Sonic identity of a brand: what it is, what that sound is called and how to create it with your own music

What a sonic identity is

Close your eyes and think of Netflix's "ta-dum", Intel's notes or McDonald's ba-da-ba-ba-ba. They're brands you recognize before you see anything. That's a sonic identity, also called sound branding, audio branding or sonic branding.

It's the same as visual identity, only for the ear. Just as a brand decides on its logo, colors and typeface, it can decide how it sounds: which music goes with it, which voice represents it, which sound opens its videos and what will never sound like it. And like any identity, it shows through what's repeated: a single sound in one ad isn't an identity, while the same sound over years is.

Why is this talked about more now? Because we consume more and more content without looking: podcasts, video audio while doing something else, voice assistants. And on social, many people turn the sound on after stopping at a video, and at that point the sound decides whether they stay. A video using stock music that twenty other brands also use is missing a chance to be recognized.

It isn't just for multinationals. A small brand can have a simple and very effective sonic identity: a short piece of original music for its videos, a way of speaking in its voice-overs and an opening sound. What matters is that it's consistent and always used.

What is the sound that identifies a brand called?

This is the question that comes up most on Google, and it has several answers, because there are several pieces. It's worth knowing them so you know what to ask for.

Sonic logo. Also called an audio logo or mnemonic. It's the signature: one or two seconds that are always repeated, like Netflix's "ta-dum". It's the best-known piece.

Jingle. A short sung melody, normally with the brand's name or slogan. It was widely used on radio and television, and it's made a comeback on social.

Brand anthem or brand music. A longer composition from which variations come for each use: a calm version for a corporate video, one with more energy for an ad, another of a few seconds for a reel. It's the brand's "theme".

Brand voice. Who speaks and how: whether it's a male or female voice, young or mature, warm or serious. And today, too, whether a synthetic voice will be used and which one.

Product and interface sounds. The noise an app makes on confirming a payment or that of an electric motor, for example.

And then there's the sound guide. It's a small manual that gathers all of the above: what gets used, when and at what volume, and what should never be used. It's worth adding it to your brand manual so any supplier can follow it.

Google also asks about a brand's tone of voice, by the way. Careful: that usually refers to how the brand writes and speaks in general, not to sound. The two should get along, but they're different decisions.

How a sonic identity is created

A well-run process involves more thinking than composing. We sum it up in five steps.

First, listening. Look at and listen to what you already have: what music your videos use, what voice your ads carry, how your competitors sound. Chaos nearly always turns up: a cheerful song in one video and a sad piano in another. And it's very common to sound the same as the rest of your sector.

Second, translating the brand into sound. Is your brand warm or cold, fast or unhurried, classic or current? Which instruments would say that? References help more than adjectives, because "modern and dynamic" means something different to each musician. So it's worth making a playlist of specific references, just as you make a moodboard for the image.

Third, composing. You usually start with the main musical idea and test it in different versions. It has to work short and long, and also on a phone speaker, which is where it'll almost always be heard.

Fourth, testing it with real images, in an actual video. Here you see whether the piece holds up or gets in the way of the voice.

Fifth, writing the rules and using it non-stop. A sonic identity is earned through repetition, and the worst that can happen is that it's approved, applied in one video and forgotten in a drawer.

An important detail if you work with music: your own composition gives you clear rights to use it anywhere. With a commercial song or stock music, each use needs its license, and a slip can get your video blocked. We cover it in what music can I use in my video.

Real cases: music made to measure

Here's how we work with sound on projects you can see and hear, because here one example is worth more than any definition.

On Jaray, NouVelleMaison's flagship collection, the music was created from scratch with Panorama Room Studio. It wasn't a last-minute addition: the concept work beforehand covered the visual narrative and also the sound, and the original score was conceived for each shot of the fashion film shot in Granada. We did the same on Aires de Grandeza, another collection by the brand, with another bespoke score. It's a way for two pieces with their own personality to be recognized as coming from the same house.

In podcasts, this shows even more, because sound is half the show. The Aladetres intros, 30 to 45 seconds long, feature motion graphics and original music, and they're our signature. Anyone who follows the show recognizes that opening without looking at the screen. That's what we ask from a good sonic logo: that it says "it's starting" and whose it is. We explain how it's done in how a cinematic intro is made.

At the other end is Canta Coco, a children's song format that has passed half a million views on YouTube. There, the music is the product: original, composed for each episode, and it's what makes the character recognizable. Proof that combining AI in image and voice with music and human judgment can also give you an identity.

Three very different worlds, fashion, podcasts and children's content, and in all of them sound is part of the idea from the start.

Where to apply it: video, podcast and social

A sonic identity only exists if it gets used. These are the touchpoints you should review.

In company videos, your own music, with variations according to the piece, and the sonic logo at the close. It's very common for a corporate video to end in silence or with any old music, and that's a missed opportunity. With companies you also have to do it in moderation, because the message is often carried by the people talking.

In a podcast, the opening theme, the transitions between parts and the close. With the same music in different lengths you can do a lot: a long opening for episodes and a very short version for social clips.

In ads, the first few seconds and the final signature. Many ads get listened to more than they get watched, and if your brand only appears on screen, anyone looking elsewhere won't know whose it was.

On social, especially in short videos. People tend to use trending audio, which gives you reach but no identity. A good rule is to combine: trends when they fit and your own stamp at the beginning or end, without overdoing it.

On the website and in physical locations: the music in a store, the phone hold or the sounds of an app. The brand sounds in those places as well, even if nobody decided it.

Finally, a tip that saves us grief: think about how it will sound in the worst case. A phone with a small speaker and street noise. If you can't make anything out in that case, it has to be simplified. And if the voice is hard to understand, no music will fix it: good recorded sound comes first.

How we can help with your brand's sound

At Bostak Films we think about sound along with image, not afterwards. Albert Murillo, our creative director, comes from directing music videos for artists like Paula Valls, Carla Collado and Azul Infarto, so he understands rhythm and music as well as he understands shots. That shows in how pieces get edited: the music leads the edit, instead of being stuck on top at the end.

We work with composers and studios such as Panorama Room Studio when a project calls for original music, and we coordinate everything from the idea to the mix. We do it for brands in Barcelona and other European countries, and also for podcasts in Spanish and English. And if your project is small, we can also start with something very specific, such as an intro with your own music for your videos and a sonic logo. What matters is starting to sound the same everywhere.

If you want to see how we approach a whole brand, look at our creative agency in Barcelona page. And if you have doubts about how your brand should sound, book a free diagnosis: over a video call, we listen to what you already have, tell you what can be heard today and where we'd start. You don't need to bring anything prepared, except your latest videos.

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