of the people in India still think laundry is a woman's job. And Ariel was just, like, gosh, that doesn't seem like it's, this was 2017 or ‘18 at the time, [and] they're like, that doesn't seem right. Like, it's, haven't we all moved past that? So they created a campaign they called ‘Share the Load.' And what they did is they went out there and they advocated a hashtag, #sharetheload with, for everybody in the family to help with the laundry. It shouldn't just be mom's job anymore. And of course, this kind of air cover for someone who is burdened with this task would just elicit a huge thank you because you're just helping to make their lives better, and you haven't done a darn thing. It's not about the product. It's positioning. Yeah, it's, like, ‘here's what we know you care about, and so we're going to prove that we care about you because we care about that.' Sales went up 76%.” – Reid HolmesThis episode's guest has spent over thirty years leading the creative departments of some of the best ad agencies in America. His idea for H&R Block, “You Got People,” garnered four million new clients, and his work changed the trajectory of brands like Burger King, The Mayo Clinic, KeyBank, and many others. He also has multiple public-speaking awards as he helps audiences gain a deeper understanding of how clarity creates impact. He's won almost every award in advertising and has been featured in The New York Times, Adweek, Advertising Age, Forbes, and Communication Arts.But as his kids started graduating, he realized he wanted to leave a legacy. He found an approach that inspires businesses, marketing teams, and those they wish to attract. His #1 best-selling book, Appreciated Branding: Transform Your Brand from Ignored to Irreplaceable, has become a go-to mature-brand playbook. His name is Reid Holmes, and he'll be sharing his perspective on advertising today, how brands can use sound to stand out and be more memorable, and where he thinks things will go from here. If you're looking to boost your brand, you won't want to miss this one!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 AdvertisingOur conversation begins with a look back at the early memories that sparked Reid's love of sound, which include his father's copy of the famous War of the Worlds broadcast. “You picture these big, huge Martian creatures that are described,” he says, “and they're coming down through New Jersey and the whole country was freaking out. And it was Orson Welles, who has the pipes for audio.” He tells us more about his family's history in advertising and about how it led to his own career. “I was like, well, my mom was in advertising and my uncle's doing really well in it,” Reid explains. “I should give it a shot because it seems like it runs in the family, and maybe I'd be pretty good at it.”(0:13:02) - The Evolution of Radio...

“So, when you're speaking to somebody, hear them before, hear them during, [and] hear them after. And earn the right to have the conversation. It's like you're just always hearing them and you're always double-checking yourself, and that's when we were just talking about a few minutes ago. If you're speaking to somebody and you've uncovered something, and it's like, hey, is this still real? Is this still relevant? Do I understand this and or you correctly? Do I have it right? [Then] they feel heard, and then it becomes that collective conversation. Like you were saying, I just want to know what's going on, and we're always talking to somebody.” – John Duffin This episode is the second half of my conversation with executive coach, podcast host, and DuffinMedia voice talent John Duffin as we discuss how leaders can better communicate with their teams, the challenge of balancing legal concerns and genuine empathy in the business world, and the uses John's found for AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT when it comes to content.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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.(0:00:00) - Effective Communication for LeadersAs our conversation continues, we talk more about building trust and sincere relationships with clients and listeners. “If you did nothing more,” John advises, “then talk to people, not at people. Put your bullet points away, put your PowerPoint slides down for a moment, and look at people.” He talks about delivering bad news in an empathetic way and overcoming the common habit of assuming the worst.“I'm terrible at this,” he notes. “As a human, I don't mean boss, leader, comedian, as a human, I make up all kinds of scenarios. Very few of them are good unless I'm reading my own affirmations.”(0:06:45) - Effective Communication in Difficult ConversationsJohn addresses the obstacles that business concerns can pose to expressing empathy, and how he works with clients to balance legal liabilities and genuine communication. “They are taught from a company perspective, don't say too much,” he explains. “Don't say too much. Here's your talking points. You know, look sad when you say this and don't say what. If they ask a question, don't answer it.” He offers an example of a straightforward, if disappointing, conversation early in his career that struck just the right note. “She was like, ‘Hey John, you were great. I wasn't able to select you for this position, I am going to be going with [someone else]. I think that's all she said, and it was plenty.”(0:17:13) - The Art of Authentic CommunicationOur discussion comes to a close as he tells us what he's working on now, including a new online course he's developed and a wide variety of upcoming speaking roles. “My next speaking engagement, that'll be several hundred people, and I've spoken in front of one, you know,” he says. “Are there technical nuances between the two? Yes, but the heart of it remains the same.” He adds his thoughts on the most important aspect of communication: “I've got a whole series of techniques that I've created and that I keep working on. And, folks, the easiest way to say it is...

This week's guest is the creator and host of the Your Message Received podcast, a groundbreaking platform with more than 125 episodes where he empowers executives, businesses, and individuals through impactful storytelling and strategic communication training. With over twenty-five years of experience in media, spanning broadcast, radio, digital, and streaming, his career has been driven by a passion for culture, content, and inclusion. As a live event announcer, marathoner, and dedicated Philadelphia sports fan, he infuses energy into every endeavor. Family is central to his life, inspired by his 95-year-old mother who began acting at age 74. At DuffinMedia, he champions authenticity, helping clients unlock their communication potential for life-changing results.His name is John Duffin, and our conversation about having a good conversation turned out to be an essential education. Effective communication is so important, especially these days, so listen in for some tips and ideas to help you communicate more effectively in your own life. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:01) - Early Sound Memory and Communication JourneyAs our discussion starts, John shares his early memories of how sound moved him, from Jackson Five records to his mother singing while she did housework. “I can just remember the happiness in regards to the way that she sang,” he tells us. “So, yeah, absolutely, and that was, like I said, the first that I can easily recall it made me happy.” He tells us about his sales career in radio, and how questions about his role lead him into voiceover. “'You have a really good voice, are you on the radio?'” he recalls his clients asking. “I would brush that off, for I don't know decades, just no, no, I'm in sales…. I remember thinking, well, if they were right and if I don't find out, well then I'll live to regret that.”(0:15:00) - The Authentic Art of CommunicationJohn tells us more about his career shift into voiceover and public speaking, and how, at first, he tried to keep his experience in sales separate. “I would only speak about voiceover and voice narration and all that sort of thing,” he says. “And a few years after that I came to the realization, one, that's dumb. Your history is really important.” We discuss the importance of authenticity and a genuine connection, and how much easier communication is when it's backed up by both experience and honest interest in your client. “All the training and overthinking and technical expertise,” he adds, “all that stuff, and that's why I don't dismiss it. It's very meaningful. The training enables you to think less.” Episode SummaryJohn's memories of his musical family, and how they led to his first career in radio.The key to connecting with clients and taking a genuine interest in their needs and goals.Tune in for next week's episode as John offers his advice for sharing bad news in a professional way, his AI tool recommendations, and tips on overcoming our tendency to assume the worst.Connect with the Audio Branding

“There's three groups of people. When there's a crisis, there are three people you need to talk to, including your employees, your stakeholders, your suppliers, whatever, and the public… You've got to get out there and tell your employees it's okay, you're going to be safe, and you need to tell the managers beneath you that, hey, you're going to be okay, here's what we're going to do. But if you're not communicating on a crisis level, that's horrible. But a company that is always communicating with its employees, its stakeholders, and the public, if it's always doing that, then it becomes just a kind of a natural thing.” – David Tyler This episode is the second half of my conversation with media and communication coach David Tyler as we discuss the key to maintaining effective communications during a crisis, how remote work has changed the way we share knowledge, and what makes sound more important than ever. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Communication Strategies for Effective LeadershipThe second half of our discussion starts with David's advice for business leaders looking to build both team rapport and a stronger brand. “A lot of times,” he says, “managers are just pushed up the ladder and given no training about how to be a better communicator. But I think probably the biggest thing that managers need to know is how to communicate vision.” We talk about some of the latest headlines and how they've tested each company's communication strategies, and the technological barriers that he sees when it comes to making a connection. “One of the other things that I teach managers,” he says, “is that listening is 50% of the conversation, and I emphasize that with them. It's important to listen actively, to put away your phone, [and] to put away any kind of distractions.”(0:10:03) - Media Interview Preparation and Communication TipsDavid shares his thoughts on branding and communicating through the media, and tips for anyone facing a surprise interview. “What do you think they're going to ask?” he suggests. “And write those questions down and have a list of the questions with the answers, so that you already have an answer.” He offers a playful example of how to keep an interview on track when I ask him about his hair color. “That's a really good question,” he quips, “but I think what we should talk about is the financial problems we're having in Ottawa.” As he explains, “You need to have the things you want the public to know ready to go and then find a way to weave those things into the interview.”(0:13:33) - The Importance of Non-Verbal CommunicationAs our conversation comes to a close, David and I talk about how much subtext can be carried by sound and all the non-verbal cues that surround it. “Meaning happens between the words,” he explains, “in the same way that a musician can play a song and then a great musician can take that exact same song, that exact same melody, and put so much meaning into it to drive you to tears.” We discuss AI's role in the future of audio branding, and he shares an observation from...

“Communicating is something at surface level: we're communicating, here's the words, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Okay, go, see it. That's the message, right? But what you want is meaningful interaction. There's a quote in my book, and I could read it for you in a minute, but the idea is to shift from transaction to transformation. I could give you all kinds of data, but it's not going to transform you. It's not going to inspire you to do something different.” – David Tyler This episode's guest is a media and communication coach who's passionate about helping people connect. He believes communication is the key to breaking down barriers, building relationships, and solving problems, whether at work, home, or in life. His mission is to inspire others to communicate with empathy, understanding, and respect while keeping it practical and actionable. He's also a sync music composer and a voice talent widely recognized as the network voice of CTV News in Canada and dozens of other brands worldwide.His name is David Tyler, and what he has to share about communications is particularly important, especially now. If you're looking for ways to make a deeper connection with the people around you, both in business and your life, this is definitely a conversation you'll want to tune into. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Journey From Music to VoiceoverWe start the conversation off with a look back at David's early memories of sound, and the surprising comfort he found in the sound of thunder as a child. “As the storm was coming,” he recalls, “the wind started pushing into the house and as it was going, the wind would be gushing out, but I would hear that sound of thunder, and that is the answer to your question. That sound of thunder, you know, to me means safety.” He tells us about his start in music, and what inspired his career in radio. “We were writing songs and stuff and my music teacher at the time,” he says, “had these things on the wall. It says careers that you could do as a musician and one of them was radio DJ. So that's when I started to think maybe that would be a way to still use my love of music, but make a sort of living.”(0:14:43) - The Role of Brand VoiceOur discussion turns toward voice branding and “signature” voices, such as David's work as the voice of CTV News over the past fourteen years. “In the old days, there were guys, [and] fewer women now that I think about it, but there were people who were signature voices, and when you got that signature voice to be the voice of your brand, it was a major coup.” We talk about such iconic signature voices as Mason Adams as the voice of Schmuckers and James Earl Jones as the voice of CNN, and David shares his seven “colors” of the voice. “I think most voice teachers only teach four,” he explains, “but I teach seven and I'll go through them quick. These are the colors of the voice: pitch, pace, prosody, timbre, and tone, which are often confused together, volume. And the best one is silence.”(0:24:14) - The Art of Transformative CommunicationThe first...

“And to bring it back to sound, I find this is also fascinating, when we put things on vibration. So yes, your thoughts are powerful. And when you think something, but you also speak it or sing it, when you put it on vibration, you bring it into the physical world amplified, and word is powerful. If you ask the Indigenous Australians, the Aboriginals here, they tell you, the wise ones tell you that they sang the world into existence.” – Jem Fuller This episode is the second half of my conversation with international coach and retreat facilitator Jem Fuller as we discuss why having a big ego isn't always a bad thing, the surprising links between sound, physics, and the Aboriginal Dreamtime, and how language itself first evolved from music. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Sound and EgoThe second half of our discussion begins as we talk about Jem's strategies for handling the stress and overload of social media, including just taking a deep breath. “You know,” he says, “it's like a release of energy and if you're starting to feel a bit, you know, elevated or a bit anxious, then a big sigh can be really, really helpful.” He explains why our minds are instinctively drawn to protect the ego, and why a “big ego” isn't necessarily a bad thing. “A big ego doesn't just mean that you've got a superiority complex where you think you're better than you are,” he explains. “To be able to... step up and say, ‘Yes, I'll take the lead,' there has to be some sense of, you know, ‘I can do this.'”(0:05:09) - Discovering Authentic Leadership Through Core ValuesWe talk about ways to get in tune with your ideal leadership role, and ways to figure out just what sort of leader you are at the core. Jem suggests imagining someone delivering your eulogy: “What would you really hope to hear them say when they're describing your character? And you write those words down Kind, generous, open-minded, loving, patient, caring, hardworking, whatever it was for you Write those words down. The words you've written down are your core values.” We discuss the physics and philosophy of sound and the link between ancient beliefs and cutting-edge science. “The mountain only existed when we sang about it,” he says about Aboriginal beliefs. “And quantum physics also has a similar kind of thing with this that certain things only become when we observe them and language them, you know. So words are powerful, and that's part of the reason affirmations work.”(0:16:11) - The Power of Connection Through SoundAs our conversation comes to a close, Jem shares his thoughts about the power of sound to connect us to one another on a deeper, more personal level. “You don't need to intellectualize the sound of a major chord,” he explains. “It just immediately feels like it feels.” We discuss the untapped potential of that sonic connection we all share and look at the latest studies on the age-old mystery of which came first: human speech or human music. “Before language,” Jem tells us, “before words, we had the embouchure characteristics to sing or to...

“When I'm in there working with leaders, it's around communication, and how do they communicate initially with themselves? What's that like? And then with the people around them, because without communication, communication underpins our ability to be successful in anything that we do. When I say successful, I mean to, you know, to get the results we're hoping to get. And whether that's in a personal relationship and the result is love and harmony and connection and rapport, or whether that's in a professional context and the, air quotes, ‘result' you're wanting to get is to have a team of people that flourish and thrive together and do great things, our ability to communicate is really underpinning all of that. So, it's more important than most people give it time or consideration. And I think because communication is so fundamental, it tends to get overlooked a little bit.” – Jem Fuller This episode's guest has lived a colorful life, from barefoot backpacker to corporate leader, from fire dancer and traditional tattooist to kindergarten teacher and motorcycle courier, from masseuse and reflexologist to laborer and travel consultant. For more than twelve years, he has run his own executive leadership coaching practice and international retreat company in the Himalayas, Bali, and Australia. He's a dedicated partner and father who loves surfing and meditation, the author of the award-winning book The Art of Conscious Communication, and a TEDx speaker on YouTube.His name is Jem Fuller, and our talk will offer tips for better communication, discuss his experiences with sound, and explore how sound can make the world a better place for us all. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Communication and SoundOur conversation starts off with a look at Jem's life in Australia, including his very first memories of his musical family. “As a young person from forever,” he recalls, “you know, from a baby right through, I would quite often be going to sleep to the sounds of a capella harmonies.” We talk about his admission to the National Institute of Dramatic Art and his early work as a television actor. “I thought, ‘Wow, I've made it. I was a twenty-year-old thinking I'm going to be famous, I'm going to be a Hollywood star, you know,” he says with a laugh. “Yes, at 53, I'm glad that didn't happen.”(0:10:35) - Musical and Energetic CommunicationThe topic turns to the power of voice, sound, and its role as physical vibrations in the universe, and to the possibilities revealed by a moment of expanded consciousness in Rajasthan, India. “It wasn't an out-of-body experience per se,” Jem explains. “I still felt in-body, but I felt embodied with everyone in that room, the music, and all the people, and it was quite a spiritual experience.” We discuss the cultural context of sound and just how much of what we think of as melody and music can depend on what we're used to hearing. “It just seems really fascinating to me,” he adds, “how it can create a communal experience, whether it's music that we're familiar with or music we're not familiar...

“I am a huge advocate for trailers for podcasts for a number of reasons. I can talk about the marketing aspects of it, but first, let's do the content. So, I think they should be short. And the reason I say I think, even though I claim to be an authority on this topic, is because there is no right and there is no wrong. You can do whatever the hell you want and that's the beauty of podcasting. However, I think that they should be between thirty seconds and ninety seconds, something quick to whet the appetite of a potential listener. Bare bones, what they should say is your name, your show, when it's dropping, why you're making it, who it's for. When in doubt, you can spoon-feed your listeners everything they need to know about your show via the trailer. If you have more time, more resources, more money probably, you can get a little bit more creative with it, but at the very least, it should have the above elements.” – Arielle Nissenblatt This episode is the second half of my conversation with podcasting expert and founder of EarBuds Podcast Collective Arielle Nissenblatt as we talk about making a first impression with podcast trailers, whether video or audio previews make a bigger impression on young listeners, and how, when it comes to driving audience engagement, brutal honesty can sometimes be the best policy. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Podcast Trailer Length and Visual ElementsArielle and I continue our conversation with a look at podcast trailers, and how effective they can be for grabbing the audience's attention right from the start. “So you can upload that, make sure your feed looks good, make sure you are findable on all the podcast listening apps,” she explains. “You can start even sending people to your show to subscribe or to hit the follow button, even leave ratings and reviews before your show launches.” We discuss whether YouTube is the new kingmaker for podcasts and the perils of betting too much on a viral video. “You use all the right hashtags, you use all the right captions and you try to hit the algorithm,” she tells us. “You might not hit the algorithm and that's okay, but it also could be really demoralizing and you just spent a lot of money or a lot of time.”(0:06:55) - Podcast Promotion and Visual ElementsWe compare how well video clips and audiogram snippets perform on YouTube, and Arielle shares tips on making the most of video in an audio-first format like podcasting. “If you don't record video, or if you want to make a video element of your show without recording video real faces,” she says, “you can still have a video element. You can go to Descript, you can go to Adobe, you can go to a lot of different places.” She shares different strategies for monetizing a podcast, and how to know when a show's ready to start offering paid subscriptions. “One way to tell,” she explains, “is if you ask your audience for ratings and reviews and you don't get any, and it's like pulling teeth to get them to do anything. You're probably not going to get them to pay you money to continue making your...

“Yeah, for me personally, I love anything that tells me... I find myself drawn to shows that are like, ‘We're gonna make something interesting that's not interesting at all.' And then they're like, ‘Let's talk about broccoli.' And then they're like, ‘Let's talk about cement.' And then the next episode is, ‘Let's talk about neon.' And I just love that. Maybe they do the history of it. Maybe they weave in the person who discovered neon. Can you discover neon? I think you can, because it's on the periodic table of elements. Might need to be manipulated. Either way. These are the kind of things, these are shows that I find myself going back to time and time again.” – Arielle Nissenblatt This episode's guest is a Big Fan of Podcasts™ and the podcast industry. She's the founder of EarBuds Podcast Collective, a podcast recommendation newsletter, the host of several podcasts about the podcast industry, including a show about podcast recommendations and a show about podcast trailers, and regularly appears on podcasts about podcasts to talk about – you guessed it – podcasts. She's on the Board of Governors of The Podcast Academy and speaks at conferences around the world on podcast marketing and community building. When it comes to podcasts, she knows her stuff.Her name is Arielle Nissenblatt, and you'll want to hear her perspective as a long-time advocate for the podcasting industry – both on what's happening now, and where we're heading in the future. If you've ever thought about starting a podcast of your own, or you want to find out how to get the most from your current podcast, then keep listening. This is one conversation you don'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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:01) - Exploring the Power of PodcastingWe start things off with Arielle's early experiences with sound, and particularly the impression that radio made on her compared to streaming platforms like Spotify. “I think the excitement for me about radio is the serendipity,” she explains. “A song that I would skip if it came up on my Spotify, I would not skip. I would be more excited about it, even if it were, like, a mainstream song.” She recalls how she first discovered podcasting in 2014, and how she quickly learned that the key to a compelling podcast is a hook, whether it's an engaging topic or an engrossing story. “He eulogizes Neanderthals,” she says about a favorite episode of Mo Rocca's podcast Mobituaries, “When did we learn about them? How did we first discover them? How do they contribute to how we view humans today? So what I like about this is, yes, there's storytelling involved. He brings us in with a story.”(0:09:44) - The Impact of Podcasting EvolutionOur discussion turns to the topic of podcasting during the pandemic, and the mark COVID-19 left on the industry. “A lot of great shows came out of that and still exist to this day,” she says, “and a lot of shows came out of that and are done and they're pandemic-era shows.” We talk about the challenges of building an audience today compared to those early days of podcasting, and how much a good podcast can

“Sound is probably one of the most prevalent things that we focus on with our children at Operation Smile. And you know, they're so thankful that they have, they work as hard on their homework for speech therapy as they do in school, right? And, you know, as both of us sort of being maybe teased and bullied in school, maybe we were actually, excited about doing our homework. And maybe we did study a little bit harder, and we did our homework. These kids are amazing pupils when they know that they're getting this free therapy to help optimize their speaking, and then you go back a year later and then you hear the kids again, and you understand every word that they say. It just puts a smile on your face.” – Mark Climie-Elliott This episode is the second half of my discussion with CEO and Chief Smile Officer of Operation Smile Canada Foundation Mark Climie-Elliott as we talk about Mark's work with Laura, a particularly memorable patient who's gone on to make a positive influence of her own, the time and effort that building language skills can take even after a successful cleft-palate surgery, and more about Operation Smile's plans to open a hundred new hospitals around the world over the next five years.This conversation is being released during Podcasthon, so thank you to Jeremie and all the wonderful staff there putting this initiative together. And if you'd like to learn more about Podcasthon, and maybe participate in it next year, be sure to check out podcasthon.org. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Operation Smile Volunteer Opportunities and ImpactThe second half of our conversation starts as Mark tells us about how people can reach out to Operation Smile and the need for volunteers on every level. “We are always looking for trained and skilled pediatric specialists,” he says, “in anesthesiology, in plastic surgery, specifically if you have cleft specialty, we're looking for educators.” We also talk about Laura, an Operation Smile patient who's continuing to make a positive impact. “There's Laura,” he recalls, “seventeen years old, telling them that they don't have to worry, ‘Look at me.' And so she shared the story of her journey and the parents, all of a sudden, like those tears that were running down their faces became tears of joy.”(0:08:20) - Stories of Resilient Cleft Lip PatientsMark and I talk about our own experiences with bullying, and how it impacts the children Operation Smile works with. He tells us more about the organization's anti-bullying efforts and the hope that working with young people has given him. “When I look at these next generations that are now coming together with better acceptance,” he says, “with better acceptance, with what I call different lenses, you know, and while bullying and teasing still exists and it still needs to be addressed, there are ways in which students can get involved.” We discuss how sound plays a pivotal role in recovery and developing underdeveloped language skills, and the reward of seeing...

“Anyone who needs surgery around the world will be able to do it and get it and survive from it. And we're making significant impacts by delivering cleft surgery care and by educating and training more and more people each week. The numbers just increase and we're about to... launch something very special as this podcast is being aired, where we're going to really build and strengthen one hundred district hospitals around the world.” – Mark Climie-Elliott This episode's guest is the CEO and Chief Smile Officer of Operation Smile Canada Foundation. Operation Smile is one of the world's largest volunteer-delivered global medical charities, serving children born with cleft conditions in low and middle-income countries. Prior to joining Operation Smile, he spent more than forty years serving in a variety of leadership roles in the non-profit sector, children's rehabilitation, and international hospital start-ups in the Middle East.His name is Mark Climie-Elliott, and you'll want to hear where this discussion will take us. From helping children make sound to his philosophy on the importance of sound and why it matters so much to the kids his Foundation helps, there's a lot to cover. But I was extremely honored to help get the word out about this very worthy charity, and I hope, after you've listened to how passionate Mark is about this cause, that you'll check them out too.This conversation is being released during Podcasthon, so thank you to Jeremie and all the wonderful staff there putting this initiative together. And if you'd like to learn more about Podcasthon, and maybe participate in it next year, be sure to check out podcasthon.org. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Sound, Surgery, and Changing LivesOur conversation begins with Mark's early memories of sound, an experience that may have been as memorable for his neighbors. “The first time sound really got into me,” he recalls, “was when I found the pots and pans underneath the counter and I found the wooden spoons. Oh and let me say, sound resonated not just from our home but right through the neighborhood.” We discuss how Operation Smile began back in 1982, and just how serious, and even life-threatening, the need for cleft-palate treatment options in the developing world has become. “It was then that both Dr. Magee and Kathy realized that there are so many people around the world,” he explains, “that don't have the benefit when they get sick and need surgery to actually be able to access it. It's just not there.”(0:11:24) - Surgical Program and Patient CriteriaWe talk more about what causes a cleft lip and the enormous impact it can have on children's speech, health, and nutrition. “Cleft lip and palate are some of the world's highest birth anomalies,” he tells us, “they can happen, we say one in every three minutes. A child is born with either a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both, or one in every 700 to 1,000 live births.” He shares some of the challenges of treatment through multiple...

Artificial intelligence has come a long way over just the past few years. It can hold conversations and manage social media, it can create art and edit videos, and it can even write blogs (though not this one). Every aspect of our lives has been touched by AI in one way or another, and that's particularly true for sound. While many podcasters, including some of my guests, now use AI tools for research and sound editing, it's also front and center in sound, from cloning voices to writing its own songs. Royalty-free music is already starting to give way to copyright-free AI music, and a variety of powerful audio content generation tools are scheduled for release later this year.But can computers replace human composers? Will listeners be able to tell the difference? And how did we get from vinyl records to virtual music? It may seem hard to believe, but the very first song written by a computer is older than cassette tapes. The Illiac Suite, or “String Quartet No. 4,” as it's officially named, was created in 1955, using pioneering techniques still found in AI today.The ILLIAC I (ill-ee-ack one) was one of the world's first computers. It was built in 1952 at the University of Illinois, and it filled an entire room. The ILLIAC I weighed five tons and used over two thousand vacuum tubes, some of which had to be replaced each night. A pair of music professors, Lejaren Hiller and Leonard Isaacson, programmed the ILLIAC to compose a string quartet using what's called “stochastic music,” music that's written using probability calculations and mathematical sequences – in this case, Markov chains – instead of human inspiration.One of the researchers who helped build the ILLIAC I was Saburo Muroga, who also built the MUSASINO-1 later that year in Japan. And, as it happens, another breakthrough in computer-generated music would emerge from Japan exactly fifty years after the Illiac Suite's release.Synthetic voices were the next step in creating digital music, and in 1961 the IBM 7094 became the first computer to sing a song, “Daisy Bell.” Another computer voice that could sing was called Perfect Paul, and it was one of the voice settings on 1983‘s text-to-speech DECtalk device. This is the speech synthesizer Professor Stephen Hawking used in his later years, and it was based on the voice of MIT researcher Dennis Klatt. The next decade brought us Auto-Tune, which can digitally modulate singing voices in real-time and has become, for better or worse, a staple of pop music.These developments all came together in 2004 as “Vocaloids,” synthesized voices that can talk and sing with perfect pitch. The most famous of them by far is Crypton Future Media's Hatsune Miku, a second-generation Vocaloid who debuted in 2007. While there have been four more generations and many more voices since then, Miku is the one who captured the public's eyes and ears. Arguably the world's first virtual celebrity, she's opened for Lady Gaga, put in a holographic appearance at the 2024 Coachella festival, and just wrapped up her latest ‘Miku Expo' world tour last December.In some ways, Miku and the Vocaloids that followed marked a turning point in synthetic voices. Older synthesizers like Perfect Paul and Microsoft Sam couldn't be mistaken for an ordinary person, but Vocaloids come closer than anything before – so close, in fact, that some music critics have said they fall into a sort of audio uncanny valley. They sound almost, but not quite, human.Now it's the year 2025, and AI has taken the stage: it's talking, singing, composing, and even creating whole new kinds of sound. Both OpenAI's Jukebox and Google's AI MusicLM can convert text into music, and Nvidia's upcoming Fugatto software is described as a sonic “Swiss Army knife” for creating sounds that have never existed, like a screaming saxophone or a trumpet that meows. Another new song-generation service by Musical AI and Beatoven.ai that's set to...

“It's interesting that you say that because, you know, you're back to what we were talking about a second ago with why people don't have their own song brand or why they don't do that, because all of my clients are early adopters. It takes courage, right? Even back in the days when I was doing it, I called it the theme shop, where we would come in and do it, write a song for the organization as a team building thing. And I can't tell you the number of times I talked to a CEO and they're like, ‘Oh, this is such a great idea.' And they'd phone me back an hour later and say, ‘Oh, the team won't do it.' And it's like, well, who's in charge and, and what's the point? The point is for them to feel discomfort, for them to try something they've never tried together and see how that will bring them together and find out, you know, what the common ground is. I mean, that's the whole point.” – Lowry Olafson This episode is the second half of my conversation with songwriter, keynote speaker, and founder of SongBrand Lowry Olafson as we discuss what sets sound apart from other forms of advertising, why Lowry isn't worried about audio AI, and what sonic branding can bring to a business team. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - The Impact of Sound in AdvertisingThe second half of our discussion picks up as we talk about the hurdles in building a strong audio brand, and the power of sound to create an immediate impact. “You know, if the fin came out of the water and there was no soundtrack, that wouldn't happen,” he says about the movie Jaws. “We haven't even seen the fin yet and you're already on the edge of your seat because of the sound.” The topic turns to the uses he's found for AI in his work, and we discuss some of the most memorable marketing campaigns in recent years and how they rely on sound rather than imagery. “You can create any emotion,” he says about sound, “and you can't do that with a two-dimensional thing.”(0:04:51) - The Power of Sound in MarketingWe talk about whether AI can replace human composers, and Lowry explains why he prefers to handle the creative work himself. “There are probably threats,” he jokes, “I should probably be worried. But I'm having way too much fun and you know I've got my hands full with doing what I'm doing.” He tells us about some of the difficulties marketing teams can face in trying to build an audio brand, and why he thinks sound matters. “I want it to have a lifespan of twenty years,” he explains about the song brands that he creates for clients. “Or, you know, I want it to be something that they're going to be so glad, like, ‘This will be the best money I've ever spent,' right? That's how I see this.”(0:12:21) - Creating Music and Audio BrandingOur conversation comes to a close as we talk more about his client work and his own musical career, and how each one informs the other. “I write a lot of love songs and heart songs,” he says, “I like writing inspiring songs. There's a cool video called ‘

“Yeah, so I started writing songs for speakers to walk on stage to their own song, and then when they had their sizzle reel, people would hear their song again. And then if they went to a training, you know, they would hear the song again. And so there was this audio consistency that also had the effect of lifting the person, the speaker themselves. They would say to me, you know, ‘When I walk on stage to my own song, it's like, I don't show up small. This is who I have to be to walk on stage to like, mind switch, I'm ready to fly.' Right? And they're, you know, they are making their brand. People are walking out of there with their song stuck in their head, not a Katy Perry song.” – Lowry Olafson This episode's guest is a professional songwriter who has toured the globe, released nine albums, and led over six hundred songwriting sessions with more than 15,000 speakers, entrepreneurs, and businesses. He helps his clients make a bigger dent in the universe by creating their own signature song to build trust, authority, and connection – and to make their message literally unforgettable.His name is Lowry Olafson, and he's created something called a SongBrand. We'll be talking about how businesses and individuals can use a SongBrand, and how his background has led to a unique form of songwriting that allows his clients to communicate their truth 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Sound BrandingOur conversation starts with a look back at Lowry's earliest memories of sound and what drew him to a career in music. “My earliest memory of making my own music,” he says, “was, as maybe a three-year-old, on the prairies and uh, listening to the meadowlarks and trying to imitate them, whistling, trying to imitate them.” We talk about some of the musicians who most influenced him, such as Joni Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot, and how he's helping bring sonic branding down from commercial jingles to a more personal level. “It used to be that the only people that could afford to do this,” he says, “were the big people that, you know, had big advertising, big advertising budgets, and TV and radio and stuff. But the fact is, your average coach is using music in all kinds of ways.”(0:12:51) - Creating Personalized Power SongsLowry discusses his process for creating a personal audio brand for a client, and how he collaborates with them to come up with just the right sound. “We start to nuance it,” he explains, “and change a word here and there and do things like that, until we really feel like we've nailed it and they love it, and I love it too.” He shares an example of a client's audio theme, “Make Medicare Simple,” and talks about his work with industries as far-ranging as retirement coaches and meditation guides. “We have a strategy meeting,” he tells us, “and talk about how we're going to implement it because I want to make sure these songs get used, and that they're always finding new ways to use their song.”(0:17:49) - Inspiring Branding Through MusicAs the first half of our conversation concludes, Lowry

“Don't just produce a single ad, produce three or four ads that are all related to each other in a campaign, because you get that familiarity, you get that consistency, you get that storytelling narrative that spans a single spot and starts to reach across the entire campaign, and it's consistent across touchpoints. But then when it comes to the sound, they don't apply exactly the same rationality. And it's just because we haven't had the data that supports it. But now that we do, we can push it into the marketplace and hopefully start to support a very different decision-making process when it comes to sound in branding or sound in advertising.” – Joe Sauer This episode is the second half of my conversation with audio research pioneer and founder of Emotisphere Insights Joe Sauer as we talk about setting the right audio budget for both moviemaking and advertising, striking the perfect balance between making an exciting impression and building a brand clients recognize and trust, and what sad music reveals about humans and AI. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:01) - The Power of Audio BrandingOur discussion continues as we look at the audio budgets of both movies and marketing campaigns, and Joe reveals that advertising comes up surprisingly short in comparison. “If they're spending less than half of what moviemakers are spending,” he says, “and they're still generating audio tracks that are influencing behavior, imagine what they could do if they simply ratcheted that up a percent or two.” Joe tells us about some of the famous sonic branding projects he's worked on, such as adapting AT&T's famous audio logo to a global market. “Over the course of what felt like decades but was really several months,” he recalls, “we accomplished the task. We were able to reposition that brand effectively through sound, without losing any of the recognizability or the durable memorability.”(0:12:58) - The Evolution of AI in ResearchWe discuss AI's emerging role in research and how often branding becomes a balancing act between making a big splash and feeling like an old friend. “One of the things that we've learned through doing this type of research,” Joe explains, “is the extent to which familiarity, particularly with sound, but it extends to all forms of sensory input, familiarity really does lift emotional appeal.” He shares the example of an audio branding campaign for NPR he developed that had to strike the right chord between exciting and familiar, and the neuromarketing studies that made predicting success possible. “That conscious response had turned to positive once people got familiar with it,” he tells us, “but it accomplished the behavioral outcome that we were hoping, which was their demographics started to broaden and they started to get regular listenership from a younger demographic.”(0:20:02) – Branding in a Changing WorldAs our conversation comes to a close, we talk about how the pandemic's demand for a more somber approach to advertising ended up backfiring for many companies, and about one company that managed...

“Does that sound like a robot or does that sound like AI? Does that sound synthetic? Does that sound human? When we think about it, we can't tell. But when we rely more on those primal, very basic human responses, we can tell. And what's fascinating to me is even after we told people which voice was which, they still couldn't tell the difference between two voices. Um, but again, on a subconscious basis, they could. And so it's just a fascinating piece of research that, uh, is definitely time-boxed, right? I think these voice generators will get better in quality.” – Joe SauerThis episode's guest is a man who proves you don't need to be a rock star to master sonic branding. How does a self-described guy with no musical talent become an expert on all things audio? The answer, he says, is data, data, and more data. He's devoted his career to understanding the impact of emotion on consumer decision-making, and, for the last decade or so, he's focused specifically on optimizing the impact of sound and music in branding, advertising, and UX design. His award-winning neuro-based research approach has become the gold standard for audio measurement, partnering with top sound studios globally to ensure that brands don't just sound good but actually resonate with their audiences. His name is Joe Sauer, and in this episode's discussion, we'll be entering the world of beats, brands, and brainwaves to understand some of the hard science behind audio 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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.(0:00:00) - Impact of Music on Emotional ResponseOur conversation starts with Joe's early memories of sound, which include learning all about the power of music as a nervous teen on the dance floor. “That very visceral anxiety and fear of embarrassment and then relief that floods in,” he recalls, “when you find yourself with a partner on the dance floor. It was all triggered by music, not even a full song, just the first couple of bars of music.” We talk about neuromarketing techniques and the role they play in everything from movie trailers to music albums, and how they've changed since the early days of brain scans and electrodes. “The techniques that we've evolved are much less intimidating,” he explains. “They're actually very, very sophisticated psychology experiments but they're gamified. They're hidden in a word or an image sorting game.”(0:15:21) - The Impact of Sonic LogosWe talk more about how neuro-based research is offering new insights into audio branding, and what Joe's studies on the impact of sound have uncovered. “One of the great parts about using techniques like this,” he says, “is that it puts the focus on the consumer's attitudes and perceptions of the brand as opposed to their attitudes and perceptions of the music itself.” The discussion turns to how our conscious biases can get in the way of polling and survey results, and the role our subconscious impressions play in shaping our impressions. “You really start to understand what impact the audio is having,” he tells us, “not just on the quality of the narrative, the storytelling aspects of the ad itself, but really, more importantly for...

“What I did is also in the beginning with my prototypes, I did those science-fiction sounds. I watched all the science-fiction shows and I was like, yeah, let's get those spaceships in there, I need to do spaceships. And it was fun, I'll be honest. My wife hated it. When she was in the car with me, she was like, ‘Hey, everybody's looking, please. No, no, everybody's looking at us.' But then when I really started releasing the product to the market, giving the first MVPs or prototypes to testers, to influencers, and had the first customers, paying customers, I got the feedback, like, all these futuristic alien noises, it's all fun, but could we have some real car sounds?” – Johannes Luckemeier This episode is the second half of my interview with audio inventor and founder of Glydsphere Johannes Luckemeier as we discuss the process of creating custom vehicle sounds, how audio design helps set high-end vehicles apart, and whether a sound, all by itself, can be copyrighted.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Audio BrandingAs our discussion continues, Johannes tells us just how different each car company's sonic branding can be, and how much more room electric vehicles have given them to make a distinctive impression. “For a Tesla, you only hear, like, white noise. You can barely, actually, you don't hear it. If you don't know about it, you don't hear it, but it fulfills the law,” he explains. “But if you look at BMW, Mercedes, AMG, Porsche, they have, like, this sporty, sci-fi sound because they had the feeling this is the way to go.” We talk about his process for developing custom engine sounds that are inspired by everything from Star Wars to The Jetsons, and how he's working to give drivers the tools to modify and even create their own vehicle sound profiles. “The idea, really, is to give the user, the customer, whatever you want to call it, the driver, freedom of choice,” he tells us, “freedom that he or she can have any sound he or she wants. And hey, if you want silence, you just turn it off. If it's too loud, you turn the volume down. If you don't like the spaceships, you use a different sound.”(0:06:00) - The Psychology of Audio Branding“Look at podcasts,” Johannes continues, “users making their own content, people recording, like we talked about before, people record their own records at home. The technology is there, so why can they not have their own engine sounds? That's really the idea and what we're also doing.” We discuss how he hopes Glydsphere will empower drivers to build their own automotive soundscapes and the design philosophy that sets high-end cars apart when it comes to custom audio. “If I have a car,” he notes, “especially a fast car or something which moves fast... I like to have some acoustic feedback, some sound which fits, because, again, it just makes the whole experience more interesting.”(0:11:09) - Personalized Sound Experience for Car EnthusiastsAs our conversation comes to a close, Johannes tells us more about the Glydsphere's latest prototype and equity...

“There are a few perspectives from which you can see this. One would be you pay a premium price for a premium car or premium product in general. So basically, if you just look at the numbers, you pay for people like me at BMW, now doing this. But then also what you mentioned, you're buying a premium product, you're expecting a premium experience. And obviously sound, it can be, you can relate this to every field or to every part of the car. You want a premium experience. Means every part, every piece of the experience or of the car, so to say, somebody needs to put some brain into it.” – Johannes Luckemeier My guest for this episode was born and raised in Germany, where he learned the guitar as a teenager and later took piano lessons. He received his Master's in Music Technology from Ireland before going into the car industry in Germany as a sound designer, applying and developing sound designs and audio algorithms for premium car manufacturers. During that time he bought a Tesla, and he was unsatisfied with the nonexistent engine sound experience – so he developed a system from scratch to create personalized engine sound for electric vehicles. Now he's selling the system directly to consumers from his company, based in Texas.His name is Johannes Luckemeier and I've been waiting for the chance to talk with him about the sounds of cars inside and out, something that electric cars are going to have to master. Whether you're a car or sound enthusiast, I think you'll really enjoy this conversation. We still have so much to learn about sound's influence in the places we spend the most time, including our cars. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - The Role of Sound in CarsWe start things off with Johannes' earliest memories of sound, such as listening to Chuck Berry on the radio and dreaming of becoming a rock star. “I started with an acoustic guitar,” he recalls, “picked up an electric guitar later on, and I also had like a keyboard as a kid which, I'll be honest, I mainly used for prank calls.” We discuss how the recession changed the direction of his studies and career path, and his work in the auto industry as he helped develop a unique sound for each brand. “There was a short time,” Johannes explains, “when you bought a Rolls-Royce – we're talking half a million with all the extras, fully loaded – and you'd get the same sounds as a BMW. Obviously, that can't be happening.”(0:11:31) - The Influence of Sound in CarsOur conversation focuses on a behind-the-scenes look at how luxury car manufacturers work to create a premium sound experience, and how surprisingly similar Johannes' work with a high-end toy company turned out to be. “The kind of funny thing about this is the customers,” he says. “They're even more crazy, more about the details, even more than about the people who bought the BMWs or Rolls Royce.” We discuss how engines, particularly in electric vehicles, have become quieter in recent years, and some of the surprising steps automakers are taking to retain their distinctive sound. “They're still fast,” he tells us, “they still have...

“It's just the way music is consumed. My kids went to summer camp, and they wanted to, like, bring music with them. But they're not allowed to have electronic devices, like, they can't bring a phone. And my son was, like, ‘Oh, I'll just take my phone.' And I'm like, ‘No, you don't understand, like, you're not going to have internet.' And they're like, ‘Well, how do I get the music from, like, Spotify, like, on my phone?' I'm like, ‘You can't without internet.' And just the whole concept, like, you used to carry a record or even a cassette or a CD, and it was physical, and you had it.” – Sherene Strausberg This episode is the second half of my conversation with Emmy-nominated art director, sound engineer, and founder and creative director of 87th Street Creative Sherene Strausberg as we talk about her work to bring diversity to sound, how streaming audio is creating a generation gap and what that might mean for marketers, and whether the days of going to the movie theater have come and gone. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Creating Audio for VisualsOur conversation picks up as Sherene shares her approach to combining visual and sonic elements for an effective branding strategy, and her recent work on a particularly compelling, and challenging, animation project. “It was for a nonprofit named Womankind, the opening part of this animated video I did for them was about, you know, these really devastating statistics,” she tells us. “But then it kind of changed tone... and so we needed a real shift, and no track was able to really do that in the timing that we needed. So I ended up using two different tracks and through the power of music editing we were able to very smoothly change that tone.” She tells us more about her work with diverse composers and voices, and partnering with such groups as One Percent for the Planet. “I make animated videos,” she explains, “I can't clean the carbon out of the air with my business, right? That's not what I do… but it's finally getting me to put sort of, like, you know, my money where my mouth is.”(0:08:24) - Evolution of Audio TechnologyWe look at how sound technology has moved from big and loud to small and private, and how sound has shifted from a communal to a personal experience. “You know, go back to the ‘80s when suddenly there were Walkmans and you were listening on these tiny headphones,” she says, “but then it became the tiny music file that went into the tiny headphones.” The discussion turns to where such a trend might lead, and she wonders if a theatrical experience like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice could ever be replaced by streaming media. “Sure, yeah, it fills your peripheral vision,” she says about virtual and augmented reality. “It's bigger in scope but smaller in experience, you're obviously not experiencing it communally... I feel like I'll be saying to my kids, ‘In my day we went to movie theaters.'"(0:17:02) - Power of Sound in MediaWe discuss

“I can go back to when I was sixteen, and I was at a movie theater and I was watching a really great scene in a movie where the violinist was, like, moving his bows, you know, the camera was like panning around him. And I got to the end of that scene, and, like, he lifts his bow up, and I started clapping in the theater. And I realized that that film had just totally taken me out of the movie theater and put me in, like, a concert hall. And I was like, ooh, I want to do that. I want to basically use sound to bring people to another world, and I pretty much at sixteen decided I wanted to be a film composer.” – Sherene Strausberg This episode's guest is an Emmy-nominated art director and a unique creative, combining her experience in film, music, and sound engineering with graphic design and illustration. She creates animated videos for her clients at the company she founded almost ten years ago, 87th Street Creative. She knew at the age of sixteen that she wanted to be a film composer, and, after ten years of pursuing that while also working as a broadcast engineer at National Public Radio, she changed careers, first to graphic design and then to motion design. Motion graphics returned her to her true passion of how sound and moving images together can immerse the viewer and listener. Combining this with her desire to work with clients who believe in sustainability and social justice, 87th Street Creative has worked with nonprofits and businesses that help make the world a better place.Her name is Sherene Strausberg, and our conversation covers a range of topics, from how sound enhances visuals to the role sound plays in helping her clients promote their brands. Whether you're an ad creative, have a company that's looking for an innovative way to reach your clients, or you're just interested in the power of sound, we could all learn a thing or two from her experiences. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - From Film Scoring to AnimationOur discussion starts off with a look back at a pivotal memory in Sherene's life, the moment when, as a teenager, she realized she wanted to work in sound. “I was watching a really great scene in a movie,” she recalls, “where the violinist was, like, moving his bows. You know, the camera was panning around him. And I got to the end of that scene and like he lifts his bow up and I started clapping in the theater and I realized that that film had just totally taken me out of the movie theater.” She shares her journey from the Indiana School of Music, where she studied music and played piano, to working in Hollywood as a film composer. “What you learn in school,” she says, “is a very small piece of the puzzle, and learning how to manage client relationships, how to find work, how to manage projects and manage the funds and fees and all the financial sides of it, I mean, none of that I got out of

“So what we found out about the Flying Dutchman, for example, they've been in business for forty years and they simply didn't know how to grow. But one thing I'd found out when I went to the original Flying Dutchman store is that people like to gather there, but they didn't have anywhere inside the store to gather and sit down. Everyone sat down on the sidewalk and hung out outside. So that's what gave us the idea, why don't we have it we could build the community inside and everyone did feel like family, and it was a place that everyone could actually say hi to one another, right? So, it was taking what was existing but magnifying it as an actual location for people to gather. – Howard Lim This episode is the second half of my conversation with innovator, author, and award-winning brand architect Howard Lim as we discuss the challenges of audio-based SEO, how insurance companies have paved the way for audio branding, and figuring out your brand's favorite music. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Exploring Audio Branding and SEO TrendsThe second half of our conversation starts with a closer look at Howard's book Authentic Branding and how web design has evolved since the days of Adobe Flash. “It made a big difference as far as the overall experience,” he says about those early, more audio-focused sites. “Now websites, they're so flat as far as introducing it to your senses, because now you're just using your visual sense.” We talk about the ongoing challenge of tying SEO and audio together, and we discuss Howard's approach to helping companies find the right sound for their brand. “One of the questions I ask,” he explains, “when I'm in a strategy session is what if the brand listened to music? What music would listen to and why?”(0:09:55) - The Power of Sound in BrandingHoward tells us more about his work with such companies as WSS and Flying Dutchman and shares some of the success stories in building their brands. “It expanded them,” he recalls his work with Flying Dutchman. “I think it was three years to five franchises, where [before] they couldn't grow for forty years. So it was really capturing a brand essence.” He shares his approach to building a sense of place as well as product when it comes to branding, and how sound helps shape our environment. “When they turn on that background music,” he says, “it just shifts the energy, it shifts the environment that you feel like you're experiencing [into] something that has a lot more richness to it.”(0:20:17) - Creating Stronger Brands with SoundOur discussion comes to a close as we talk about how listeners can get in touch with Howard, and an online brand assessment that he's offering, included in the links below. He also tells us more about what first inspired him to write about branding. “The reason why I was writing a book,” he explains, “is because nobody wanted to explain how to create a brand. They would write about it, but they wouldn't give you examples of how to create a brand. And so that's when I said, oh my goodness, this is a perfect...

“For example, like, even commercials, there's that one commercial for the Indian casinos. And my wife loves the song, and she knows it's actually a singer that's produced it. And she always thinks about that casino, you know, she doesn't gamble, but every time she hears that song, it goes back to that feeling like, oh yeah, it's about the good time. It's about, you know, gambling, right? So now we're moving to association. So, the sound has a lot of association to, um, that, to that ‘expectation' or the actual experience itself.” – Howard Lim This episode's guest is an award-winning business and brand architect who designs businesses from the inside out. He's a disruptive innovator who shifts paradigms, and his boutique, full-service firm, How Creative, partners with business owners worldwide to develop and execute world-class, leading businesses and authentic brands. He's been a highly sought-after speaker, author, and organization advisor for over thirty-five years, and he's represented everyone from emerging entrepreneurs to established Fortune 100 companies, including Apple, Disney, Paramount, Xerox, Oracle, Cirque du Soleil, Mattel, AT&T, and HP. His contributions have added billions to clients' profits while increasing both brand value and company equity.His name is Howard Lim, and in this discussion, we'll be getting his perspective on how the large companies he's worked with are using sound for better brand recognition and to make deeper connections with their potential clients. We'll also find out where he thinks companies could take this into the future. Things are changing fast these days, so keep listening so you can learn what you can do to keep ahead of the game.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:01) - Influencing Branding Through Sonic SoundThe first half of our conversation starts as Howard shares what a childhood crush and a memorable Bob Dylan song taught him about the power of sound. “Every time I heard that song it put me back in that space and that time and that exact location,” he says. “So music has definitely influenced my experiences and my memories.” Our discussion turns to his recent work with retailers in creating the right soundscape, and he tells us more about the subtle, almost subliminal, impressions that sound can make on shoppers. “A lot of people confuse marketing, for example, with branding, and marketing is much more tactical,” Howard explains. “It happens on a subconscious level. They might not think that they're ready for it, but believe me, it's happening to them. They're just unaware of it.”(0:15:24) - Challenges With Dialogue in Surround SoundWe talk about the recent trend toward over-mixing audio in cinema, and Howard points out the trouble with relying too much on Foley effects and post-production. “They didn't figure to, like, edit a certain part of the dialogue,” he notes, “so some of it gets static and it's like, why is it staticky? Obviously, someone didn't work on that part of the dialogue, that segment of the dialogue, and you can really hear the difference.” He does share one experience with sound...

“It's one of the rare things. I know, Jodi, you know it ‘cause you're, you're literally like an ambassador of Podfest, but, um, it's unusual when you share it with people like, ‘hey, the education could be some of the best you've ever seen.' And they're like, ‘Oh, okay. I hear that all the time.' It's like, no, no, no. People prepare all year to showcase what they've got at Podfest. So, it is an embarrassment of riches, which I'm really blessed that, I would say, 90%, you know, you can't hit a hundred all the time, but I would say nine out of ten are just stellar. And then there are people we give a shot to, and then we give them feedback after. But overall, our batting average is pretty high as far as the quality of the content you're going to get at Podfest.” – Chris Krimitsos This episode is the second half of my conversation with producer, speaker, and Podfest founder Chris Krimitsos as we talk about Podfest's transformation from a local community event into a worldwide convention and virtual conference, how to balance video content and audio-first audiences when it comes to podcasting, and the impact digital audio's made on his life and his family.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:01) - Podfest and Public Speaking ExperiencesThe second half of our conversation starts as Chris recalls how the pandemic helped Podfest set a world record for virtual attendance and grow into a global phenomenon. “It's really incredible,” he says, “to see that people will show up when Podfest is there in different countries now, and that's because of the COVID experience, because of the virtuals that we did.” He tells us about the variety of guests and shows in attendance, and how much they have to offer. “People prepare all year to showcase what they've got at Podfest,” he adds. “So it's an embarrassment of riches, which I'm really blessed that, I would say 90% - you can't hit 100 all the time - but I would say 9 out of 10 are just stellar.”(0:05:50) - Effective Podcasting Tips and StrategiesChris offers his tips for a good public presentation and some advice on putting even the most unscripted podcast moments to good use. “The person went on a thirty-minute rant, and you didn't even ask the question,” he says, “let's say the interview is done, the person leaves right, go back and rerecord a question to a ten-minute segment of that rant. So now you have a video short that you can promote.” We talk about ways to help podcast guests look and sound their best, and the balance between creating good video and compelling audio. “Even the people that are video podcasts,” Chris notes, “they have to be very conscious when they're talking because it's very easy to go into a visual. And then the audio people, when you strip the audio, they'll have no idea what you're talking about.”(0:15:24) - The Power of Audio BooksOur discussion comes to a close as Chris shares the importance of sound as well as some of his upcoming projects, including this year's Podfest. “There is something that sound brings to the table that you can't get in the other mediums,” he...

“So I got involved in YouTube first, uh, in ‘06, and then audio, I got involved in 2012. I started, like, paying attention in 2013, um, the summer of 2013. I really got heavily in podcasting ‘cause I saw the opportunity and what it could do for people. And like you said, I love voice. It's a much more nuanced form of communication, but it's so profound ‘cause, right now, um, even today, even though I think people should have a video component of some sort, when you look at people's stats, the people that listen to audio are much more engaged in that show than the people that watch the video.” – Chris KrimitsosThis episode's guest has been successfully growing Podfest Multimedia Expo from what started as a meetup at a local café in 2013 to an international conference with more than three thousand registrants. Content creators have benefited from his knack for community building as they build relationships, their podcasts, and YouTube channels through the platforms he's provided. These experiences, whether in-person or virtual, are built on his experience as the creator of over two thousand live events in his professional career. As a trendsetter, he quickly identified podcasting's popularity and responded with a 2017 documentary about the evolving medium called The Messengers: A Podcast Documentary. The film has been placed on YouTube for global distribution after having initially been released on Amazon, where he also had his book, Start Ugly: A Timeless Tale About Innovation & Change, hit #1 in the categories of Business Leadership and HR.His name is Chris Krimitsos, and in this conversation, we find out more about how he decided podcasting would be such a big thing, what it takes to put together a conference of Podfest's size, and where he thinks this medium will take us into the future. We're all about sound here – and podcasting is definitely a part of that. So keep listening to learn more from this encouraging, community-minded, giant in 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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.(0:00:01) - Evolution of Audio Media PlatformsAs our conversation starts off, Chris shares his early memories of sound, particularly hearing the nightly train in Long Island as a child. He recalls growing up in the early days of podcasting and talks about how YouTube, Bluetooth, and even the automobile industry all helped shape the course of podcast history. “That eight-year lag between [having] the Bluetooth device in the car and the Bluetooth on your phone to match up,” he explains, “it gave YouTube and on-demand video about an eight-year head start.” We discuss whether podcasting might eventually replace radio altogether, and its advantages over the increasingly commercialized streaming video landscape. “You might have some ads in the front,” he says about podcasts, “but you listen to a person's voice and you're not necessarily scrolling for the next audio show. You're committed to that show for that half hour.”(0:11:24) - Podcast Platform Dominance ConversationOur discussion turns to which platforms are dominating the market these days and where podcasters should...

“All right, so this happens a lot is that brands will be, especially in agencies, they'll be coming up on a new campaign and they'll think, ‘Oh well, you know what, this campaign is going to launch at such date, I'll throw some audio branding on there.' And then, from the get-go, then they're thinking about the audio brand as part of the campaign's messaging, and that is not what you want to do. So number five is think of your audio branding as part of your brand's equity and part of your brand's identity, and do not plan your audio branding around your campaign message. Because then, as soon as that campaign message is gone and thrown out, there goes the audio logo.” – Jon Brennan This is the second half of my conversation with audio branding expert and founder of Sonic Signatures Jon Brennan as we discuss Jon's tips for building a successful brand strategy, what Home Depot gets right when it comes to brand consistency, and the future of AI music in audio 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Implementing Effective Audio Branding StrategiesThe second half of our discussion begins as Jon talks about the ubiquity of UX sound design and the opportunities it presents for establishing a sonic brand. “You know the sound of your ATM,” he says. “You know you're using your audio logo. Any place that you have a brand interaction is where you want to use that melody, that sound so that it is more of an ecosystem.” He continues his list of tips for building a successful audio brand, including the importance of marketing versatility. “So number five,” he explains, “is think of your audio branding as part of your brand's equity and part of your brand's identity and do not plan your audio branding around your campaign message, because then, as soon as that campaign message is gone and thrown out, there goes the audio logo.”(0:11:11) - Evolving Audio Branding StrategiesOur conversation turns to the value of a dynamic campaign that keeps up with changing demands. “What you want to do,” Jon says, “is continue to develop and adapt your audio identity through more touch points, more use cases, using it in your new, current campaigns, not just letting it sit there on the shelf from what you created five years ago.” We talk about the growth of AI in everything from editing to composition, and how it fits into a sonic branding strategy. “There's so much stock music out there now, AI music,” he says, “but still really working with a composer to bring out the specific messaging, and also the action onscreen, makes your advertising so much more interactive to watch.”(0:14:53) - Advancements in Custom Audio BrandingAs our discussion comes to a close, Jon shares an awkward advertising moment that came from relying on stock elements. “I was with a customer this morning,” he relates, “and we were watching a video, and I recognized the stock image that they're using for a major car company. It was the same stock person that was in a detergent brand.” He tells us how listeners can get in touch with him, and we talk about some of the...

“That's right, yeah, and to me, that's one of the most important steps in the whole process is this research, brand assessment. And then you bring that research and assessment to life in the mood board, and that is what allows you to create something that is so customized to this brand, that it only works for this brand.” – Jon Brennan This week's guest is a lifelong audio producer who loves to help brands communicate effectively through sound. He regularly produces voiceover and sound design for brands like Tide, Downy, Cascade, Henkel, Dell computers, and more, and he's led the creation of such audio branding identities as Amazon Alexa, Hostess, Boomchickapop, and Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey.His name is Jon Brennan, and since our last conversation, episodes 126 and 127, he joined Sixième Son, a world leader in audio branding, as a senior account executive, where he managed the creation of audio identities for Fortune 500 companies and brands. After two years, Jon returned to lead his own audio branding agency Sonic Signatures in 2024. He enjoys using his love of music and audio to entertain and inspire others, and we'll be talking a lot about how companies can and should work audio branding into their marketing plans. While Jon has worked with some very large companies in this capacity, the Fortune 500 aren't the only ones who benefit from this kind of strategy. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Journey in Sonic Branding IndustryAs our episode starts off, Jon tells us about a recent experience with sound, and how it sparked bittersweet memories of his late uncle. “I distinctly heard my uncle's voice,” he recalls, “and his characteristic laughter coming from the other room, and it's just like I just thought my uncle Tom was there for a minute and it actually moved me to the point that I just got totally choked up.” He describes his work with Sixième Son and such clients as Boomchickapop and Hostess, and the reason for his return to Sonic Signatures earlier this year. “Going back to my own agency,” he explains, “I'm able to be the creative director, I'm able to write concepts as well as tap other very talented composers to write concepts as well, and I'm just very fulfilled when I'm able to have that creative energy.”(0:16:56) - Effective Sonic Branding for Regional CompaniesWe take a closer look at some of Jon's recent ad campaigns, and he tells us about a particularly memorable sonic branding project for Fireball Whiskey. “You've got the dragon who sounds like a demon,” he says, “but then you've got this angel choir that is hanging out high above him in the audio spectrum... and so together it makes this disruptive sound that is also very memorable.” Jon talks about how remote...

“It's got to look good, sound good, look good if it is video, but it's got to sound good, good quality audio, good editing, and it's got to have enough interesting information that people want to talk about what they heard or they have a pivotal moment or an a-ha or it changes their life. So, and that again is why I am so incredibly passionate about podcasting and just, in general, because, I don't know if I've ever shared this with you, but listening to a podcast literally did change my life with a medical condition that I had.” – Traci DeForge This episode is the second half of my conversation with founder and CEO of Produce Your Podcast and internationally recognized podcast expert Traci DeForge as we discuss the branding power of podcasts, Traci's tips for utilizing social media, and her work with the Podcast Professionals Association. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:01) - Leveraging Podcasts for Brand GrowthThe second half of our conversation starts with Traci's explanation of how building a brand's audio strategy differs from sustaining one, and the challenge of reaching out to an audience without sounding like a sales pitch. “[If] you can think about what's in it for the audience, then all of the visibility, leads, and sales component happens as a residual of that,” she says about podcasts. “But the most important key is... that it's got to look good and sound good.” We discuss how podcasts help forge a lasting connection with listeners, and how one podcast helped her overcome a lifetime of migraines. “I really, really share that story,” she tells us, “because it's not just me going. You can change the world one voice at a time. Like that person's voice changed my literal life and my family's life.”(0:07:07) - Exploring the Power of PodcastingOur discussion focuses on the growing importance of video in podcasting and whether it's possible to still succeed as an audio-only production, “If you are currently thinking about being an audio-only podcaster or you are thinking about starting an audio podcast,” Traci says, “absolutely yes, yes, yes, you do need to start the audio podcast or keep the audio podcast.” She explains how much social media algorithms have evolved just over the last year, and her advice for building an audience. “Use the video for shorts,” she suggests. “Use it for shorter segments, use it for social media clips. Use it for that, because if you're not doing that, that is what's going to leave you behind.”(0:15:43) – The Power of Sound in PodcastingAs we wrap up our conversation, Traci tells us more about how she co-founded the Podcast Professionals Association and the role it plays in helping podcasters network and strategize in a quickly changing market. “We have two virtual events a month,” she explains, “where people can connect and have conversations about how they price their business challenges in the industry. How are you facing AI? What happens if you lose a big client? How are you changing your prices?” We also talk about what sets the power of sound apart, including the unique...

“I really believe in developing the power of an audio brand as the Nike swoosh, as the Amazon arrow smile. Your audio brand should be as recognizable to your personal brand, to your business brand, however you're leveraging your audio platform. It should be as good a quality, and people should invest in, and not have it be an afterthought. If you think about what people invest in personal branding and visual branding aesthetics, website branding and then, oh, ‘I want to start a podcast.' And they never even consider that that's an extension of all of that other investment that you've made.” – Traci DeForge This episode's guest is the founder of Produce Your Podcast, an award-winning full-service production and marketing agency, and is recognized as an international podcast expert, sought-after speaker, and media contributor. She's the creator of the Podcast Management Academy, the industry's only certified podcast manager training program, and co-founder of the Podcast Professionals Association. She's also the co-host of the Ask Brien radio show on KHTS AM & FM in Los Angeles and has been featured on all three major networks along with CNN, CTV, American Express OPEN, and Radio INK, and is a member of the Rolling Stone Culture Council. Her name is Traci DeForge, and if you're looking to take your podcast to the next level, you'll want to hear what she has to say about 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:01) – The Love of AudioWe start things off with a look back at Traci's childhood memories of sound, from calling Dial-a-Prayer to hear stories over the phone to listening to to the radio under the covers at night. “I used to sleep with an AM transmitter radio under my pillow listening to ghost stories,” she recalls, “and when my friends would come over for slumber parties. I would create these elaborate radio shows.” She tells us about how developing her first podcast in 2015 helped inspire her to create Produce Your Podcast. “There are going to be some other busy consultants and business owners,” she explains, “who are going to want to have podcasts, but they're not going to want to do everything it takes to have it be a broadcast that represents the quality of their brand. And so that's when Produce Your Podcast was born.”(0:11:01) - The Power of Audio BrandingOur conversation turns to the differences between audio and video productions, and why just ripping the audio from a video production might not cut it in podcasting.“If you don't really understand the true power of audio and audio branding,” Traci notes, “then you could get lost in thinking that ‘I'm just going to do a video podcast or video recording,' or even a video webinar to a degree, ‘and I'm just going to grab the audio off of that.'” We discuss how the audio production works to bring the imagery to life for listeners, and how a podcast lacking that connection can leave its listeners cold. “That can be the point where an audience could fracture from you,” she adds, “because they don't feel connected to the conversation. So they may stay through that conversation

“So put on some good music, especially music with a very steady beat. Every time you have focus, yeah, every time that beat goes, it drips a little bit of dopamine. So that's another reason why we also can support people with, with their gait, like with walking because we need that little bit of drip of dopamine when we walk. It actually naturally happens. But for people that have a challenge with that, like for Parkinson's, maybe a stroke, that gets affected. So if we have a very steady beat, boom, boom, every little bit, dopamine drips, and it actually helps to regulate our system and anticipate when to take those steps. Yeah, so that's just one.” – Noel Anderson This episode is the second half of my conversation with director of Anderson Music Therapy and board-certified music therapist Noel Anderson as we talk about music's effect on our brain chemistry and cortisol levels, the different effects that making music and listening to music have on our brains, and the role sound and music can play in treating such disorders as PTSD and depression. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Music and MemoryOur conversation continues as we talk about music's effect on our brains' neural connections and how we experience the world around us. “The experiences we have,” Noel explains, “everything affects those neural connections and what gets formed, what doesn't get formed, um, so, yeah, so this is a big question.” We discuss sound's power to help boost our dopamine levels and manage depression, and how she's helped Alzheimer's patients reconnect with their past through the power of music. “I think if you keep your mind as active as possible,” she says, “then you can at least hopefully slow it down. And I think music is one of those things. Like I said, it exercises the whole brain and so if you can keep that connection to other people, that's going to keep you healthy.”(0:09:53) - The Impact of Music TherapyWe talk about the different therapeutic roles that making music and listening to music play, and she tells us more about mirror neurons and music's ability to engage our deepest social instincts. “It's that active participation that actually connects us to people,” she tells us, “whether it's moving to drums or even moving at a concert, you know, dancing. That actually can increase empathy.” Our conversation turns to managing stress and depression, and to how she's helping parents and children bond through music therapy. “What I like about the drum,” Noel says, “is that you're face-to-face, and so a lot of research shows that having that facial affect again, those mirror neurons connecting back and forth, that is really, really important for attachment and for bonding with your child.”(0:16:51) - Accessing Music Therapy ServicesAs our discussion comes to a close, we take a look at some of the online resources out there for finding a licensed music therapist, and how much of it might be covered by insurance. “It depends on your diagnosis,” Noel explains, “depends on the insurance you have, depends on the specific goals that

“I had a client in the practice that they, well, what they said is, ‘I am disabled because of mental health and PTSD symptoms, and music therapy's helping me work through many issues very directly in a way that years of talk therapy hasn't been able to touch.' For this individual, they had been through years of talk therapy, and for some people, that is very valuable and very helpful, myself included. But like myself, I had to start with music therapy first because it just accesses the brain in a different way. It accesses the body in a different way than just talking.” – Noel Anderson This week's guest is the founder of Anderson Music Therapy Services and has been a board-certified music therapist for over fifteen years. Her journey started with a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Immaculata University, followed by a clinical internship at the Kardon Institute for Arts Therapy in Philadelphia. Driven by a desire for growth, she pursued specialized training, earning certification in Neurologic Music Therapy at Colorado State University, certification as a Trauma Professional, and a Master of Music Therapy degree from Temple University. Before founding her practice in Roanoke, Virginia, she developed a school-based music therapy program for individuals of all ages and abilities. Her love of music began early – she's been performing since the age of ten through voice, guitar, piano, and flute – and her impact extends globally, benefiting communities in Africa and India. Her name is Noel Anderson and I've been looking forward to chatting with her about all the ways we can harness the power of sound to motivate us, to help us heal and to improve our lives. Keep listening because I know you're going to get some invaluable golden nuggets from this 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Music TherapyWe start things off with Noel's early memories of sound, from the tiger song she wrote before she'd even learned to spell to her discovery in college of how music therapy could help others. “I didn't always have a very easy time identifying my emotions or being able to express my emotions,” she recalls. “I was very shy. So music just was how I would express myself.” She tells us more about the board certification process that becoming a licensed music therapist involves, and about her work helping children in Africa and India. “I spoke of how music works with developmental disabilities and neurologically,” she explains, “and then we were able to work, you know, hands-on with the kids and co-treat with the therapists there and the doctors, and it was a really great experience.”(0:07:27) - Global Impact of Music TherapyOur conversation turns to the neurological impact of music, and its ability to influence and even redirect our body states. “It's one of the few things in the world that activates so many [neurons],” Noel explains. “It exercises the whole brain, and that's why it can get our attention very easily rather than just speaking alone.” She talks more about how sound can help regulate the nervous system and shares...

“I agree that humans will always want to work with humans and that we're gonna always favor it in a lot of ways, especially because of the spontaneity, the creativity, the vibe. Kids love to use the word vibe, but we want the vibe and AI doesn't have the vibe. Kids are really good at detecting AI, really good at it…. They pick it out way before their parents. So they're really tuned into it. So I think that's what's going to keep it at bay in terms of being a true creative tool for really a long time.” – Sean Savage This episode is the second half of my Clubhouse discussion with voice actor and Sound Off Media Company owner Matt Cundill, Home Studio Mastery founder Junaid Ahmed, podcast producer and AR Media host Sean Savage, Spoken Life Media founder and Podcast Hall of Fame Inductee Rob Greenlee, and long-time podcaster and audio technology consultant George Whittam, as we discuss the future of AI, what sets machine and human learning apart, and building your own AI clone.As always, if you have questions for my panelists, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - AI and the Future of TechnologyThe second half of our conversation begins as we talk about the impact of AI on everything from social media to politics, and what that might mean for its future. “I interviewed David Pogue earlier this year,” George says, “and he's done a tremendous amount of AI research and experimenting, and he's like, it hasn't yet swung an election that we know of, so maybe we shouldn't be too worried. But it's just something to think about, and I think about it all the time.” The topic turns to AGI, or Artificial General Intelligence. “That day is coming,” Rob tells us. “I don't know if it's five years from now, ten years from now, that it surpasses, you know, the ability to think and process information, um, better than a human, but I think it's coming and once that happens, it's going to change everything.”(0:06:44) - Ethical Implications of AI UseWe talk about the ethics of AI usage, and whether there's any practical difference between how AI models are trained and how children naturally learn. “Even if your older brother is telling you ‘don't copy me,'” Junaid notes, “guess what? Your younger siblings are still going to copy them. There's no lawsuit against that. You know, that's how human beings are literally taught.” George describes his experience with feeding an AI all his writing content to help it learn his writing style, and we discuss the prospect and legality of such AI ‘clones.' “If you went and scraped pretty much all the work that you've done and voiced,” Matt says, “packaged it up to create an AI model, you then can own the licensing of that AI voice and be paid for it. But if somebody else went and did it, the answer would be no. But, as we've discussed, some people are out there doing it and saying ‘tough beans.'”(0:17:45) - AI Usage and Ethical ConcernsThe conversation turns from creating new content with AI to revisiting old content through the lens of machine learning. George talks about old recordings and the potential to restore them and add sound elements that have been...

“With AI coming along, I sort of look at more things being added into the workflow over the last year or so. A lot of it is, like, transcription, but also, ‘how are we gonna title the podcast?' Show notes being written, I'm a little bit leery of, but it is used to assist in the process to write better show notes. So, I think for a long time, a lot of people have skipped over that, and AI has allowed us to write better show notes. That doesn't mean copy-and-paste them in because AI is not... AI is, it's an absolutely horrible writer. And I think one of the things that, I know this will come up in our discussion today, is that when you see AI stuff just being copied and pasted, you know that it has been copied and pasted.” – Matt Cundall If there's one topic that has captured the collective psyche over the past few years, it's AI. But while the topic is fascinating, the uses are endless, and figuring out where it best fits into your work process is another matter entirely. The group I recently assembled on Clubhouse to talk about AI in Podcasting included a lot of veterans in the area of audio, video, and podcasting. They include voice actor and owner of The Sound Off Media Company, Matt Cundill; founder of Home Studio Mastery, Junaid Ahmed; on-air host and technical producer, mastering engineer, and podcast and audiobook post-production professional at AR Media, Sean Savage; founder of Spoken Life Media, LLC and Podcast Hall of Fame Inductee Rob Greenlee; and long-time audio technology consultant and co-host of the Pro Audio Suite Podcast, George Whittam. Each one of them had valuable insights into what tools work best for them and what tools you might want to look into for your own production.Considering where the industry is heading, it's probably a good idea to learn as much as you can about all these new and time-saving options. I hope you find this discussion super helpful! As always, if you have questions for my panelists, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - AI Tools in Podcast CreationOur roundtable discussion starts as Matt introduces himself and discusses some of the strengths and weak spots of AI software, particularly when it comes to making corrections. “These tools,” he says, “have really helped, but I think if you rely on it too much, one of the things that we found out is that you can just waste as much time just by having to make corrections.” Rob joins in and shares his thoughts on the competition between cutting-edge AI startups and the major brands that are now catching up. “Some of the larger platforms,” he says, “are adding greater AI capability to them, and it's putting a little bit in jeopardy some of the standalone AI kind of services or tools out there.”(0:11:30) - AI Tools in Podcast Post-ProductionJunaid introduces himself as well, and he tells us about some of the latest breakthroughs he's seen in synthetic AI voices and the business boom for the voiceover artists behind them. “When they introduced the professional voice,” he says, “like, if you go in now, you can actually use some of the celebrity voices for your own stuff as well, and they're getting paid...

“We typically think about music as a listening experience, playing an instrument, dancing. And I think that's like a narrow view of seeing, of looking at this concept of music. And that was one of the inspirations. What I wanted to do in this book was to show that there's another way of thinking about music that's completely different from this, let's say, three main ways we think about music. So if you step a little bit outside these traditional associations we have with what music is, you can find that, as we talked about, sound can affect plant development, it can influence the growth, the health of the plant. It can alter our sense of taste, enhance or diminish their own flavors. It can impact our moods. It can uplift us, calm us, energize us… and, well, audio branding uses that a lot, because emotions sell at the end of the day.” – Pavle Marinkovic This episode is the second half of my conversation with writer and audio branding consultant Pavle Marinkovic as we discuss how music can influence our shopping habits, the latest research into sound's effect on our cellular metabolism, and whether plants prefer Vedic chants or rock music. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - The Influence of Music on PlantsAs the second half of our discussion starts, Pavle tells us about sound's effect on plants, including an experiment in India that found plants prefer Vedic chants and classical music over rock. “The plants grew taller,” he explains, “they had bigger flowers, and they had more flowers than the rock condition, and they also saw that the plants were growing towards the speaker.” He talks about the discovery that music can affect the growth of microorganisms such as E. Coli, and the dramatic difference that simply playing the right music made at a waste-treatment plant. “After a year of using this classical music,” Pavle says, “they were able to save ten thousand euros in the cost of transporting this sludge, so they reduced the amount of sludge produced by these sewage treatment plants.”(0:16:30) - The Power of Sound and MusicWe discuss the use of sound in shaping public behavior in recent years, from dispersing riots to chasing away loiterers, and how music can influence our behavior without us even realizing it. “For instance,” Pavle notes, “you can use the tempo of the music to make people either shop more, faster or slower, because they would unconsciously adapt to the sound cues that were at that moment happening.” He tells us why he believes sound is more important than we realize, and the growing research into music's health benefits. “We think of music as a listening experience,” he observes, “playing an instrument, dancing, and I think that's like a narrow view of looking at this concept of music.”(0:24:24) - Exploring Music's Impact Across IndustriesOur conversation closes as Pavle tells us about his latest audio branding projects. “I'm always, always writing about music,” he says, “I'm also consulting on audio branding with people who have some, let's say, problems with how to strategize about creating a...

“When I started researching how music affected all these different parts of the food life cycle, I stumbled upon research about how it changed our perception of taste, how it can make beer taste more bitter or wine have a more full body. So I said, well, I love chocolate, and I stumbled across a food chocolate factory in the middle of Madrid. And I said, well, let's try it. If there's so much research on all these other things, let's see if there's also something that can happen with chocolate.” – Pavle Marinkovic This episode's guest is a psychologist with a master's degree in film scoring. He's worked in a pioneering audio branding firm in Madrid and later in a market research company that used facial recognition software to scan and create emotional maps of different content, including music. Currently, he wears many hats: writer, researcher, audio branding consultant, music teacher, and violinist, and all these facets of sound are deeply intertwined in his daily work.His name is Pavle Marinkovic, and he's also the author of Sounds From Farm to Fork (And Back), where he talks about the impact sound and music can have on the food life cycle. I asked him about his research and the details are fascinating. If you're a farmer, a garden hobbyist, a marketer, a restaurateur, or interested in more effective waste control and recycling, this is a discussion you don't want to miss! It's astonishing to realize just how much of a difference sound can make in all these things. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:01) - Exploring Music and Audio BrandingOur conversation starts with a look back at Pavle's early memories of sound, or, in this case, the story his grandmother tells about how he attended his first opera at eight months old, and how he tried to join in with the singers. “That wasn't acceptable for my grandmother,” he adds, “and so she ended up rushing us out. But she always tells me this story.” He shares his career journey from film scoring to sound research, and a pioneering research project that used facial recognition technology to create emotional maps of people's reactions to sound. “You could show them a lot of different music pieces,” he recalls, “and then, depending on the reaction, you would say which ones they are more favorable towards, and you could create the building blocks of your sound for that customer.”(0:14:17) - The Influence of Music on TastePavle tells us about how the pandemic offered a key insight into the hidden power of sound, and about his work with a chocolate company in Madrid that discovered a surprising link between sound pitch and sweetness. “There's much more than we really know about music,” he says, “and they're discovering a bunch of stuff all the time, so we need to take it more seriously than it is.” We discuss the impact of sound on consumer behavior, and how it can drive people without them even realizing it. “With fast-paced music, they would drink more frequently,” he explains. “When we played slow music, they would take more time. You would see the glasses full for a longer...

“Essentially, what musicians really need to understand is that the power to find success in sync is extremely accessible, and it's right there in front of them as long as they're willing to go and get it. There is no gate, right? There's no gatekeeper. There's nothing that you have to do or have, and there's no one you have to know. It's really just about being willing, and being willing to learn the ropes and do the work. – Nismah Osman This episode is the second half of my conversation with sync licensing expert and Music Licensing Mastery founder Nismah Osman as we discuss the social media grind indie musicians face these days, her advice for getting into sync licensing, and the hidden power of music in today's 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - The Future of Music and TechnologyOur discussion continues as we talk about how AI is transforming the music industry, and Nismah's thoughts on whether it can replace sync musicians altogether. “It's quality over quantity,” she explains. “Sometimes, you know, you can have a hundred really, really not-so-great tracks, and you have a hundred of them, sure, but they may not have the same value as one piece of really high-quality content.” We take a look at some of the other industries that have been shaken up by AI and what it might mean for sound. “It's nuanced,” she says, “and I think there's good and bad and everything in between. And it's going to be something that kind of shows its true colors over time.”(0:07:39) - Opportunities in Sync LicensingNismah tells us about her experience as a musician and gives us an inside look at how social media and streaming platforms have changed the game for indie artists. “When I was on there,” she recalls, “I was witnessing and participating in the sheer amount of effort that musicians are putting into, you know, building these social followings just to try to convert them into streaming numbers.” She talks about how the pandemic transformed online gig work and helped her jump-start her music career, and the opportunities she's found in writing music for sync licensing. “One of the many things I love about sync is that, really, there's room for everyone,” she says. “The likelihood is really in your favor that you're going to be able to find opportunities for whatever kind of music you make.”(0:14:13) - The Significance of Sound and MusicAs our conversation comes to a close, we talk about what it takes as a musician to make the jump into sync licensing, and her practical advice getting started. “The great thing is,” Nismah says, “most of the time, in my experience, you're not starting from zero. You really do have a lot going for you. You just have to figure out what's working, lean into those things, and then outsource the rest.” We also discuss the power of sound in today's world, from lowering stress to building the soundtrack of our lives. “That's why the music and the audio and the film industry are so huge,” she notes, “and why there's such a huge demand, because sound and music and audio, it all matters, it all adds to that depth...

“I think people just kind of were, like, ‘Oh, hi,' you know. They were supportive, they were nice, and, you know, they could tell I was a kid who had no idea what I was doing but was obviously passionate about music. I do remember one guy, though, telling me to make sure I went to college for something other than music and, at the time, I was like, ‘Okay, I'll consider that.' But he was really telling me, like, ‘I don't know if you have what it takes.' But I didn't follow his advice. I ended up going to school for music, which I still am trying to figure out was a good or bad decision.” – Nismah Osman This episode's guest is a songwriter, producer, vocalist, entrepreneur, feminist, and more. She's been writing and producing songs for herself and other artists since 2005. She stumbled into the world of selling her music for film and television in 2011 and has since cracked the code on how to fund your passion for music. Her music has been featured in such series as Love is Blind, Dancing with the Stars, and Temptation Island. Some of her other wins include a degree from Berklee, songwriting and production credits on hundreds of songs, and a chance to learn from songwriting legend Kara DioGuardi, and she runs a vacation rental business on the Jersey shore as a side hustle.Her name is Nismah Osman, and she has a lot to share about how to make a living from making music these days. The industry's certainly changed from even just five years ago. If you want to hear how Nismah does it, and how she's helping other artists do the same, keep listening! As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Journey From Songwriting to Music CareerWe start things off with a look back at Nismah's early memories of sound, and how a songwriting convention in her small town led to her very first sync licensing gig. “Obviously I was the youngest person in the room,” she recalls, “and I had no idea what I was doing. But I showed up with my little you know CD, you know, demos that I burned the night before.” She tells us about some of the encouragement, and the warnings, she got from older musicians, and a chance meeting at the next year's convention that, at age thirteen, became her first music deal. “To this day, I get royalty checks for that song,” she says. “So that was like the first taste of like, ‘Okay, I can actually do this.'”(0:12:18) - Navigating Sync Licensing and Musical OpportunitiesNismah explains what sync licensing means, and the opportunities it presents for musicians. “The very short version of it,” she says, “is the music you hear in TV shows, movies, ads, et cetera. And there's obviously a whole semi-complicated process for how you go about getting your music in those opportunities and on those platforms.” She talks more about that process and how a newcomer to sync might get started. “You proactively write music for these opportunities,” she tells us, “based on a set of criteria that generally work, and then you submit that music to, in the industry, they're called music licensing agencies, and then those agencies receive...

“That's the big problem. That's the whole thing. You know, if it's not done right, then it will definitely not be sustainable, it'll just end up in some drawer after two weeks. And we've seen that a thousand times, how these great sounds are made, and then, after a few months, a week, it's kind of like what happened? It's just disappeared.'” – Simon Kringel This episode is the second half of my conversation with producer, sound designer, and co-founder of the sonic branding agency Unmute as we talk about the things to consider when building a sonic brand, what sets Europe and North America apart when it comes to marketing and brand building, and what new companies can learn from McDonald's' twenty-year-long sonic branding success. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Exploring Sonic Branding in UX DesignThe second half of our discussion begins with an audio clip of Simon's work on Clever's new brand, and he tells us the process behind its success, from incorporating natural elements to what he calls smashable design. “The whole idea of, you know, I call it smashable design,” he explains, “is so you can take things apart and they will still be recognizable on their own.” We talk about his work on brands ranging from streaming interfaces to telephone hold music, and why building an audio brand isn't necessarily a one-and-done solution. “I think that's an important point to make,” Simon tells us, “it's that you cannot create a sonic identity for anybody just as one project.”(0:19:21) - The Evolution of Sonic BrandingWe talk about McDonald's famous sonic logo, how it's evolved and become more streamlined over the past two decades, and what we can learn from that process. “What's amazing,” he says, “is that they've used it just consistently for more than twenty years and, of course, they managed to do all these variations and adaptations depending on whatever music is on the ad, but still, the core thing is being used consistently, consistently for so long.” Simon also tells us why, no matter which industry it is, excitement is key to building a successful brand. “You know you need to be excited about the new brand sound you have,” he adds, “otherwise it's going to be difficult to fight for it.”(0:24:38) - The Role of Audio in BrandingThe conversation wraps up with his firsthand observations of branding differences between European and American markets. “I think what we've seen is that in North America,” he explains, “it has definitely been the ad agency who are the kings in this, and everything was, like, evolved around the ad agency and the creative.” We talk about why audio is so easily overlooked and how its subtlety can be an advantage for branding. “When we tell people about it,” he observes, “they're suddenly like okay, they recognize the sound, but then it's like, ‘I've never thought about it. It was just there.'” Episode SummarySimon's sound work on Clever and his process for creating modular branding elements.How McDonald's iconic jingle demonstrates the...

“I think we've all experienced how sound is kind of a last-minute decision in many creative projects or creative processes... That was actually the whole reason why we formed Unmute, because we thought, ‘Okay, we need to be the adults here and help brands understand the importance of this and the impact it has.'" – Simon Kringel This episode's guest is the Sonic Director and co-founder of Unmute. He began his career composing and producing music for bands and artists, and, later on, for TV and advertising. In 2014, he joined Chimney, a global creation agency, and soon became their head of music, working with a wide range of international clients. Recognizing the growing demand for a specialized sound agency, he co-founded Unmute with Daniel Schougaard in 2018, and their company has been on the rise ever since. It's now collaborating with brands and agencies all across the globe, connecting them with their audience through sound, music, and audible experiences. He's created award-winning sonic identities for such brands as Novo Nordisk, Carlsberg Group, Bank of Ireland, KONE, Volleyball World, and UCI, and he's on a mission to make sure that brands are heard, not just seen.His name is Simon Kringel, and there's a lot we'll be covering here, including using sound in product design, sonic branding as a design discipline, and the differences between North American and European branding when it comes to sound. That certainly isn't all, so if you're interested in how sound shapes our buying decisions and our user experience, you'll want to check out this episode. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:01) - Evolution of Sound and BrandingOur conversation starts with Simon's early memories of sound, and how putting on an audio play of his favorite comic books awakened his enthusiasm for audio production. “We kind of played out the characters,” he recalls, “and, you know, with different voices depending on who you were, and we did some Foley and some sound design when a gun was being shot or glass is broken.” He shares his career journey as a musician and sonic branding expert and talks about the leap of faith that led him to Unmute. “I think it's also just about,” he explains, “have you teamed up with the right people, and are you ready to take a chance and just go for it? I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen?”(0:14:11) - Sonic BrandingWe discuss the nuts and bolts of brand design, and how a haphazard approach to audio branding can lead to more work down the road. “What we saw,” Simon says, “was that there was no structure in this, so the brands could not, even though they understand what they're trying to achieve, see how to actually go about it.” He talks about the relationship between imagery and sound, and the process of crafting a sonic brand that works in harmony with the brand identity. “It's really interesting,” he tells us, “how we can actually take a visual shape, or visual form or visual expression, and turn that into a sound where you intuitively hear the connection. That's where the magic happens to us.”(0:23:41) -

“AI, at least right now, is really adept at iteration, but not so adept at innovation. So I think it's really good at augmenting the creative process, yeah, inspiring, but not necessarily great at coming up with something with all the nuances that, again, at a subconscious level, we might pick up on.” -- Steve Keller This episode is the second half of my conversation with audio researcher, creative consultant, and Sonic Strategy Director for SXM Media Steve Keller, as we talk about how algorithmic data is revolutionizing research, how the pandemic changed the way we relate to music and sound, and what we can learn from the movie Top Gun about the relationship between humans and AI. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) – AI Benefits in Marketing Creativity Our discussion picks up with a look at Steve's work with the Journal of Psychology and Marketing and how AI-driven data is transforming the way we gather research data. “We've seen some results,” he explains, “where we've gotten really close to AI duplicating the results that we would get from a human panel.” We talk about one client's clever strategy for using AI to decide what not to do, and we discuss what the latest developments in machine learning have in common with audio breakthroughs like vinyl records and MP3 files. “We have ways of researching to get to the answers,” Steve explains, “but you always have to start with the question, and I think sometimes we ask the wrong question.”(0:09:36) – The Power of Music During the Pandemic Since it's been a few years since my last chat with Steve, we talk about how things have changed in the audio industry since the pandemic, and what the lockdown revealed about our relationship with music. “We would use music,” he says, “not just in terms of nostalgia, to remind us of happier times, but that music became this friend, particularly in lockdown, where it could help us experience the melancholy that was there.” Steve talks about the long-term benefits of adopting AI, and what he learned from a test of human vs. AI marketing. “We found that the real value of this,” he says, “was less about, you know, is AI a collaborator or a competitor, and more about how we manage talent in an age of AI.”(0:21:43) – The Value of Human-AI CollaborationWe continue our talk about his study on our ability to recognize AI. “Folks were really all over the map in the analysis,” Steve explains. “The individual that we were pitching things to, he wanted to guess who the teams were. He got all of them wrong.” We talk about how that study led to a surprising example of an AI prompting humans for output, and he shares what he calls Maverick's Maxim, named after the famous character from Top Gun. “[Maverick] said 'it's not the plane, it's the pilot,'” Steve tells us, “and so I think this speaks to the importance of humans being in the loop.”Episode SummarySteve's work with AI-driven research and unconventional uses for machine learning.How the pandemic, YouTube, and TikTok have changed...

“We should be hearing diverse voices. As I like to say, if the only time we're hearing voices of color is in advertising to those segments, then we've not just segmented those voices, we've actually segregated them. So let's lean into sonic diversity. You'll create better representation and a better relationship for your brands with those communities at the same time, without having any negative impacts on your ad's favorability or effectiveness.” -- Steve Keller This episode's guest is the Sonic Strategy Director for Studio Resonate, SiriusXM Media's in-house, audio-first creative consultancy offering support to brands that advertise on the Pandora, SiriusXM, and Soundcloud platforms. He's recognized as a leading authority on sonic strategy, blending art and science into award-winning creative content and sonic experiences for a variety of global agencies and brands. With a degree in psychology and business, and over thirty years of experience in the music and advertising industries, his research explores the ways music, sound, and voice influence our perception and behavior and his writing on the subject can be found in a very large list of publications.His name is Steve Keller, and he and I first spoke in the very early days of this podcast, right before the pandemic started. I still consider his episode the most pivotal of this podcast, and he blew my mind on multiple occasions. He certainly does it again here, and you'll get to hear 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Exploring Sonic Diversity in MediaAs we start our conversation, Steve tells us about his early memories of sound, including a surprising childhood discovery he made about train whistles. “One of the things I found out from talking to one of the engineers,” he explains, “is that there are patterns in the whistles almost like Morse code.” We talk about the subtext of sound that's often hidden in plain sight, and how our unconscious biases can limit sonic diversity, whether it's the vocal range audio codecs are built around or the roles AI voices are assigned. “We live in a diverse world,” Steve says. “We should be hearing diverse voices.”(0:11:27) - Navigating Bias in Sonic Diversity“One of the things that we're trying to promote,” Steve tells us, “is to make sure that the synthetic voices that are being created are diverse, that the training populations that are used in developing these voices, that there's diversity there.” We discuss how the early days of telephone and radio created audio biases that we're still working to overcome, and the role AI voices will play as they continue to evolve. “The majority of them said yes, they could tell a difference,” Steve recalls a neuro-based study he led on distinguishing between human and AI voices, “but when we tested it, it was a flip of a coin whether or not they'd get it right. And the AI voices have improved even since we did that test.”(0:23:54) - Implications of AI in AdvertisingSteve tells us more about his work with AI, including the murky legal questions surrounding how AI learns...

“For all of us, we are gaining our trust, our stability, our hope, our aspirations, our inspirations, all come to us through the medium of sound. Video is important, right? But FDR was able to keep a country from going mad on the brink of fear and concern and anxiety by fireside chats over the radio during the war. And we still look to our presidents today, President Bush during 9/11, was able to speak to the audience through that bullhorn with that famous clip there to be able to say what he had to say. President Lincoln with his 272-word Gettysburg address was able to come and heal the nation there on that battlefield.” -- Micah Thomas This episode is the second half of my conversation with audible storytelling expert and Storymore CEO Micah Thomas as we discuss the role of music in audio storytelling, how classic cinema inspired Micah's approach to sound, and the changes the pandemic brought to his company. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - The Power of Audio BrandingOur discussion continues as Micah shares the process of scoring audible stories, and how it differs from traditional movies. “The music scoring is actually done,” he says, “as the very last step. We don't approach anything from a music-first standpoint.” He tells us how it has more in common with silent movies and their live piano players, not to mention the movie The Truman Show, and the advantages of such a story-first approach. “When we come back to it,” he tells us, “it's like playing the audio drama and the music under it as it's going, which allows a very organic sense of music creation.”(0:08:58) - Exploring Old-Time Radio and StorytellingMicah elaborates on Storymore's approach to narrative, and how he found inspiration from some of Hollywood's old masters, from Bing Crosby and Cecil B. DeMille to radio noir characters like Johnny Dollar and the Shadow. “It's all good dialogue on the page,” he explains, “and a good character that can bring it out. So I would say that got planted early and developed really well through the years.”(0:13:31) - Sound, Content, and BrandingThe conversation closes with a look back at the pandemic, and how it transformed both the sound industry as a whole and the careers of some of his voice talents. “The major change wasn't operational,” he says, “because people, or our cast anyway, are already working from home. But for those that still worked a day job and would come home and do this as a side gig or something like that, this was an opportunity for them now to have much more time to devote to it.” We discuss why sound matters more than ever in today's world, what he's working on next, and how listeners can check out Storymore. “The experience is free, no subscription fees or anything like that. We wanted everybody to have access to a good story, so you can check it out wherever you find your favorite podcast.” Episode SummaryMicah's insights on music scoring, from classic movies to church and wedding gigs.What vintage radio shows taught...

“Early on in that we noticed that there are so many people in the blind and visually impaired community that are underrepresented in the respect of entertainment, both as an entertainer and as the consumer. The only products they have are descriptive videos on Netflix or something like that. And so they can't get the exact same experience as the sighted world when they're dealing with forms of entertainment. So we shifted our focus to the blind and visually impaired market, both as people who could assist us in making these audio dramas, our stories, more original, as well as sound-designing these things in a 360-degree or surround sound way so that those whose world is nothing but sound, they really could enjoy it in a way that was meant just for them.” -- Micah Thomas This episode's guest is a twenty-plus year content creator, armed with a Master's Degree in Internet Marketing and a BA in Media Communications who's found the right content to pour his energy into…sound. This father of six and husband of one has worked as a jack-of-all-trades in media but has become a master of audio and storytelling with his company Storymore. As a person with low vision, he has a passion for telling great stories in the best way he can, which led him to form a global group that's disrupting the audio entertainment industry with its accomplishments. Chief among them is providing a platform that equalizes the playing field for those with visual disabilities.His name is Micah Thomas, and our discussion covers a variety of topics, from audio dramas and music to how AI is changing both those industries. I think you'll really enjoy his insights! As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) – The Power of Audio EntertainmentWe start things off with a trip down memory lane as Micah recalls the radio plays and adaptations that helped inspire his career in sound. “The stories captivated me,” he tells us, “because of the voice actors and how real they sounded, and I think that's the first time via audio that it actually brought tears to my eyes.” We talk about how Storymore uses sound production to bring stories to life for blind and visually impaired listeners, and we listen to a clip from the Storymore original suspense tale Barley. “We had one guy that said the sound was so good,” he says, “that ‘I had to literally turn my head. I thought someone was entering the room because I heard a door open behind me.'”(0:12:47) - AI Impact on Audio EntertainmentThe conversation turns to AI and how it's opening up new creative possibilities while leaving room for a human touch at Storymore, and Micah shares with us both the cover art and a sound clip of the Storymore original mystery Alibi. “There's just no way,” Micah explains, “at this point in time, especially, that AI can reach the levels and depths of emotion and her mental state that she's in to provide this type of performance.” We also discuss the difference between audible dramas and traditional audiobooks, and the storytelling power of sound. “It allows you the opportunity to point your own cameras,” he tells us,...

“It's definitely an important aspect of our lives, and we can start with a small thing, just, like, when you feel that something's odd, just pause for a second and ask yourself what exactly is off. Is it the music? Is it the feeling? Is it, is there a physical need? Like, literally just pause it for a second and ask yourself this question. And it's important, but not a lot of us are used to it.” -- Anna Bohuslavska This episode is the second half of my conversation with transformation coach and inner guide Anna Bohuslavska as we discuss how both positive and negative emotions can be contagious, her experience with music's healing power, and how sound can help restore our connection to nature. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Power of Music and Voice HealingThe second half of our talk begins with Anna's reflections on how music can spread emotions and connect us to one another. “The same happens at the concert,” she explains, “because, like, there's a crowd and everyone really is in their emotions and you pick up on this emotion, and it's like becoming one huge human being instead of every single one.” We also talk about the surprising impact vocal exercises can have on everything from building confidence to overcoming negative thought patterns, and her firsthand experience with its benefits. “Most of our way,” she says, “how we talk, our intonations, our high or low, everything is connected to the people around us, and it's basically the habits that we picked up early in childhood and that we carry on in the life.”(0:06:01) - Finding Connection Through Sound & MusicAnna also shares how her own experience with music and dance has guided the way she helps clients reconnect with themselves. “I took the dance classes,” she recalls, “I did all the moves, but when I now look at those old recordings, I see that I didn't feel the music.” She explains how the power of sound can help guide our lives. “Ask yourself what exactly is off,” she explains. “Is it the music, is it the feeling? Is there a physical need? Literally, just pause it for a second and ask yourself this question.”(0:18:35) - Inner PotentialOur discussion comes to a close as Anna shares her upcoming projects and community developments, and how we can get in touch with her. “I'm focusing on building my community,” she says, “and I'm working on launching my group program because I know that one-on-one is important for a lot of people, but there are a lot of people who need this sense of community.” She also tells us how sound can help us become our best selves: “I'm a strong believer that every single one of us has this inner potential to be the best person they dream of, and all it takes is to create the right surroundings.” Episode SummaryHow music and voice can influence our emotions and help foster deeper relationships.Connecting with ourselves through voice training and discovering our inner music.Sound's link to the natural world, and some of Anna's current and upcoming...

“If you play on an instrument for a while, for example, every day for a week, for example, or something like that, you will start noticing that you have your own melody that you will play over and over again. And it could be that the melody changes while your emotion changes. It can be that, just the speed of the melody will change. But basically, you will have your own melody, and it's interesting to see how it evolves through the time.” -- Anna Bohuslavska This episode's guest is a transformational coach and inner guide who's helping women bring joy and fulfillment to their everyday lives. She's a mother of two, a craft maniac, and a dance lover. She's been passionate about psychology for as long as she can remember, and she's been fortunate enough to learn from some of the greatest minds of our day while employing her own holistic approach to well-being. She seamlessly blends together coaching techniques, art therapy, mindfulness, and more.Her name is Anna Bohuslavska, and our conversation is all about using sound for healing. If this is an interest of yours, I hope you'll give this one a listen – it's a very inspirational 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Inner Work and Music Therapy EvolutionAs our discussion starts, Anna talks about how the birth of her son inspired her to learn more about the psychology of sound, and how her work led to a community of like-minded women. “That's why I started searching for other sources of information,” she explains, “and I was happy to find an online community that was all about parenting, and I felt like this is what will help me.” We discuss sound's ability to tap into our deepest emotions and memories, and music therapy's role in boosting our mood and broadening our perspective. “It's about listening,” Anna says, “it's about moving under the sound, it's all this spectrum. But it helps a lot, and the simplest thing that I advise every single of my clients is to just, like, know what different types of music move you in different directions.”(0:16:44) - Musical Evolution and Personal ExpressionWe continue with the story of Anna's journey from Ukraine and around the world to her home in Texas, and her secret to getting in touch with our own inner melody. “If you play on an instrument for a while,” she tells us, “you will start noticing that you have your own melody, that you will play over and over again, and it could be that the melody changes while your emotion changes... basically, you will have your own melody, and it's interesting to see how it evolves through the time.” Episode SummaryMusic's influence on our lives, and how it can help us overcome past traumas.Anna's journey from Ukraine to Texas, and the cognitive impact of creating music. Tune in for part two of my conversation with Anna as we discuss how background sounds, even the sound of our own voice in our ears, can influence our daily lives, how vocal exercises can help forge a deeper connection with ourselves, and her advice for...

“Social media, if you want to be on all of the places, it's a best practice to have your voice be represented in those places. But, also, the content is representative for that place. People go to Instagram with an expectation, they go to YouTube with an expectation, they open up your audio podcast with an expectation of a more immersive experience. So there's different ways and there's different ways that you need to be putting your information in the post. And so you can't just take something that somebody gives you and just, that's the same content that goes into TikTok, into Instagram, into YouTube.” -- Chris Stone This episode's the second half of my Clubhouse chat with Livestream Universe founder Ross Brand, Cast Ahead's Chief Content Entrepreneur Chris Stone, Favorite Daughter Media president Sara Lohse, and Red Hat Media CEO Larry Roberts, as we talk about the future of social media content creation, the most useful AI tools currently available, and whether AI can help save a marriage. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:01) - AI Content Creation and PersonalizationAs the second half of our chat begins, the panelists share some of their less-than-ideal experiences with trying to coax ChatGPT into an authentic writing style. “I have never in my life said the word delve,” Sara recalls, “but ChatGPT wants me to ‘delve' into every topic.” We also take a question from John, who shares his experience with running a 100% AI podcast from start to finish, and Larry talks about his experience writing a hybrid-AI book and the process of crafting each chapter. “I think the exercise you're going through,” Larry says, “is what we as content creators need to do so that we understand these tools and we understand how these tools can complement what we're doing.”(0:08:36) - Maximizing AI in Content CreationChris adds his thoughts on the importance of human oversight when it comes to AI, and we discuss whether AI could eventually render human creativity obsolete. “I think everyone pretty much agrees here that using AI is something that we need to do,” Chris explains, “and I look at it more of like assistive intelligence or administrative intelligence.” We talk about the clerical work AI can handle for us while retaining our authentic voices. “I think everybody here,” Ross says, “and, and pretty much anybody who's competitive in this space, their biggest competitive advantage is themselves.”(0:20:01) - Content Creation Tools and StrategiesAs our talk comes to a close, Chris shares how AI can help us keep up with and customize our content across a range of social media platforms. “People go to Instagram with an expectation,” he explains. “They go to YouTube with an expectation. They open up your audio podcast with an expectation of a more immersive experience.” Finally, we take a question from a listener about the best AI tools currently available, and we ponder whether AI can even improve a marriage. “It can definitely help you write poems and happy anniversary sonnets,” Larry says, “and, I mean, it can make you sound and feel like you...

“People either have a vision of a Utopian wonderland out there, that we're going to create all this amazing stuff with AI, or, on the flip side, everybody thinks it's going to be a dystopian wasteland when we start using AI, and everybody's going to be out of work, and the robots are going to take over... And it's very difficult to find anybody that has that middle ground. But it's conversations like we're having here that's going to allow us to establish that middle ground. And as we continue to educate the public, and as we continue to expose these tools and teach people how to use these tools and let them know the limitations of these tools as they exist today, I think more and more people are going to become more and more comfortable with the integration of AI as tools and not replacements.” -- Larry Roberts Some discussions lend themselves to more than one perspective. That's definitely the case with sound in social media, and recently I had a Clubhouse room full of experts with a lot to say about it. They are Ross Brand, founder of Livestream Universe and author of the 100 Livestreaming & Digital Media Predictions series; Chris Stone, Chief Content Entrepreneur at Cast Ahead; Sara Lohse, President of Favorite Daughter Media and author of Open This Book: The Art of Storytelling for Aspiring Thought Leaders; and Larry Roberts, CEO of Red Hat Media and co-host of the Branded Podcast. Our round-table discussion covered a lot of information on sound in social media, as you would expect, but we also delved into how AI is shaping that landscape, for better and worse. It made for a fascinating and fun discussion, and I'm glad to be able to share it with you 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Sound in Social MediaOur Clubhouse chat starts with introductions from each of our four panelists, and we focus on social media and the role sound plays in getting your message out. “Social media is interesting,” Ross says, “because sometimes you have to change it up as well, which kind of goes against some of the rules of sonic branding.” Chris tells us the simple secret to incorporating video in your audio brand, and Larry and Sara share their thoughts about machine learning and how important it is to keep pace with the growth of AI. “If we're not aware and we don't start making the adjustments we need to make this early in the game,” Larry notes, “we're going to wake up in 12 months and go ‘oh my gosh.'"(0:14:48) - AI in Audio Production DebateRoss discusses the AI tools he uses in his studio, and Sara outlines the difference between using AI to improve content versus creating it. “What I don't necessarily do,” she explains, “is use AI to the degree that some people do for content creation. I'll do it for ideas, but kind of like what was said before, it's still about those genuine stories.” We discuss the role that human stories and perspectives play in guiding AI content and the challenge of “AI proofing” the next generation. “I stress, with the people that I work with and myself,” Chris tells us, “to be excellent... at what...

“Specifically as it relates to voiceover, that was, the whole industry has shifted hugely, as you know, and it has democratized the industry a huge amount, which is, you know, I appreciate. You know, some people made a lot of claims about their studio when COVID first happened, and it wasn't true. And so they would go on to live sessions, and there were dogs barking, and the neighbor revving their engine, and people mowing their lawn. And these, it wasn't usable and, and so a lot of people were scared of hiring anyone from home, then a lot of producers [were] like ‘oh no It has to be in-studio.' Now I think we've reached an equilibrium where everyone's kind of figured it out. ‘Oh, you know the pros have figured it out.'" -- Jamie Muffett This episode is the second half of my conversation with renowned voiceover artist, podcast producer, and RPS founder Jamie Muffett as we discuss how the pandemic and machine learning have reshaped the audio industry, the advantages of AI when it comes to everything from research to sound editing, and what the latest voice-cloning breakthrough has in common with 1960s record deals. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Business of Voiceover Events and eVOcationOur discussion continues as Jamie tells us about the challenges of founding the voiceover business conference eVOcation just before the start of the pandemic. “It was so weird that there was no New York event other than, like for audiobook people,” he recalls. “And so we found out why: because it's really difficult.” We talk about how the event evolved through the lockdown and became a lifeline for its very first participants.“I think that was kind of what kept me sane while I was locked in the house,” he says. “We've had in-jokes from that event that have carried through even until today.”(0:07:48) - Impact of AI on Voiceover IndustryThe topic turns to machine learning and its expanding role in everything from writing content to composing music. “I think everyone is just throwing everything at the wall right now, and just seeing what's going to stick,” Jamie says, “and I don't know what is going to stick, you know, in terms of that permanent change.” He shares his own experience with AI tools and we discuss how much of an impact generative content might have in the long run. “There's going to be a market for all of the above where the content doesn't really matter and never really mattered,” he explains. “I use this example, [it's] like when microwave dinners came in and restaurants were quaking in their boots.”(0:19:30) - AI in Music, Podcasting, and Editing“The more AI video and pictures and text that goes out into the world,” Jamie remarks as we talk about the future of AI development, “the more it's feeding into itself. So, you know, who knows where it's going to go? It might even get worse because it's using itself as source material.” He shares a before and after AI audio clip that reveals its startling potential as a sound editing tool, and the variety of uses he's found for ChatGPT in his production schedule. “It's not...

“There was one we did a few years ago. This was while COVID was going on and it was with Nicolas Cage. And he was such a surprising guy. I mean, we all know, kind of… He's an unusual fella. His films run the gamut really, and stylistically and genre. But he showed up early to get the tech right. He was super chatty. I always gauge, like, how someone is based on how they work with me because I'm not the host of that show. And if they're sort of friendly and helpful and wanting to get things right with me, it's usually a good sign that they're, you know, not just there for the glory of being on the show.” -- Jamie Muffett After twenty years of experience as an audio engineer and podcast producer with millions of downloads, as well as a successful voice talent and lead producer, my next guest founded RPS, a boutique podcast production company that turns the spark of an idea into compelling, beautiful-sounding podcasts. He's worked with such companies as HBO, Warner Brothers, Google, NBC, Backstage, and National Geographic, helping them to create captivating and engaging audio content that resonates with audiences. His production clients include the likes of Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Sir Patrick Stewart, Natalie Portman, Janelle Monáe, and many more.His name is Jamie Muffett and not only does he craft incredible-sounding podcasts, he also co-hosts VOcation, a voice conference about the business of voiceover. You may also recognize his voice from his narration of the TV show Bondi Vet and some of its spin-offs. If you're interested in podcasting, voiceovers, or sound in general, you're going to get a lot from 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - From Music to PodcastingAs our conversation starts, we talk about Jamie's early memories of sound and what inspired him to become a musician and voice artist. “I think probably the first memory of sound that moved me was hearing ‘Imagine' for the first time,” he says. “Obviously it's a great song, it's an iconic song, but as a kid, I'd never been exposed to creativity like that before.” We discuss the early days of digital workstations and cassette recorders, and how Jamie's career shifted to podcasting. “I was so focused on voiceover and music,” he recalls, “and as music drifted away and production drifted away, I started sort of leaning more into podcasting, because it's sort of a combination of those two worlds.”(0:10:33) - Podcast Production and Audio BrandingOur conversation turns to some of Jamie's most memorable production moments, such as helping Nicolas Cage prepare for an interview. “I always gauge, like, how someone is based on how they work with me,” he explains, “because I'm not the host of that show, and if they're sort of friendly and helpful and wanting to get things right with me, it's usually a good sign.” We talk about his podcast production company RPS and how it all started with a suggestion from his wife. "‘Why don't you just put it under a banner,'” he recalls her saying. "‘Create a company that you can put it all together, you can highlight all the different shows that...

“People are actually tuning in from their phones or, like, listening on Spotify or whatever while they're shopping. And they actually measured how conscious people were of what they were spending. So yeah, it's just really fascinating. It influences us in so many ways that I don't even think we're conscious of.”“Oh, absolutely. I totally agree with that 100%. You know, they play music at sporting events, they play music, you know, virtually everywhere you go. It's a component of everything. You just have to stop and listen to really be able to identify it. And yeah, now it's got me wondering if I'm getting music piped into places I'm walking in. ‘Why am I so hungry right now?' You know? ‘Why do I want to have pancakes?'" -- Chris Stone This episode is the second part of my interview with longtime podcast producer, podcast host, and live streamer Chris Stone as we talk about the versatility of podcasting, some of the most memorable interviews he's produced, and how sound impacts our lives in some surprising ways. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Impactful Podcast Episodes and Audience EngagementThe second half of our interview begins with some of Chris's most memorable podcast productions, such as a powerful interview with author and Afghan veteran Thomas Schueman. “We got some feedback from that show,” he says, “that, really, you could tell people were impacted by that and it kind of made us change a little bit of the direction of the show.” The conversation turns to the versatility of podcasting and the importance of planning ahead, even when the episode itself is unscripted. “I think there are people that need to understand,” he explains, “like, if you want to take this seriously, you have to, you have to, you know, be excellent. And that means you know, have a pre-call.”(0:12:00) - Podcast Episode With Bret MichaelsWe talk about another unforgettable interview he produced with musician Bret Michaels and the challenge he faced of working around Bret's demanding tour schedule. “I had to route him in through my mixer,” Chris tells us, “and kind of pull him in and I was, like, spinning plates and doing all kinds of wild stuff here to just kind of get him in. Well, we got him in and it was a fantastic interview.” Our conversation turns to his earliest memories of sound, and his dad's passion for the trumpet. “You know, music is just in my DNA,” he says, “it's just a part of everything. It's why I got in the music business, why I started playing bands, it's… it's really why I do everything.”(0:18:05) - The Power of Sound in PodcastingChris shares his thoughts about what makes sound so important in our daily lives, and its hidden value in podcasting. “No one listens to an audio podcast because it sounds so good, right?” he explains. “They listen to an audio podcast because of what you're delivering to them, and no one is going to receive what you're delivering if they can't hear you clearly and understand you.” We also discuss how sound is used to influence everything from social media to shopping...

“An intro video needs to let people know, ‘Hey, this is who the show's for, and this is what you're about to see, what you're about to witness.' And that audio is a huge component of it. It has to really, just, it has to just feel right. There's really not a way to explain it, even though that's kind of my job here on a podcast is to explain it. But it has to feel like, ‘Oh, wow, this,' without saying, ‘Oh, I really love the beat here,' or ‘I love this guitar solo here.' It just has to all just blend together, to kind of say, ‘Okay, boom, the show's about to start. And this is for me.'" -- Chris Stone In the world of podcasting and live streaming, Chris Stone stands out with over twenty-five years of experience in the music industry. Chris's journey began with the transformative power of his co-hosted podcasts, which propelled him to help others achieve success in creative, financial, physical, and spiritual aspects. Since then, he's founded Cast Ahead, a consultancy that empowers entrepreneurs, influencers, thought leaders, and businesses to amplify their stories and extend their reach.His expertise extends to producing content for prominent speakers, developing and producing podcasts like Sales Influence and The Big Ticket Life, and co-hosting the Amazon Live show Dealcasters alongside Jim Fuhs. This show has become a trusted authority in live video and podcasting, and Chris's belief that everyone deserves to be heard drives his mission to integrate podcasting and live streaming into business strategies, thereby educating and attracting a broader 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 and what the newest audio chats will be about. 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. (0:00:00) - Podcast Community and Production InsightsWe start the conversation off with a look at Chris's work on Cast Ahead and simplifying the podcasting process, as well as the secret to an impactful intro video. “Most people,” he says, “they want a podcast, but they just want to be able to show up, turn on their cameras, flip their microphone open and do a show, and that's what we do for them.” He tells us about his “station identification” approach to intros and why the opening moments of a podcast are critical, and the often-overlooked value of a podcast in networking with guests and the audience. “The most underrated component of podcasting is the ability to network,” Chris explains. “You know, and I think totally a lot of these people, like you said, [who are] smarter than you, smarter than me, [that] I just can't believe I've had on our show.”(0:10:53) - The Importance of Audio QualityChris shares his process for finding the right music for a podcast, and how he incorporates both the host and brand into his decision. “He's got a belt buckle,” he says about one podcast client, “he drives a truck and, you know, he serves a very particular type of entrepreneur and business leader, and so I'm not going to put something that sounds like Taylor Swift underneath his intro video.” We discuss how bad audio is costing celebrities their listening audience, his advice for boosting sound quality in a home studio environment, and the...